Official dismissed over sexual harassment
Lahore High Court Chief Justice and Chair of the Punjab Judicial Academy Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan on Thursday, February 26, issued termination orders for an official of the Academy charged with sexually harassing and threatening a female colleague, as well as professional misconduct following a detailed inquiry.
Enforced disappearances on decline, says Minister Fawad Chaudhry
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry during an interview with DW News stated that the number of enforced disappearances declined during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s tenure, and assured that the number of such cases will soon be ‘zero’ in coming months. The minister also asserted that the government will soon be tabling a law to ensure due legal proceedings and prosecution of missing persons.
Meanwhile, during a Thursday hearing on missing persons petitions in the Sindh High Court, Sindh IGP Mushtaq Ahmed Mahar informed a division bench headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto that the whereabouts of 298 victims of enforced disappearances have been traced, investigations in some 293 other cases are currently underway. He further assured the high court that all efforts are being made to convene with JITs in missing person cases on the regular now that the second COVID-19 wave is waning.
Broadcast of Justice Isa case sought
Supreme Court judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa on Thursday appealed the apex court to issue directives for live broadcasts of hearings in the Presidential reference case, set to commence on March 1, 2021. He petitioned that PEMRA be issued orders to notify all private television channels that they cannot be prohibited from broadcasting or livestreaming court proceedings. Live proceedings would help dissuade the circulation of propaganda and false information as was the case when the Presidential reference was first filed against him, he contended, and that to accept his petition would preserve his fundamental and constitutional rights.