AKU Karachi: CME on Iron Chelation in Thalassemia

PAKISTAN: Legalising prostitution--The Wisdom of the UN?!

Tue, Mar 25, 2014 at 8:06 AM

An Article from the Asian Human Rights Commission

Prostitution Continues to Thrive in Heera Mandi//Courtesy Image

According to a research, modern day trafficking, aka slavery is a $32 billion annual industry and according to the U.N. about 2.5 million people around the world are ensnared in the web of human trafficking at any given time.  The usual victims of atrocious crimes of sexual and gender based violence, including rape against women & girls (young, adolescents and teen) are poor, uneducated, rural and trafficked ones.

Men and boys are also trafficked but they are mostly used as camel jockeys (particularly young and thin ones) and for hard labour.  Though slavery seems history it still exists and not all slaves are trafficked but those who are trafficked are undeniably slaves and for women, young and minor girls it is sex slavery.

Dr. Rakhshinda Perveen

This one of the top most lucrative and visibly invisible form of   illegal slavery within national or across international borders is for the intent of imposed sex work that in turn includes bare essentials like commercial pornography, physical abuse and prostitution. Each year, an estimated 800,000 women and children are trafficked across international borders—though additional numbers of women and girls are trafficked within countries.

The Department of State, in its report last year, stated that 29 countries, including the US, the UK, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Taiwan, were listed as Tier 1 countries whose governments fully comply with Trafficking Victims Protection Act -TVPA's minimum standards. The office included 21 countries as Tier 3, which included Iran, Zimbabwe, Yemen, Zambia, Uzbekistan, Syria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards.

Most of South Asian states are source, transit and destination regions for persons subjected to forced labour and sex trafficking. This does not take into account Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka that are source and modern anti-trafficking laws and structures in South Asia are redundant and are merely theoretical instruments that in most scenarios remain either biased or undue. According to a news report published in the Express Tribune (Pakistan) on 24, February 2014, the country may join the group of some 44 countries already on the 'Tier 2 Watch List' as human trafficking is rising in the country at an alarming level – the number of most-wanted human traffickers in the country has jumped from 89 to 141 in the last four years.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the greatest numbers of traffickers are from Asia, followed by Central and Southeastern Europe, and Western Europe. Crime groups involved in the sex trafficking of women and girls are also often involved in the transnational trafficking of drugs and firearms, and frequently use violence as a means of carrying out their activities. Thailand, China, Nigeria, Albania, Bulgaria, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine are among the countries that are the greatest sources of trafficked persons. The UNODC cites Thailand, Japan, Israel, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and the United States as common destination countries of trafficked women and girls.

There is acclaimed evidence on the complicatedness of the trafficked sufferers who not only live through a range of phases of disgrace and physical and psychological persecution but are also often deprived of food and sleep. Mostly they are unable to move about freely, and are tormented in the flesh. In order to keep women enslaved, victims are told their families and their children will be harmed or murdered if they (the women) try to escape or tell anyone about their situation. They undergo another stratum of psychological ordeal and emptiness because they rarely understand the culture and language of the country into which they have been trafficked, "Often, before servicing clients, women are forcibly raped by the traffickers themselves, in order to initiate the cycle of abuse and degradation. Some women are drugged in order to prevent them from escaping. Once "broken in," sex trafficked victims can service up to 30 men a day, and are vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases, HIV infection and unwanted pregnancy" different research reports have repeatedly authenticated.

Though there is no direct link between the spread of HIV and sex "work' but for obvious reason prostitutes/Commercial Sex Workers (CSW)/trafficked CSW are more vulnerable to HIV.  What is the solution then? Stop Human Trafficking? Eradicate poverty? Establish gender Equality? Penalize traffickers and slavers? No. The brilliant response is to Legalize Prostitution because Sex is a Trade and Sex workers must not be criminalized. Yes, believe it or not right now this is the solution from none other than the UN.  According to leaked material (March 2014) from a UN Women agency there are calls for prostitution to be legalised. This has outraged women who have been trafficked into prostitution and who have escaped.  According to multiple web sources there was a panel on this at the UN Commission on the Status of Women this week. "The survivors of sex trafficking and prostitution spoke to an overflowing crowd at the UN's annual conference on women. The panel on "Prostitution or Sex Work," organized by The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW), was held as diplomats negotiated whether to describe prostitution as "sex work." The term "sex work" originated by US-based pimps in order to normalize prostitution. While many use the term to avoid offending prostituted women, mainstreaming the phrase only benefits pimps and panderers, panelists said. Prostitution is not work, they argued – it is paid rape, and using the term hurts efforts to stop it. UN agencies recently released reports telling countries to decriminalize all aspects of prostitution to reduce HIV/AIDS and promote human rights. A UN Development Program (UNDP) report on HIV and the Law and Sex Work and the Law in Asia and the Pacific, a UNDP, UN Population Fund and UNAIDS-backed report, calls for decriminalizing prostitution-reported Ms. Lisa Correnti.

