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AGHE News (September 2007)

Chief Secretary, Northern Areas of Pakistan inaugurated the Prisoners Welfare & Education Project of AGHE at Central Jail Gilgit. Gilgit
Chief Secretary Maj. (R) Qamar Zaman Ch. inaugurated the Prisoners Welfare & Education (PWE) Project of AGHE at Central Gilgit. During his visit to the jail, Mr. Chuodary addressed the prisoners and announced remissions for the prisoners. He also promised to take immediate action to solve the prisoners' issues in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. He distributed awards and gifts among the prisoners who showed good behaviour while during the imprisonment period and took part in the poster & cleanliness competitions. He appreciated the AGHE initiative for prisoners' rights and work at Central jail Gilgit. At the end of his visit, CS also saw the construction work of toilets and other parts of the jail which was being started by AGHE under one year's duration project named as Prisoners Welfare & Education Project. TOP

AGHE has been awarded "Peace Award" by the chairman Gilgit Baltistan National Alliance. Gilgit
Gilgit Baltistan National Alliance which is an umbrella grouping of 13 political and religious parties in the area and is the only liberal, secular and democratic alliance in the region which is struggling for political rights of Gilgit Baltistan region organized an award ceremony for those individuals, committees, and organizations that played their crucial role for peace building in the region during sectarian armed conflicts in 2005. More than 60 peoples, committees, and organizations received peace award which included Aman Jirga (peace Committee), journalists form local newspapers, government officials, families of those persons who were killed while saving the people during the conflicts, literary originations etc. Association of Global Humanists & Ethics (AGHE) was the only non-governmental organization (NGO) that was selected by the executive committee of GBNA for "Peace Award" for its peace building efforts during the sectarian conflict in 2005.

On the behalf of AGHE, Mr. Shoukat Akber Khan, President Regional Executive Body of AGHE Northern Areas received the peace award. On the behalf of GBAN, Mr. Shifat Ghazoor, Inspector General of Police Northern Areas of Pakistan presented the award shield to Mr. Shoukat Akber Khan. Read the Report. TOP

AGHE volunteers and members received Quaid-e-Azam Award 2007 for their voluntarily services to eliminate violence against women form society. Islamabad
Three volunteers and members of Association of Global Humanists & Ethics received their Quaid-e-Azam Awards in a Grand Award Ceremony organized by Pakistan Social Association http://www.psa.org.pk at Holiday Inn in Islamabad. Pakistan Social Association (PSA), on the behalf of Government of Pakistan organized award ceremony each year to awarded the distinguished social workers form whole country vide Government of Pakistan Letter No 1-45-75/NGSW/CSW dated 29 October 1980. Member of AGHE, Mr. Safdar Ali, Miss. Noseen, and Mr. Sartaj Khan from District Ghizer were awarded with a prize of "Quaid-e-Azam Award for their distinguish services as master trainers of Women & Family Assistance Project which was being initiated by AGHE to eliminate domestic violence against women. Mr. Zulqarnain, Coordinator Central Executive Body of AGHE was also awarded with the prize of Quaid-e-Azam Award for his distinguish services during earth quake relief activities in October 2005. TOP

President of AGHE, Mr. Syed Ijaz Hussain Shah presented his conference paper in "All Pakistan Social Workers Conference" at Holiday Inn. Islamabad
President of Central Executive Body of Association of Global Humanists & Ethics (AGHE), Mr. Syed Ijaz Hussain Shah presented his conference paper in All Pakistan Social Workers Conference, organized by Pakistan Social Association under the theme "Role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to Bring Harmony in the Society". The central theme of his paper was that CSOs in Pakistan could be the best source to combat extremism and terrorism in Pakistan. He also criticized the CSOs by quoting the research findings that 80% registered NGOs in Pakistan are inactive and remaining 20% NGOs are facing serious challenges of good governance, accountability, transparency and legitimacy. He also professed that terrorist acts and suicide attacks will increase in the world particularly in the Muslim world, until the governments and CSOs are not be able to mobilize the communities at grassroots' level against extremist elements of the society. At the end of his paper, he appealed to all the CSOs, volunteers and social workers to come out for peace, speak up against violence and help the government of Pakistan to fight against terrorists. TOP

International Youth Day was commemorated in the Central Jail Gilgit.
AGHE organized a one day workshop under the theme "Role of Youth to Eliminate Violence from the society" on the special occasion of International Youth Day 2007. All the young inmates (about 50) of the Central Jail Gilgit participated in the workshop. TOP

Closing Ceremony of Master Trainers' programme of WAFA Project
Mrs. Noor Ain Advisor Education & Social Welfare departments was the chief guest of closing ceremony of the master trainers' programme of Women & Family Assistance Project of AGHE. The ceremony was held in the Professional Development Centre, Gilgit-IED- Aga Khan University. TOP

