ISLAMABAD: A day after the withdrawal of the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) issued to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust for a fundraiser, President Dr. Arif Alvi has called for the revocation of the order. The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration had withdrawn the NOC without providing a reason.
President Alvi expressed concern on social media, stating that halting permission to raise funds could lead to delays in the construction of the hospital in the country’s largest port city, leaving numerous cancer patients vulnerable.
On Twitter, President Alvi highlighted the deficiency in curative health care in Pakistan and emphasized the need to encourage private philanthropy.
He commended the outstanding efforts of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital (SKMH) and stressed its global recognition for providing cutting-edge treatments for poor cancer patients.
President Alvi drew from personal experiences, mentioning his lifelong involvement in preventing and treating oral cancer, while also acknowledging Samina Alvi’s efforts in spreading awareness about early breast cancer diagnosis.
He concluded by underlining the substantial cancer burden in Pakistan and the crucial role that institutions like Shaukat Khanum Hospital play in addressing this healthcare challenge.
President Alvi urged the reversal of the cancellation, emphasizing the significance of encouraging private philanthropy for improved healthcare in the country.
Senate Human Rights Committee Rejects Public Executions for Capital Offences
Meanwhile, the Senate’s Standing Committee on Human Rights, with a majority of members present, rejected any proposed statutory amendments advocating public execution for capital offenses.
During a meeting at the Parliament House chaired by Senator Walid Iqbal, the committee, through a majority vote, asserted that such amendments, involving public executions for serious crimes, should be opposed based on the constitutional rights guaranteed by superior courts and existing laws in Pakistan.
The committee urged the House to reject any such amendments if presented on its legislative agenda.
However, Senators Dr. Mehr Taj Roghani and Dr. Humayun Mohmand dissented, expressing disagreement with the committee’s decision, arguing that it was made hastily without proper research on the potential deterrent effects of public executions.
The committee received detailed briefings from the Secretary of the Ministry of Human Rights and the Secretary of the National Commission for Human Rights on public executions.
