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Business Recorder
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
KP governor administers oath to Opposition MPAs
PESHAWAR: The Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi administered oath to the newly elected members of the provincial assembly on reserved seats for women and non-Muslim. The oath-taking ceremony was held here at Governor's House on Sunday. After the adjournment of the proceedings of the KP Assembly in the name of the lack of quorum in an especially summoned session of the house for the purpose, the Chief Justice, Peshawar High Court (PHC) on a request of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in line with Article 255 (2) of the Constitution of Pakistan had nominated the Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to administered oath to newly elected members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on reserved seats for women and non-Muslims. PHC bars elected MPAs on reserved seats from taking oath A formal notification (No. 453-J) issued by the High Court Registrar directed that the oath-taking ceremony should take place at the earliest in accordance with the constitutional framework and prescribed legal procedures. The Governor has been tasked to ensure that the oath is administered in the prescribed manner and that official record is properly maintained. The court has also instructed the Secretary of the Provincial Assembly to facilitate the process by enabling the newly notified members to sign the Roll of Members as per Rule 6 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Procedure and Conduct of Business Rules, 1988. A formal notification in this regard also issued on Sunday, and its copies were forwarded to key stakeholders including the Speaker and Secretary of the Provincial Assembly, the Election Commission, and the Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A ceremony to administered oath to women and non-Muslims elected on reserved seats is schedule at Governor's House today (Monday) at 9:00 A.M. The Treasury benches in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly created the issue of quorum to avoid the administering of oath to women and non-Muslims elected to the house against reserved seats. A special session of the provincial legislature was convened on the request of the Chief Minister to administer oath to the women and minorities' representatives elected on reserved seats to formally enrolled them as members of the house. But it could not happen due to the strategy evolved by the treasury benches, which is divided into two groups over the issuance of tickets by the party leadership, particularly by the jailed PTI founder Imran Khan. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly is going to elect 11 Senators and on the basis of its strength in the electoral college, it has fielded six candidates by issuing them party ticket. The candidates fielded by the ruling party include Murad Saeed, Noor-ul-Haq Qadri and Mirza Khan Afridi on general seats, Azam Swati on technocrat and Robina Naz on seats reserved for women. The Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur and joint opposition in the provincial legislature have already developed consensus on the distribution of seats by allowing the election of the five candidates of the later to the Senate. However, some PTI leaders Irfan Saleem, Khurram Zeeshan and Ayesha Bano, who had had filed nominations, but were denied tickets are not ready to accept the decision of the leadership and have come in the forefront of the leadership against the decision of the party. Though the session of the legislature was convened. However, the staying away from the house by the legislatures, particularly treasury benches braked it due to the lack of quorum in the house. As the house began proceedings with Speaker Babar Saleem Swati in the chair, a treasury benches member Sher Ali Afridi pinpointed the lack of quorum and the Speaker has to order the ringing of the bells to bring legislators to the house. But, in legislators did not turned up prompting the Speaker to adjourned the proceedings of the house till July 24,2025. Later, speaking informally in the house, the leader of opposition Dr Ibadullah said that how long will this continue? He said that a period of over on years has been passed, but the members are still awaiting their oath. He said that if the Speaker does not take the oath, then they will file a petition with the Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court to administer the oath to them. Earlier, while speaking to the media, Speaker Babar Saleem Swati said tha the oath-taking will take place whenever the assembly session is held, quorum in the house merely after entering the house. When asked regarding the delay in the oath-taking, the Speaker with a meaningful smile said that it will happen eventually. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Indian Express
19 hours ago
- Indian Express
6th aide of Chhangur Baba held, was a clerk at Balrampur court
Days after arresting 65-year-old Jamaluddin alias Chhangur Baba and others for their alleged involvement in a 'large-scale' religious conversion racket, the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of the UP Police on Sunday arrested a clerk at the Balrampur court in Lucknow in connection to the case. The police said the accused, Rajesh Kumar Upadhyay, is a native of Varanasi and was in Lucknow at the time of his arrest. With this, the total number of arrests in the case has risen to seven, including Jamaluddin alias Chhangur Baba. According to police, Upadhyay was part of the racket and allegedly involved in laundering black money through property brokerage. The ATS is currently investigating a Rs 16 crore land deal in Pune registered under Upadhyay's wife, suspecting it to be linked to 'hawala transactions' and funds generated through religious conversions. On Saturday, police had arrested Sabroj alias Buddhu (42) and Shahabuddin (36), both residents of Balrampur, in connection to the case. Earlier, police had arrested Jamaluddin, his son Mehboob, their associate Naveen, and Naveen's wife Neetu alias Nasreen. Mehboob and Naveen were taken into custody in April, while Jamaluddin and Neetu were arrested on July 5. The authorities also demolished a portion of Neetu's house in Madhpur village, which was allegedly built on government land. Apart from Neetu, her husband Naveen, and their daughter were living in the house. According to the police, Jamaluddin was the main person behind the conversion racket. The group mainly targeted poor and vulnerable non-Muslims, including widows. They lured people with money, help, and false promises of marriage to make them convert. Those who refused were allegedly threatened with fake legal cases. Police added that the group had 'fixed rates' for religious conversions based on caste.