Regional Office of AGHE has been shifted from Dar Plaza to Konodass Gilgit
Regional Office of AGHE has been shifted from Dar Plaza to Konodass Gilgit. The new address of the AGHE's office is; House No-19, Near Chief Court Gilgit Northern Areas of Pakistan. TOP

DC appreciate AGHE's project in the Jail
Deputy Commissioner Gilgit Bilal Butt appreciated the AGHE efforts for promotion of prisoners' rights and for successfully completion of phase-I of the Prisoners' welfare & Education Project in the central jail Gilgit.TOP

General News:

August 13 - 19, 2007

Northern Areas to get constitutional rights

Skardu: Chairman Senate Mohammad Sumaroo has said that Northern Areas has great importance for Pakistan and government is taking every possible step to develop the region like other parts of the country. TOP

Responding a question about the constitutional rights of the people of the Northern Areas, he said that there were some legal and constitutional complications in granting rights to the people of Northern Areas. However the government is trying to remove these hurdles and to provide set up to the Northern Areas NAs. (KPN)TOP

Chinese engineers to come back by August 20,

Gilgit: Chief Secretary Northern Areas Maj (Retd) Qamar Zaman Chaudary has said that the Chinese engineers who returned to China due to the apprehensions of suicide attacks would come back to Pakistan by August 20 to resume their work on various mega projects including expansion work on KKH. TOP

While talking to the media persons, he said that there was no danger to the Chinese engineers and foreign tourists, as the region had no history of any untoward incident with the foreigners. (KPN)TOP

16 climbers conquered second highest peak K-2 in 2007

Skardu: 16 foreign climbers have conquered the second highest peak of the world K-2 in 2007 while five more expedition parties are trying to reach on the top of the peak, said reports reaching here from the base camp. (The Mountain Time) TOP

Northern Areas Legislative Council Budget Session

Gilgit: Northern Areas Legislative Council (NALC) Speaker Malkik M. Maskin has summoned seventeenth (17th) regular session of the house on August 15, an official notification said. The NALC source said that the session to discuss budget as all members have informed in this regard. (The Mountain Time)TOP

July 2-7, 2007

Constitutional Rights of the People of NAs will be announced by PM S. Aziz
GILGIT: Secretary General Pakistan Muslim League PML (Q) M. Ismail has said that the government of PMLQ has decided to give constitutional rights to the people of Northern Areas and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz would make an announcement in this regard during his forth coming visit of the Northern Areas. (KPN) TOP

APC demanded basic human, democratic and constitutional rights to the people of Northern Areas
GILGIT: While responding to the statement of Foreign Office's Spokesman about Gilgit Baltistan, All Parties Conference has demanded basic human, democratic and constitutional rights to the people of the Northern Areas and to make the zone tax free zone till the determination of constitutional position of the area. (KPN) TOP

Seven Suicide Bombers Held in Gilgit
GILGIT: At least seven alleged suicide bombers have been arrested from various parts of the western district of Ghizer. They have been accused of planning to sabotage the annual Shandur polo gala to be held at Ghizer-Chitral, 200kms west of Gilgit, from July 7.

Gilgit's senior police officer Faisal Rana said that explosive jackets, pistols, AK-assault rifles and other material which could be used for subversive activities had been seized from the allegedsuicide bombers. He, however, declined to divulge the names and the accused and the mastermind for security reasons and said they were being interrogated.

A large number of dignitaries visit the Shandur gala each year and last year President Pervez Musharraf was the chief guest. (DAWN)TOP

The Northern Areas Administration will construct Parks for Women and Children
GILGIT: The Northern Areas' Administration has identified and allocated twenty two Kanals' area for women and children Park at Gilgit city near the city park. The NA administration took this initiative, keeping in view the demands of people and civil society organizations. A civil society organization named as AGHE first time raised this women and children issue in November 2006 to construct parks especially for Women and Children in public, media and at grassroots' level. A resolution was passed by the NGO in this regard. The president of regional executive body of AGHE, Mr. Shoukat Akber Khan appreciated this NAs' government imitative. Mr. Khan also appealed to the administration to take such measures in other parts of the region as there are very few recreational opportunities are available for women and children in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. (AGHE) TOP

AGHE launched its new website. on July 1, 2007. The newly initiated website was developed by an Online UN volunteer and IT specialists Mr. Sher Shah.

The newly amended bylaws of AGHE have been approved by the registration authority. click Here

Online membership form of AGHE is available. Please click here to read the membership policy.

The general body of AGHE, during its annual meeting has approved to establish the Central Office at Islamabad.

The training of the master trainers for Women and Family Assistance Project (WAFA) will be held on August 06-08, 2007.

AGHE started planning to hold an International Conference on the issue of violence against women in the mountainous regions of Pakistan at Gilgit in November 2007.