Arfa Karim, the Little Pakistani Genius

Born in Faisalabad, Pakistan, the little Arfa Karim was only 5 when she first came across these strange white “boxes” in her school which later she knew were computers. “When you push a button, something magically appears on the box” said Arfa.

After she persuaded her father to buy her one, Amjad Karim –who serves with a U.N. peace making force in Africa, began to notice his young daughter’s extraordinary “technical” talent, that’s when he convinced APTECH –an advanced computer institute near their home- to enroll her as a student for she was still too young to apply.

In 2005, the people at the institute amazed with her unique aptitude, informed her father that Arfa might actually be in a position to seek Microsoft certification; and after only four months of hard work and dedicated study –over summer- the little girl genius passed the exam for developing Windows applications! A process that would’ve normally taken a year to accomplish.
Being the youngest person to ever obtain this certification –Arfa was certified at only 9 years of age- she got the chance to fly to the USA and meet Mr. Gates himself.

Arfa took the Microsoft people there by surprise with her wit, intelligence, and even audacity.

During her one-on-one with Bill Gates, she talked about lots of things, asked him many questions, such as why there weren’t much women working at the company, she thought the number of male and female employees should be equaled , she also asked him why they wouldn’t hire someone her age. She also made no secret she was surprised with the dress code there as she thought they’d all be in suits, and dropped the bare truth that meeting Gates fallen only second to Disneyland on her list of the things she wanted to see in America.

Following that encounter, Arfa was regarded as a celebrity in Pakistan and was held as an icon and a role model! Pakistanis celebrated her everywhere, and took pride of her.

Arfa expressed her dream of going to Harvard University or MIT to complete her studies in order to become a developer or a satellite engineer.

Unfortunately, the little genius won’t be able to fulfill her dream, for Arfa Karim, Pakistan’s pride, died at the tender age of 16 after an epileptic seizure that left her in a coma back in December, and eventually led to a cardiac arrest in early January that sent her soul to heavens.

Arfa karim may be gone, but never forgotten. May god rest her soul!

Pakistan PM Gilani stands firm in contempt battle

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has appeared before the country's Supreme Court in contempt proceedings, to defend his record.

The court initiated the hearing over Mr Gilani's refusal to ask Swiss officials to reopen a corruption case against President Asif Ali Zardari.

If found guilty of contempt he could be banned from holding public office.

A stand-off between the government, the judiciary and the military threatens to topple Mr Gilani's government.

After a hearing lasting little more than an hour the case was adjourned until 1 February.

Mr Gilani smiled and waved as he arrived at the Supreme Court, accompanied by his legal team and senior cabinet ministers.

In a lengthy opening statement to the seven judges, he spoke of his respect for the court and the Pakistani constitution.

He said he had not intended to defy the court but that he believed Mr Zardari had presidential immunity from prosecution.

The BBC's Aleem Maqbool looks at the mounting tensions in Pakistan

"I have discussed this with my friends and experts, and they all agree that he has got complete immunity," Mr Gilani said.

"It will not give a good message to proceed against a president who is elected by a two-thirds majority."

He said it would not be good idea to throw the president to the "wolves".

Regardless of the outcome, one of the judges said, ''it was a great day for Pakistan, that the chief executive had bowed before the majesty of the law.".

Mr Gilani's embattled government is currently embroiled in disputes with the judiciary and also with Pakistan's powerful armed forces.

The prime minister sounded conciliatory at the hearing but his appearance was intended to be a show of strength for the government, says the BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Islamabad.

'No harm'

Mr Gilani has long refused to request the Swiss authorities to reopen the corruption case against President Zardari, as the Supreme Court has demanded.

But his lawyer, Aitzaz Ahsan, indicated on Wednesday that the prime minister might reverse that stance.

"There is no harm in writing a letter to the Swiss authorities," he said.

"The president has complete immunity against criminal procedures in the courts."

