Two persons were sentenced to two years imprisonment and Rs5 million fine each for poaching of the endangered animal. Two other persons were given one year jail term and fine. GILGIT: Five people have been convicted of poaching in Hopar, Nager and sent to jail, said a press statement issued by the WildLife and Forest Department, Gilgit-Baltistan on Wednesday. High …

By Wajidul Islam   The National Finance Commission (NFC) is a resource-sharing mechanism between the federal government and federating units. It was constituted under Article 160(1) of the 1973 Constitution. It is mandatory to constitute and hold the NFC meeting in every five consecutive years. The purpose of the award is to review the collection of revenues by the Centre …

Civil society organisations condemn video incitement to murder Herald Report Islamabad: Pakistan’s top judge on Thursday took notice of a video clip containing derogatory, and scandalous language against Justice Qazi Faez Isa and politicians. In the viral video, a man identified as Agha Iftikharuddin Mirza can be seen giving threats to the Supreme Court judge. “The [CJP] has taken notice …

Herald Report Islamabad: Pakistan’s top court on Friday threw out the presidential reference against senior judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa in a case that was widely seen as pitting the country’s judiciary against its government and powerful armed forces. “[The reference] is declared to be of no legal effect whatsoever and stands quashed,” read the majority (9-1) short verdict on …

The decision will add to the woes of PWDs that make 15 per cent of the population, says activist News Desk Islamabad: The human rights defenders have condemned the government’s decision to abolish two per cent employment quota for differently-abled persons in public and private entities. In a statement issued on Sunday, the Potohar Mental Health Association (PMHA) termed the …

Covid-19 pandemic affecting human rights, weakest segments of society invisible and unheard, notes HRCP in its flagship report High Asia Herald Report Islamabad: Pakistan’s human rights record is worrisome as curbs on dissenting views increased. The outbreak of Coronasvirus will have far-reaching effects on people’s economic and social rights fundamental rights, says a report. “Widespread social and economic marginalisation have …

Gilgit-Baltistan Youth Action Committee expresses its commitment to struggle for the achievement of the 15-point demands. | by By Anayat Baig & Adnan Hassan Gohar | KARACHI: Gilgit-Baltistan’s youth have called on the government to revive ancient routes and repair all important roads connecting their region to Pakistan, and Kashmir, provide modern air and land travel services to the people …

The AWP leader’s sister has written an open letter to the CM about a ban on family members’ visit to jail and violation of prisoner’s rights   Herald Special Correspondent   Family members of Baba Jan, a political prisoner serving a life term at Damas jail in Ghizer District of Gilgit-Baltistan, have complained against new restrictions on the prisoner, drawing …

By Michael Karanicolas Pakistan’s newly published Citizens Protection (Against Online Harm) Rules, 2020 (the Rules) pose a serious danger for free speech in that country. Ostensibly, the Rules aim at curbing harmful online content, such as hate speech, harassment, and misinformation. However, the breadth of the Rules’ restrictions, and the intrusive requirements that they place on social media platforms, would severely threaten online freedom of expression in Pakistan. …

By Anita Bakhtiar As a citizen born in the 1980s, I grew up watching Kashmir Solidarity Day parades and looking at posters depicting children and women injured or killed by Indian soldiers. While this kind of imagery is horrific for the children’s mind you get used to it. Your reaction, though just as visceral each time, gets muted over the …

The award-winning author addressed a gathering at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Sunday   Beloved friends, comrades and my fellow writers, This place where we are gathered today is only a short bus ride away from where four days ago a fascist mob, fired up by speeches made by members of the Ruling Party, backed up and actively assisted by …

The laws that were created by the British Raj are still being used to stifle dissent on the Indian subcontinent, writes Dr Ammar Ali Jan in Al-Jazeera’s online news page. by Ammar Ali Jan   It appears to be sedition season on the Indian subcontinent. A relic of the colonial era, the sedition law has become a potent weapon in the …

The coalition of social media tech giants and legal experts have alarmed that the new regulation will curb political dissent, harm privacy, and online business   High Asia Herald Report   Islamabad:  Human rights and media watchdogs as well as lawyers, citizens and a global technology coalition have hit out at government’s new measures to regulate social media platforms and …

The audience at the first Asma Jehangir memorial lecture organised by the HRCP at Islamabad Hotel on Tuesday. Credit: Asif Khan/hrcp HRCP announces Asma Jahangir Award for human rights defenders; resumes Nisar Osmani Award for courage in journalism, and I.A Rehman research grant in human rights   By Amir Khan  Islamabad: A veteran human rights defender has called for a …

Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, and her party supporters attend a protest march against the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and a new citizenship law, in Kolkata, India, December 16, 2019. Reuters/Rupak De Chowdhuri Fiction in time of fake news. Below is the text of the 2020 Clark Lecture in English Literature instituted by Trinity College, Cambridge. We …