I can safely claim that legalization of sex workers can make headlines in the news but does not offer respect, self esteem and honour to sex workers. While roaming in the Red Light District Amsterdam, I  have seen through the eyes of my heart the pain and anger on the  faces of those "tax paying legal sex workers" (the majority are not Dutch by the way-they are trafficked ) some of them were so young and some of them were so old. What a decay of human civilization (some self styled liberals may see it as an epic of tolerance).

The nexus of public health issues including HIV transmission and sex trafficking need focused attention in terms of empathy, research and socially acceptable solution without eulogizing paid sex and putting more women and girls into one of the most hurtful and horrid realities known as sex slavery and trafficking.

Ps: I want to quote Ms.Nasreen Azher, former member of the National commission on the status of Women, a renowned and highly respected woman rights activist of Pakistan who while responding to my email on this issue to some important human rights, child rights and women rights network in Pakistan wrote "I agree Rakhshanda. That the UN is even considering legalizing prostitution is outrageous. It shows how the market is ruling the world and corrupting human values and causing human suffering. The pimps, exploiters and, of course, the traffickers, as well as  those who buy sexual services should be penalized.  Thanks for sharing. Regards.Nasreen"

About the Author: By Dr.Rakhshinda Perveen, a public health specialist , HIV & GBV Researcher and human rights activist. She has also served as gender advisor in South Asia and dealt with trafficking in women and children. She can be reached at; dr.r.perveen@gmail.com

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About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation that monitors human rights in Asia, documents violations and advocates for justice and institutional reform to ensure the protection and promotion of these rights. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.

NRI Sammelan by Overseas Friends of BJP on Jan 6

Sun, Jan 5, 2014 at 2:16 PM
A special event by BJP on 6 Jan--S S Grewal
Chandigarh, 5 January 2014: (Rector Kathuria//Punjab Screen):

Host of the event Vijay jolly Delhi and Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal Pb.

BJP party is hosting NRI Sammelan by Overseas Friends of BJP ( OFBJP ) for the first time, organizing “ OFBJP Global Meet - 2014 ” on Monday 6th Jan 2014 from 10.30 AM to 6.00 PM at BJP Central Office Auditorium, 11 Ashok Road, New Delhi. In a press statement here today, National BJP Leader Advocate, Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal said that all preparations have been completed for this mega event by Vijay Jolly National Convenor, Dr. Rajni Sarin, Amit Thaker Co-Convenor and Raj K Purohit Coordinator Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) and their whole team with a view to resolve the grievances of Indian Diaspora. Grewal stated that the Registration will be started at 9.30 AM and onwards ant the first session will be Conducted by Shri. Amit Thakar Co-Convenor. He said that at from 10: 30 AM to 11:15 AM Inaugural address by our BJP Hon'ble National President Shri Rajnath Singh ji. He said that from 11: 15 AM to 11: 35 AM Speech by Honored Guest Shri. Mahendra Chaudhary (Former Prime Minister of Fiji) & Honouring Lord Raj Loomba, CBE (Chairman Loomba Foudantion, United Kingdom ). Grewal stated that in Second session 11: 45 PM to 12: 00 PM the OFBJP Video Film "Bhajpa Ke Sadhe Kadam" Shall be Screened at that time. He said that from 12: 00 PM to 01: 00 PM session will be Conducted by Dr. Rajni Sarin, Co-Convenor "Introduction by OFBJP units" In the Presence of Hon'ble Shri Rajnath Singh & Hon'ble Shri Ram Lal ji National General Secretary Organisation. He said that the Lunch will be at 01.00 PM to 02: 00PM. Grewal stated that the third Session will be Conduct by Shri. Vijay Mehta OFBJP Central Committee Member on Indian Foreign Policy & its Directions. He said that from 02: 00 PM to 02: 30 PM Shri Jaswant Singh Senior Member of Parliament will adress the house. He stated that the fourth Session will be Conduct by Shri. Manjeet Lochav,  OFBJP Central Committee Member on India's Economic Policy. Grewal stated that at 02: 30 PM to 03.00 PM Hon'ble Shri. Arun Jaitiey Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha will Launch Global OFBJP Website compiled by Ritu Rathore. He said that the Cultural session will be Conducted by Shri Gajendra Solanki, Eminent Indian Poet. In this session Special Guest of Honor will be Shri. Venkaiyah Naidu Senior BJP Leader and will release Compilation of Veer-Ras Poem CD. He stated that the fifth joint session from 04: 00 PM to 04: 15 PM will be Conduct by Dr. Abhilasha Sharma OFBJP Central Committee Member. 