He added: "I don't think the prime minister has committed contempt of court by not writing the letter. Through my arguments I will try to convince the court that the prime minister is not guilty of contempt."

If convicted, Mr Gilani would face a prison term and be disqualified from office, potentially forcing early elections.


Meanwhile, former President Pervez Musharraf has indicated he intends to stick to a promise to return in late January from self-imposed exile to run in elections, which are due by 2013.

He told the BBC he wanted to seek "the mandate of the people", despite facing arrest on his return to face accusations that he did not provide adequate security for former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto when she was assassinated in late 2007.

On Wednesday, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Gen Musharraf would be arrested if he returned to the country.

Money laundering

Mr Zardari and his late wife, Benazir Bhutto, were found guilty in absentia by a Swiss court in 2003 of laundering millions of dollars in kickbacks from Swiss firms while they were in government.

They appealed and Swiss officials dropped the case in 2008 at the request of the Pakistani government.

The case was one of thousands dropped as a result of an amnesty that allowed Ms Bhutto to return from self-imposed exile and run for election in 2008. She was assassinated shortly after returning.

However, in 2009 Pakistan's Supreme Court declared the amnesty unconstitutional, leaving those covered by it open to prosecution.

The government is also engaged in a dispute with the military over an anonymous memo asking for US help to avert a possible army coup in Pakistan. The memo was sent in the wake of the killing of Osama Bin Laden in a US raid in May 2011.

US officials have acknowledged receiving the memo but say they took no action over it.

Both disputes have overshadowed Pakistan's deteriorating relationship with Washington following US air strikes that accidentally killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November.

Overseas Pakistanis may win postal voting right

ISLAMABAD:
Overseas Pakistanis will now be allowed to cast their vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections through postal ballots, sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune.

The decision has been taken by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which will now approach the ministry of law to seek necessary amendments in the relevant election laws, the sources revealed.

“All overseas Pakistanis above 18 years of age, having national identity cards for overseas Pakistanis would be eligible to cast their votes for the candidates in their native constituencies from next election,” an official of the ECP disclosed.

Responding to a query, he said those having dual nationalities will also be eligible to exercise their right to franchise in the next elections. According to the official, the current law only bars dual nationality holders from contesting polls but it does not stop them from voting.

“Various proposals were discussed during recent meetings of the commission regarding the procedure for polling of these voters but the most viable option we have found so far is voting through postal ballots,” the official associated with this project disclosed requesting anonymity.

The right to vote for overseas Pakistanis had been a long-standing demand of different political parties — once implemented, this would have significant impact on the election results in constituencies from where a large number of Pakistanis have migrated to other countries.

The ECP official said since Pakistanis live in over 52 countries across the world, it would not be feasible to establish polling stations for them in their current place of residence.

“The decision has been taken on our part. Now it will be up to the law ministry and parliament when they ratify this,” he said.

To take political parties on board, the commission has called a meeting of all stakeholders including political parties, civil society and the media on January 23. ECP Secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan’s office confirmed the details of the meeting.

An official statement said that during the day-long meeting “detailed presentations will be given to participants with a view to sharing vital tasks to be completed before the next general elections and to elicit their valuable views on some developments taking place so that all the stakeholders are on board”.

The key points on the agenda of the meeting include the following:

Permanent polling stations:

The commission will apprise the participants about its decision to allocate permanent polling stations, a list of which would be displayed on their website for public information.

LG guidelines:

Among other items, the commission will ask participants to give their suggestions for local bodies which are virtually redundant since the 2002 district government ordinance lapsed in 2009.

Election symbols:

The commission is now short of election symbols due to the registration of many new parties and deletion of ‘derogatory’ symbols from its list. The meeting would consult participants on the newly-proposed symbols.

Law enforcing agencies under DRO:

The commission has also decided that in the next elections district election security committees would be established in every district which would be headed by the district returning officer. He would either be an employee of the ECP or a government servant of grade 19. This according to the ECP would minimise the chances of misuse of local police by influential candidates.