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
25 reserved seat MPAs sworn at KP Governor House after high court intervention
Following intervention of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi administered the oath to 25 members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, elected on reserved seats for women and non-Muslims, in a ceremony held at the Governor House Peshawar on Sunday. The governor administered the oath after the PHC chief justice through an order nominated him to do so. Governor Kundi congratulated the women and minority members of the assembly upon taking the oath on the reserved seats. He also expressed his gratitude to the PHC chief justice of for the nomination. The oath-taking ceremony was attended by prominent figures including Federal Minister for SAFFRON, Engineer Amir Muqam, and Leader of the Opposition in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Dr. Ibadullah, along with other members of opposition parties. PHC bars elected MPAs on reserved seats from taking oath This oath was administered under Articles 65 and 255(2) of the Constitution of Pakistan, and in accordance with Rule 6 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Procedure and Conduct of Business Rules, 1988.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Akbar misrepresented in textbooks? JNU scholar takes on NCERT over jizya claim
Dr. Ruchika Sharma Dr. Ruchika Sharma, a historian specializing in medieval India, has raised questions about the recent revisions in NCERT history textbooks, particularly concerning the portrayal of Emperor Akbar and the tax system known as jizya. Sharma has announced her intention to file a Right to Information (RTI) request against NCERT, challenging the accuracy and completeness of the content related to this period. During a televised debate on a private channel, Dr. Sharma criticized the depiction of the Mughal era in the textbooks, calling out what she described as factual discrepancies and biased evaluations of historical figures. She specifically contested the claim that jizya was imposed as a means to pressure non-Muslims into converting to Islam, a point she says lacks credible historical backing. Historian challenges textbook narrative on jizya During the televised discussion, Dr Sharma stated that the textbooks misrepresent the timeline of Akbar's abolition of the jizya tax. According to her, the revised content suggests that Akbar abolished the tax only after consolidating his rule. Sharma contested this, asserting that Akbar began his reign in 1560 and abolished jizya by 1562, a time when he was still a young ruler and had not fully established control over the empire. Dr Sharma cited the Ain-i-Akbari, a contemporary administrative document, as evidence that Akbar removed the jizya tax early in his rule due to its discriminatory nature. She said this decision had moral significance and was not simply a political strategy taken after gaining complete power. Questions over conversion claims and demand for sources Dr Sharma also raised concerns about the textbook's explanation of the purpose behind the jizya tax. The textbook reportedly states that the tax was imposed to pressure non-Muslims to convert to Islam to avoid paying it. She refuted this claim, asking where it is documented in historical records that jizya served as an incentive for conversion. 'If NCERT is presenting this claim, I would like to file an RTI asking for the source,' she said during the debate. Dr Sharma emphasised the need for academic transparency and demanded that NCERT provide the original references for the content presented in the revised material. Criticism of selective portrayal and terminology In the same debate, Dr Sharma questioned the use of the term 'dark period' in describing certain historical eras. She called the label historically irrelevant and pointed to what she described as double standards in how different rulers are evaluated in the textbook content. She further alleged factual discrepancies and incomplete narratives in several textbook sections. 'A lot of what has been written is simply false, and I can point out the facts to prove it. The portrayal of history is incomplete in many places,' she said. Remarks on Shivaji draw political response Dr Sharma also made a remark involving Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which prompted a response from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Amit Malviya, head of the BJP's IT cell, responded on social media platform X, stating that 'Comparing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to Mughal tyrants is not only a historical distortion but also a grave insult to the nation.' He added that there is no historical evidence that Shivaji Maharaj looted or plundered Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar, who ruled Mysore from 1673 to 1704. Scholar's background and public presence Dr Ruchika Sharma holds a PhD in History from JNU and is known for her work on medieval Indian history. She regularly appears in national media debates on historical representation in education. She also runs a YouTube channel titled Eyeshadow & Etihaas, where she combines historical discussions with makeup tutorials. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
The Star
2 days ago
- General
- The Star
‘Counselling can help couples better understand each other'
PETALING JAYA: Counselling can provide couples with a safe space to express pent-up feelings through a neutral third party, says the Malaysian Muslim Lawyers Association (PPMM). Its president Muhamad Hisham Marzuki said counselling can be an alternative platform to help resolve problems within the family such as financial management, respect for each other, health, relationships between in-laws and issues involving religion and morals. 'On domestic violence, there are many factors that contribute to it, and not just the religious background. ALSO READ: Guidance for a stable marriage 'The issue can stem from family background, upbringing, financial constraints, environment and even exposure to social media culture,' he said. On the importance of existing pre-marriage courses for Muslims, Muhamad Hisham said it was to prepare couples for marriage and help them think maturely on decisions that will have to be made post-marriage. He said various modules have been formulated to help couples in dealing with family and household matters. The Archdiocesan Mental Health Ministry suggested that pre-marriage counselling help couples understand each other based on personal values, beliefs, individual goals and future planning. It said this was because both partners have to be aligned or understand where they differ to have a deep conversation about faith, children, financial planning, family roles and spiritual life. 'Pre-marriage counselling is very important as it helps couples identify differences, talk about expectations and learn how to resolve disagreements in healthy, faith-based ways,' it added. It said couples could attend counselling for communication breakdown, financial difficulties, intimacy issues or even personal mental health issues like depression or anxiety. 'However, it is imperative to know that the counselling process will only work if both the couple and therapist are emotionally open to listening and learning,' it added. Asked if pre-marriage courses should be made mandatory, it said that while it cannot be forced upon, it was highly encouraged as a form of investment into the relationship. The Catholic Church offers a course called the Catholic Marriage Preparation Course (CMPC), where couples attend courses for up to seven weekends before their wedding. Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism president Tan Hoe Chieow said having a compulsory pre-marriage course was not a 'guarantee' that issues being faced by a couple would be resolved. He said for non-Muslims, putting another condition prior to marriage might hinder more of them from taking the plunge. 'This pre-marriage course was brought up many years ago and we had rejected it as we did not know if it would be effective. 'There is also the question of attendance. 'So, we objected to it. But if a particular religious group wants a pre-marriage course, it is up to them,' he added.