In this session the Role of Good Governance will be adress by Hon'ble Shri Nitin Gadkari Former National President BJP. Grewal stated that from 04: 20 PM to 04: 35 PM session will be Conduct by Shri. Bhupendra Kansal OFBJP Central Committee Member . He said in this session Hon'ble Shri Ram Lal ji BJP National General Secretary Organisation adress on BJP & its Ideological Commitments. He said that the Closing Session will be Conduct by Shri. Raj K Purohit, OFBJP Coordinator. He said that from 05: 15 PMto 05: 30 PM Video address by Shri. Narendra Modi, BJP PM Nominee and from 05: 30 PM to 06: 00 PM the Valedictory Address by Hon'ble Shri L.K. Advani ji Senior Leader of BJP. Grewal said that from the OFBJP dinner reception will also at 6th Jan 2014 from 7.30 pm to 10.30 pm at Russian Center of Science & Culture, 24 Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi-1. He said that large number of NRI's will attend our BJP Party's NRI Sammelan from the world.

Teej Festival celebrated with dance and music

Thu, Aug 8, 2013 at 3:30 PM
A colorful Teej event at MTSM college Ldh

Ludhiana: 8 August 2013: (Rector kathuria): Teej Festival cum Fresher’s Party was celebrated at Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women, Ludhiana to present an authentic Punjabi Culture with the blends of modern hues. The whole atmosphere was filled with gaiety when college girls dressed in elegant traditional as well as western attires staged their dance performances, skit, folk songs and modeling.
       College Principal, Dr. (Mrs.) Parveen Kaur Chawla gave a hale and hearty welcome to the new entrants and also focused on the significance of Teej Festival in Modern Era.
        Arshdeep Kaur was crowned ‘Teeyan di Rani’, Harmandeep Kaur and Navdeep Kaur were titled Miss Punjaban and Miss Majajjan respectively.  Ashwarya was crowned as Miss Fresher Shifali & Harpreet Kaur as first & second runners up respectively. Sukhpreet Kaur got the title of Miss Diva whereas Garima was declared Miss Crowning Glory. The tag of Miss Beautiful smile went to Gurleen Kaur.Various competitions like traditional style of pleating hair, Beautiful Pranda, Ethnic jewelry, Mehndi Application, Beautiful Bangles and were held and the winners were given prizes. S. Swarn Singh (President, College Managing Committee) and S. Kawalinder Singh (Secratery, College Managing Committee) graced the occasion and stressed on the need for maintaining our rich Heritage and culture in the Modern times.
        College Principal, Dr. (Mrs.) Parveen Kaur Chawla stressed on the need of being aware of our elementary traditions and values. The celebration was culminated by adding another leaf in the book of unforgettable memories of the college.

Teej Festival cum Fresher’s Party was celebrated

Save Punjabi as Subject of Study in the Colleges of Delhi

Remembering Sahir Ludhianvi

An Afghan Uniform Police

No to insecure and hostile work environment

Enjoy the freedom but

Afghanistan: Demolishing unserviceable ammunition

03/27/2013 07:36 PM CDT                                                Thu, Mar 28, 2013 at 5:37 AM

U.S. Marines demolish unserviceable ammunition, unexploded ordnance and other military items in Helmand province, Afghanistan, March 17, 2013.

 Demolishing unserviceable ammunition

Skull base surgery

Wed, Feb 20, 2013 at 12:48 PM
Team at CMCH claims success

Ludhiana, 20th February, 2013(Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria):Skull base surgery team involving Neurosurgeons and ENT surgeons at CMCH claims to have conducted a major surgery of a rare brain tumor in a 40 year old female.This 40-year-old housewife has never thought that her difficulty in swallowing and hoarseness of speech can be due to some brain tumor. So when she was investigated for her symptoms it was found that she was having a very rare complex tumor involving skull base region of the brain. Tumor was close to many critical structures of the brain. She was refused surgery at other private institutes and was referred to CMCH for further management. This kind of complex and aggressive tumor requires high level of surgical expertise and teamwork. Skull base team at CMCH, first of its kind in region involving Neurosurgeons, ENT surgeons and Neurointerventionist headed by Dr Sarvpreet Singh Grewal decided to take up the challenge and went ahead with the surgery.

The surgical team comprised of Dr. Sukhdeep Singh Jhawar, assistant professor neurosurgery, Dr. Ashsish Vargesh professor and head ENT, Dr Valsa Abrahem professor and head, Anesthesia. The operation lasted fifteen hours and was successful. Patient improved after surgery and was discharged on 10th day. Dr. Sukhdeep S Jhawar assistant professor neurosurgery, told our reporter that skull base region is the most difficult region of the body to operate. These tumors known as “glomus tumor” are very rare and not seen in day-to-day practice. Operations in this region require high level of surgical expertise, teamwork and institutional back up. This was a one of the first operation of this kind in region. But with recent advances and modernization we are able to do such complex cases at CMCH with our expert team.

GHULAM ALI KHAN

Tumhare khat mein naya ik slaam kiska tha