Code of conduct and political finance:

Preparation of a code of conduct for political parties, candidates, media and other stakeholders will be deliberated in the meeting. The meeting will also discuss different options to control or at least regulate election expenses.

UK Barrister Urges Shari`ah Tribunals

London: A leading British barrister at Harvard Law School called for UK to become more Shari`ah-literate, confirming that the Islamic laws are compatible with the human rights legislations that can serve the whole community.
“It's very important that they be acknowledged and allowed to exist,” Sadakat Kadri, a barrister and contemporary of Barack Obama at Harvard Law School, told The Guardian on Monday, January 16.
“So long as they're voluntary, which is crucial, it's in everyone's interests these things be transparent and publicly accessible.
“If you don't have open tribunals, they're going to happen anyway, but behind closed doors,” he added.Kadri confirmed that the 1400-year-old Islamic law is compatible with the human rights legislations.
The Harvard professor added that "shari`ah courts", such as the Muslim arbitration tribunal, could serve "the community as a whole."
This aim could be reached by putting Shari`ah laws on a transparent, public footing to be more widely accessible to those who want to use or know about these laws.
Making his point clear, Kadri sets out the history of Shari`ah in a new book, Heaven and earth, to be published next week.
The book describes the slow development of Shari`ah law, which is derived directly from the Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad (PBHU) Sunnah, in the centuries after the death of Prophet Muhammad.
"I'm not a theologian," said Kadri.
"But this is my interpretation of Islamic history. There's a mistaken belief that Islamic law is a vast unchanging body of rules – 1,400 years of Muslim history shows that little could be further from the truth.
"It's really important that the Muslim community engage with its actual history, as well as idealized traditions. If that's to take root, critical engagement with the past among young Muslims will be crucially important."
In Islam, Shari`ah governs all issues in Muslims’ lives from daily prayers to fasting and from, marriage and inheritance to financial disputes.
The Islamic rulings, however, do not apply on non-Muslims, even if in a dispute with non-Muslims.
Misconceptions
The leading British barrister confirmed that misconceptions about Islam and Muslims after 7/7 attacks spread rumors about a claimed violent nature of Islamic law.
"After 7/7 people were saying the shari`ah is all about violence, it's all about chopping people's hands off, it's all about stoning adulterers to death. Others said it's nothing to do with that, Islam is a religion of peace,” Kadri said.
“Clearly both of those things were true at a certain level, but very early on I just realized no one had a clue what shari`ah said about this or that."
Britain is home to a sizable Muslim minority of nearly 2 million who have taken full brunt of anti-terror laws since the 7/7 attacks.
They have repeatedly complained of maltreatment by police for no apparent reason other than being Muslim.
Kadri calls reiterated comments made by Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury, in 2008 when he suggested that shari`ah law should be more widely adopted.
Under the Arbitration Act 1996, the rulings of religious bodies, including the Muslim arbitration tribunal, already have legal force in disputes involving matters such as inheritance and divorce.
Barrister Kadri confirmed that many of the punishments associated in people's minds with shari`ah law have only been applied very recently.
"I try to show how it's only really in the last 40 years, since Colonel Gaddafi in Libya, but more especially since the Iranian revolution in 1979 that the idea of enforcing Islamic rules through national laws has come to the fore,” he said.
“Before 1973, it was only Saudi Arabia which actually did that.”

Zardari ‘biggest thief’, govt sabotaging courts to hide inefficiencies: Imran Khan

Calling President Asif Ali Zardari the “biggest thief”, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan said that the government is sabotaging the courts in order to hide its “thefts”.

Talking to the media at Sukkur airport, Khan said the government came into power through NRO and tried to hide its theft of billions of rupees. “The Supreme Court has issued contempt of court notice to the prime minister, because he did not fulfill his responsibilities.”

Khan stated that only the Constitution is supreme and not the parliament. “If the parliament starts providing justice, then the courts should be shut down… Parliament has its own responsibilities, the courts have their own,” he said.

