New Nikahnama law makes medical checkup compulsory

The Punjab Government made eight amendments to the nikahnama Law on Thursday.

A circular was issued by the Local Government and Community Development Department and sent to all DCOs in Punjab, describing the Punjab specific amendments. The new amendments make it necessary for both the bride and bridegroom to undergo a blood test, which is made compulsory to prevent disabled and handicapped births.

The amendments also make it mandatory for parents/guardians of both bride and bridegroom to sign the nikahnama document as witnesses. Mention of the bride and bridegroom’s date-of-birth has also been declared binding.

The amendements in the circular are as follows:

1. Additional columns and space shall be provided for dowry articles in the nikahnama
2. In addition to the names of fathers of both the bride and bridegroom, the names of mothers of both the bride and bridegroom shall be recorded with their CNIC numbers and dates of births.
3. Father and mother of the bride and bridegroom shall sign in the witness to the marriage column.

Why the burqa ban makes no sense

As France convenes to vote on the burqa ban this week, one can only congratulate the country on having rid itself of all its other problems — for example, crime, unemployment, the impact of the global recession on the French economy — because surely only a nation freed from all other societal ailments would find a woman’s headgear a vital enough issue for legislative concern.

Let us for one moment attempt to suspend our disbelief for long enough to consider that Nicolas Sarkozy’s fixation with the burqa ban isn’t in fact a desperate attempt on his part to cash in on nationalistic Islamophobia. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt, it is after all possible that Sarkozy’s desire to liberate Muslim women from their veils is not, in fact, a cheap gimmick to grant him a quick shot of popularity amongst an electorate who, judging by recent opinion polls, are all out to get shorty. If the French president honestly believes he’s doing his bit for women’s lib, then one can only express one’s sympathy at how he’s managed to miss the wood for the trees and how the end result of his actions will do French women, Muslim or otherwise, a great and lasting disservice. For the assumption that the burqa is attire that automatically degrades women is as ludicrous as a certain strain of Pakistani belief, which imagines that a black cloth tent somehow confers honour, dignity and respectability upon women.

Both are dead wrong and, as is the case with fascists, even those who stand on entirely different ends of the same issue, Sarkozy has far more in common with our morality police than he’d care to admit. Neither of them can quite come to terms with the fact that a woman is more complex than mere physical appearance, greater than the sum of her parts.

Ganders and geese

As the international press put it, in a rare show of unity this week amidst the republic’s fractious politicians agreed to convene a national conference to try to sort out the terrorism factor. The last time the national lot got together on the same topic was two years ago and the grand meeting fizzled out into nothing.

This love-fest was prompted by the suicide bomb attack of July 1 on Lahore’s Data Darbar shrine that killed 42 worshippers (majority members and all of the deprived variety) and injured some 200. What is known as the Punjab Taliban is the main suspect. This act of violence was unanimously – politicos, religiosos and all – vociferously ‘condemned’ and the country saw many protests, demos and city shut-downs. A somewhat different reaction to the event of May 28 when in two ‘places of worship’ of a minority community just under 100 people were slain as they prayed and a larger number were injured. The reaction of the majority – politicos, religiosos and all – was comparatively rather muted. It raised no suggestions for a national get-together.

So, majority is majority and minority remains minority — and never the twain shall meet. The constitution, the laws, and the national mindset dictate that what is sauce for the gander is not sauce for the goose.

Going, going, gone!

It’s been reported that the UN Consulate in Lahore had expressed an interest in purchasing the provincial Governor House. This news follows the decision of the Government of Punjab to “rationalise” some of its landholdings by “privatising” them; which is a fancy way of telling people you’re going to auction something that actually belongs to the public.

The Governor’s House in Lahore is built around the tomb of one of the cousin’s of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. It’s said that the cousin was a great patron of sports, and near his grave is a kushtee gumbaz dedicated to wrestlers and kabaddi-wallahs. The land around the tomb and kushtee gumbaz was taken over by the British when they bought the Punjab. In fact, the governor’s mansion is built on and around the tomb. It’s said you can see the sarcophagus in a chamber under the dining room.

The Governor’s House in Lahore is spread over 90 acres and has one of the largest residential gardens in this part of the world. Of course, since there’s a 20-foot wall surrounding the place, very few people have actually seen the inside of the place, despite the efforts of the present incumbent to open its doors to the awam.

Last year, when the Government of Punjab’s overdraft with the State Bank was fast approaching its limit, someone came up with the idea of selling some of the prime land that belonged to the government throughout the province. In Lahore, properties like the chief justice’s official residence and, of course, the Governor House, were said to be on the list.

High budget deficit puts financial stability at stake

Economic managers have surprised the prime minister, saying a high budget deficit last fiscal and a delay in taking immediate corrective measures have put the country’s financial stability at stake. This may also lead to blocking of foreign funding and depreciation of rupee.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani visited the Q-block on Friday where finance ministry officials gave a comprehensive presentation, depicting a true but frightening picture of the state of economy, sources said.

The ministry officials said the overall budget deficit during financial year 2009-10 stood at an unprecedented Rs909 billion against a revised target of Rs769 billion.

Announcing the last budget, the government had fixed the budget deficit target at 4.9 per cent of gross domestic product or Rs724 billion. Later, it revised the target to 5.1 per cent but, according to provisional estimates, it ended up at 6.2 per cent.

In 2007-08, the budget deficit was recorded at Rs777 billion, equal to 7.6 per cent of GDP.

Govt disowns hostile NAB missive

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Friday disowned a ‘hostile’ letter to the Supreme Court by an official of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), dubbing it the opinion of an individual and not the government.

Earlier this week, National Accountability Bureau’s prosecutor-general Irfan Qadir challenged the legality of an executive order, leading to the restoration of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and his fellow judges last year. The challenge was issued in a written rejoinder in a case regarding the Bank of Punjab scam currently being heard by the Supreme Court. But the advocate-on-record refused to file the same.

Political and legal experts saw the rejoinder as a veiled threat to an increasingly independent judiciary, which is currently hearing a multitude of cases against the government, its policies and the jewel in its crown, the 18th amendment. The apex court has also been insisting that the government implement its December 2009 verdict on the National Reconciliation Ordinance by reopening all cases of corruption closed by NAB, including  those against President Asif Ali Zardari. But on Friday, the premier shot down such speculation and insisted that the government doesn’t have any plans to go against the judiciary.