Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
SAARC and threat of COVID-19
Recently, leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the regional forum long ignored by India because of its hostilities towards Pakistan, interact through a video conference on 15 March to discuss a common strategy against the novel Coronavirus. The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, sprang a surprise when he called for a video conference of the leadership of SAARC to evolve a common strategy against the novel Coronavirus that has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). All member countries including Pakistan responded positively to the offer.
The only difference, though, was that Prime Minister Imran Khan instead of attending the conference himself deputed the country’s de facto Health Minister, Dr Zafar Mirza. Modi’s initiative was a departure from his policy where he had tried to ignore SAARC in order to isolate Pakistan. All member states agreed that a coordinated and joint effort was needed to tackle the pandemic which is spreading rapidly throughout South Asia particularly in Pakistan and India.
Dr Zafar Mirza also used the SAARC conference to call for lifting of all locked downs and communication blackouts from the India-occupied Kashmir (IoK) in view of the health emergency. Ironically, soon after Mirza’s remarks, Indian commentators began accusing Pakistan for raising political issues on the SAARC forum when the region needed to focus on fighting the Coronavirus. However, in reality the flow of information from IoK was the key to get a full picture of the Coronavirus situation.
AFIA AMBREEN
Rawalpindi
Closure of sacred places due to Coronavirus
It is first time in the history that all the sacred places of all major religions of the world are closed nowadays due to the fear of Coronavirus as it may not spread more because of large gatherings of the people. Pope Francis left the Vatican City unannounced and visited two churches, where he prayed in front of a crucifix that was used in a procession when the plague hit Rome in 1522. He prayed for an end to the pandemic and also for the sick, their families and health providers and workers keeping pharmacies and food stores open amid a national lockdown. Saudi Arabia emptied Khana Kaaba for sterilisation amid Coronavirus fear and banned all Umrah pilgrimage to Makkah and Madinah. Similarly, Iran and Iraq governments stopped the pilgrims to enter the shrines. It is really very sad for all of us and it is time for us to stay in prayer and confess God for our mistakes and sins. I request everyone please pray for the entire world. May God protect us and save us from this virus and help our scientists to develop a vaccine for the treatment of this monster. Please pray for the doctors and medical professionals who are working day night for helping us. May God protect them and bless their families.
ANTHONY SAHOTRA
Larkana
Can a bank sell properties?
Under Section 15 of Financial Institutions (Recovery of Finances) Ordinance, 2001, Banks can auction mortgaged property without court decree. In the context of Section 15, it is specific to mention here that Section 15 of FIO, 2001 was declared ultravires the Constitution by Lahore High Court in a leading case reported as 2009 CLD 257 and subsequently by the august Supreme Court of Pakistan in the leading case reported as PLD 2014 SC 283.
Consequently, the Banking Law was amended in 2016 and Section 15 was re-enacted and re-introduced which, however, was stayed/suspended in the same year by the Honourable Chief Justice of Lahore High Court Lahore. However, on 10-03-2020, the Honourable Lahore High Court comprising five member bench declared it constitutional by recalling all the stay orders. Chief Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh headed the larger bench comprising Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh, Justice Jawad Hassan and Justice Asim Hafeez.
Bank can sell the mortgaged property in terms of strict requirements of law and rules, such as issuance of mandatory three notices for the repayment of mortgage money; determination of mortgaged money from any Charted Accountant Firm; evaluation of the mortgaged property from three evaluators approved by PBA; Publication of proclamation.
Moreover, evaluation of the property shall not be older than 6 months. The auction may be stayed by the Banking Court on four grounds such as defective mortgage/no mortgage, fraudulent mode of auction, mortgaged money has already been paid and deposit of mortgaged money in the banking court. The banking court has been empowered to set aside the sale. The banking court has also been empowered to deliver the possession of the auctioned property to the auction purchaser.
ARSHAD ALI
Lahore
Marriage: A social contract
Marriage, an idea, a way of life, a partnership, an agreement to share happiness and sadness, a social contract to create a balanced society, a way to continue human bread, a compromise between the odds, an idea to beautify the world… becomes suddenly irrelevant when it is misunderstood with child marriage.
A marriage at an early age i.e., typically below the age of 18 years, deny all the associated expectations related to marriage owing to their less age a point in a life that needs to be enjoyed, lived and memorized for the rest of one’s life. These low-age marriages result in psycho-social and medical complications and ultimately threatening the physic-mental health of society.
FATIMA EJAZ
Rawalpindi
Zainab Alert Bill
Finally, a small step towards the end of an awful act has been come out. According to this bill, the maximum sentence handed down to child sexual abusers would be life imprisonment, with Rs one million fine while the minimum sentence would be 10 years.
Furthermore, many child kidnapping and harassment cases have been witnessed in the recent past and undoubtedly without media, public and government efforts it is impossible to reach towards its solution. Lastly, all the concerned departments are requested to make Zainab Alert Bill’s implementation possible as soon as possible and provide justice to all the innocent souls.
HADIA AZIZ
Islamabad