Reiterating his party’s support for the judiciary, Khan said that PTI is standing with the chief justice and the Supreme Court.

Khan also dispelled rumours about forming an alliance with former dictator Pervaiz Musharraf’s party All Pakistan Muslim League (APML). “We are not ready for any alliances,” he stated.

The party chairman also said that the only way to bring the country out of the “quicksand” was by holding early elections.

Pakistan PM Gilani faces Supreme Court contempt order

Pakistan's Supreme Court has issued a contempt order against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, raising the prospect of his prosecution.

The court has been considering what to do about the government's refusal to reopen corruption cases against the president and other political figures.

Mr Gilani has been ordered to appear in person at the court on 19 January.

It comes on a day of several crucial challenges for the government amid ongoing tensions with the army.

A key vote of confidence in Pakistan's political leadership is scheduled to be held later in parliament.

And another court hearing into a controversial anonymous memo which asked for US help to avert an army coup in Pakistan, in the wake of the killing of Osama Bin Laden in May 2011, has also resumed.

Correspondents say that Mr Gilani can continue as prime minister while court proceedings take place. If contempt proceedings go ahead and he is found guilty, he could be automatically disqualified from holding public office.

Intense uncertainty

At the heart of the court's complaint is the government's refusal to act on a court order quashing a controversial amnesty, which had protected the country's senior politicians from corruption prosecutions.

One of the cases at stake is against Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari - the government insists he has immunity from prosecution as president.

But the deadline for the government to reopen the corruption cases expired on Monday and government representatives were summoned to court to explain what they planned to do.

"The Supreme Court has issued a contempt of court notice to the prime minister for not complying with its orders," AFP news agency reported judge Nasir-ul-Mulk as telling the court.

The order comes at a time of intense political uncertainty, with the government at loggerheads with country's powerful military as well as the judiciary.

The government's stand-off with the military escalated sharply last week when the army publicly rebuked Mr Gilani warning of "potentially grievous consequences" after he criticised army leaders in a media interview and sacked his defence secretary.

Pakistan has suffered three military coups since independence in 1947 but analysts believe the army has little appetite for a coup in this instance.

Correspondents say things appeared to have calmed down after talks between civilian and military elites over the weekend when Mr Gilani described the armed forces as "a pillar of the nation's resilience and strength".

The BBC's M Ilyas Khan says the army is throwing its weight behind the judiciary as it pursues its cases against the government.

'Memogate' inquiry

The other court hearing being considered today concerns the so-called "memogate" scandal - the anonymous memo apparently seeking help from the US to avert a possible military coup.

It is not clear who wrote the memo or conveyed it to Washington. US officials say they received the memo but took no action.

The scandal has already cost Pakistan's former ambassador to Washington, Husain Haqqani, his job. He denies any role in the memo, as does Pakistan's President Zardari.

The commission, set up last month, is expected to question government officials to try to establish whether they endorsed the memo, and if so, whether the cabinet can remain in power.

The findings of the investigation are due to be announced later this month.

At the close of a testing day for the government, Mr Gilani's government will face a vote in parliament on the country's political leadership and in the democratic system.

Correspondents say the prime minister is likely to win backing, and that the lawmakers' seal of approval may strengthen his hand.

IT media city to be called Arfa Karim IT Media City Project

KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Information Technology Mohammad Raza Haroon has announced to dedicate the IT Media City, Karachi to the Microsoft Expert Arfa Karim, on the guideline of MQM chief Altaf Hussain.The City shall be referred to as Arfa Karim IT Media City, Karachi, said a statement issued here on Sunday.It may be noted that the IT Media City is a project of Sindh IT Department being implemented to develop a modern/ world class media city in Karachi on 200 acres of land near Super Highway at Link Road between Super Highway and National Highway.Arfa Karim Randhawa (1995 to January 14, 2012), was a Pakistani student and computer prodigy, who in 2004 at the age of nine years became the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCPs) in the world, a title she kept until 2008. (APP)