Punished for marrying, after 33 yearsAccording to Jang a Christian couple who married 33 years ago was punished by a sessions judge of Lahore to 4 years in jail, 30 whiplashes each and 20 thousand rupees each in the year 2002. This was done under Islamic law on the accusation of another Christian Niamat Masih who was trying to get the couple convicted by alleging that the wife of Fazal Masih, Seema was actually married to him, but till 2002 he could not produce any proof. In 2002 however the sessions judge punished the old couple after 33 years of marriage. The Shariat Court finally let them off after a four-year ordeal.
Amir Cheema in heaven
Lyrical columnist Irfan Siddiqi wrote in Nawa-e-Waqt that he had heard Prof Nazir, the father of the martyr of Germany Amir Cheema, narrate his true dream. Fountains of light (noor) had burst forth in all directions as the sacred gathering became visible. It was announced that the Companions had arrived. Then it was declared that Prophet Muhammad PBUH himself was seated in the vicinity but his face could not be seen. Then the voice of the Prophet PBUH was heard saying Amir Cheema is coming! (Amir aa raha hai). The Companions stood up in respect and started looking in one direction. Then the voice of the Prophet PBUH said: “Hasan and Husain, look who I am sending to you, look after him.”
Where is Hayat SherpaoÂ’s wife?
Quoted in daily Pakistan ex-chief minister of NWFP and a close associate of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Nasrullah Khattak said that Hayat Khan Sherpao was murdered in Peshawar but his case was never resolved. He said Sherpao had a wife and a daughter but both had disappeared after his death. They had considerable property but nobody knew their whereabouts.
Child becomes miracle healer
According to Khabrain a six year old child Shehbaz in Pasrur suddenly became a faith healer when he put his hand on his motherÂ’s breast and she was cured of her cancer. His father Sabir Ali declared him a saint and the child started healing by spitting into bottles of water which the patients later drank. The daily income from this healing climbed to Rs 20,000. His relatives put a toll tax on the road in the neighbourhood and started becoming rich too. The police looked the other way after taking their cut. The boy was a boon to Pasrur.
All rulers are ‘security risk’
Columnist Khurshid Nadeem stated in Jang that in the 20th century the idea of the nation-state focused all attention on the ruler and Pakistanis believe that if their lives were not happy the ruler was to blame. In succession, Ms Bhutto (when she received Rajiv Gandhi), Nawaz Sharif (when he received Vajpayee) and now Musharraf (for normalisation) were declared a risk to the security of Pakistan. After the rulers were removed, their names were cleared of the blot and they were dubbed great patriots.
Shadows over the Charter
According to Khabrain, the signing of the Charter for Democracy in London was delayed by several hours because of difference of opinion on the following points. Mr Sharif objected severely to going to the house of Mr Rehman Malik, the ex-FIA boss who had personally arrested his father under Ms Bhutto’s government. Later his ‘leaks’ from London had made his government’s life difficult after the 1997 election. Ms Bhutto did not give ground and demanded instead that the cases made by his Ehtesab Bureau chief Saifur Rehman be formally repudiated by Mr Sharif. Mr Sharif refused that too as that would make Saifur Rehman liable to legal proceedings for false prosecution. Mr Nawaz Sharif was of the view that if the two big parties were not ready to announce a joint struggle and fighting the next election as an alliance, it was no use signing the Charter. To this Ms Bhutto replied that time was ripe neither for a joint struggle nor for an electoral alliance. On this Mr Sharif accused the PPP of making secret contacts with General Musharraf to conclude a deal, and would have refused to sign had not some senior partymen from both sides pointed out that not signing would bring negative publicity to both the leaders and would result in a falling popularity graph for them. It was finally decided to sign without prejudice to the different positions the two sides held on the current political situation.
Musharraf requested Qazi’s ‘dharna’
Columnist Nazeer Naji wrote in Jang that Nawaz Sharif and Benazir by boycotting the 2007 election if Musharraf remained in charge, would leave the field open to the clergy of the MMA. But there was a chance that Nawaz and Benazir would take part in election since the 17th Amendment debars them only from becoming prime ministers. Musharraf had judged the situation and had asked Qazi Hussain Ahmad to do his dharna in September so that election 2007 could be postponed and foreign powers made to accept him as ruler for many more years.
Amir Cheema in Germany
Writing in Nawa-e-Waqt Irfan Siddiqi stated that when shaheed Amir Cheema was studying in Germany and living in the house of his cousin (mamoon-zad) it was noted that he had taken to saying his namaz very regularly. In the past he was not given to saying his namaz regularly. They had noted the change in his personality after his arrival in Germany. He was also keen about going to the local mosque and saying his prayers there. On the day the Muslims of Germany were protesting blasphemy in front of the offices of Die Welt he did not go with the procession but went to the mosque instead to say his Friday congregational prayer. He kept asking about the protest and looked changed in his demeanour.
Sacred light falls on Amir CheemaÂ’s grave!
Writing in Nawa-e-Waqt Haroon-ur Rasheed stated that sacred light will fall on the grave of Amir Shaheed who stabbed the editor of Die Welt in Germany. The people who came to his burial were not fanatical clerics but supporters of Nawaz Sharif and Benazir. They were all filled with the love of the Prophet PBUH but it was a tragedy that on the day of elections they preferred to look to the United States and not Allah.