Accountability: Drive against gas theft fizzles out in Faisalabad

By Our Correspondents

Officials blame political pressure as main reason.PHOTO: FILE

GUJRANWALA / FAISALABAD: 

The anti gas theft campaign launched in the district in August 2013 has failed to achieve its objectives, The Express Tribune has learnt.

According to Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL) officials, the campaign failed due to indifference of government officers. They said there was also political pressure to face.

An Anti Theft Squad officer, talking to The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity, said that special teams formed for the campaign had sealed various properties and arrested several people, including some quite influential people. He said several politicians were found to have been involved in gas theft.

However, he said, there had been pressure from some government high-ups from the district that had forced the Anti Gas Theft Squad to release some of the men and stop the campaign. The raiding teams were told not to act against influential people and their acquaintances. He said the campaign had become limited to small pilferers.

Most of them, too, he said, “got shelter” after the government announced local government elections.

He said during the last five months, the raiding teams had unearthed 1,021 gas thefts and arrested 900 pilferers. He said chronic defaulters and big thieves were unaffected.

Talking to The Express Tribune, City District Government spokesman Muhammad Amin admitted that the campaign had been stopped in the district. However, he said, the reason was that the government wanted to avoid public anger. He said the drive would be resumed after local government elections.

Scrutiny panel

In Gujranwala, the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd has announced plans to recover Rs430 million from 10 major gas pilferers in the district.

For the purpose, Regional Manager Qaiser Masood Khan formed an investigation panel comprising Deputy Chief Billing and Recovery Officer Muhammad Imran Ahmed Qureshi, Senior Billing Officer Mian Muhammad Nazar, Deputy Chief Sales Officer Syed Muhammad Khan and Law Officers Chaudhry Imran Shehzad and Ziaul Haq Khan.

According to SNGPL officials, over 92 illegal and tampered connections have been found in the last few months. They said connections of two housing societies had been disconnected. Officials also confiscated 18 meters from there.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2014.

10 Most Chilling Stories of Modern Day Human Sacrifices

1

The Sacrifice of Albinos in Order to Become "Invisible" to the Human Eye

Albinism is a genetic disorder that impairs normal skin pigmentation and afflicts more than 200,000 Tanzanians. They are called “muzungu,” which is Swahili for “white man,” or “zeru zeru,” meaning “ghost.”

The phenomenon is not limited to Tanzania, of course, as all over Africa, in varying intensity, Albinos are often hunted down and killed by locals under the instruction of witchdoctors. Sometimes it's for “revenge” for natural misfortunes, for use in medicine, or to become “invisible” to the human eye.

The taking of body parts is called “muti,” or potion. People of light complexion are believed to make strong “muti.” It is believed that if a body part is cut while the victim is still alive, then the increased pain makes the “muti” all the more powerful.

The mistaken belief that albino body parts have magical powers has driven thousands of Albinos in these sectors of the African continent into hiding, fearful of losing their lives and limbs to unscrupulous dealers who can make up to US$75,000 selling a complete dismembered corpse. Wealthy buyers use the parts as talismans to bring them wealth and good fortune.

People with albinism in Tanzania are not only brutally mutilated and tortured, but they're also killed or buried alive with deceased tribal chiefs so as not to leave them in the grave alone.(Source)

2

The Indian Couple Who Kidnapped and Sacrificed a Child in Order to Have Their Own Child (2003)

In 2003, Madan and Murti Simaru, a married couple from Uttar Pradesh, India, were desperate for a son but nature failed to provide them with one. So, they decided to see a tantricguru. Unfortunately the outcome could hardly have been more shocking.

The guru said that they should kidnap a boy and sacrifice him on the banks of the river.

Acting on the tantrik's instructions, the couple arranged the kidnapping of Monu Kumar, a 6-year-old neighbor. Then, as the tantrik led them in chanting mantras, they mutilated and killed the boy on the bank of an irrigation canal. Mr. Simaru allegedly completed the fertility ritual by washing in the child's blood.

The Simarus already have a daughter, but like countless other couples in this male-dominated society, they yearned for a son to look after them in old age and carry the family name.

The couple was arrested, along with Ms. Simaru's brother, who also participated in the kidnapping. (Source 1 | Source 2)

3

The Bangladeshi Man Who was Beheaded by Laborers to "Redden Bricks" After a Fortune Teller Suggested a Sacrifice (2010)

In March 2010, the owners of a brickyard in Bangladesh became concerned that bricks were losing their sought-after reddish hue, so they decided to consult a fortune teller.

The seer suggested that the brickfield needed a "human sacrifice." Therefore, the owners ordered four of their workers to kill one of their fellow laborers. The victim, a 26-year-old man, was killed and his head was baked in a oven.

Of course, the four workers, the owners, and the fortune teller were arrested and prosecuted for murder. (Source)

4

The Farmers Who Killed a Girl and Removed Her Liver as an Offering to Ensure a Better Harvest (2011)

In October 2011, Lalita Tati, a 7-year-old Indian girl, was dismembered by Ignesh Kujur and Padam Sukku, two farmers who killed the girl and removed her liver as an offering in a ritual sacrifice to ensure a better harvest.

The men were described as "tribals," a term referring to the region's indigenous people, most of whom remain mired in poverty and illiteracy. If a victim is under 12 years of age, then local mythology believes that crops will flourish following a sacrifice.

However, the remorse-filled farmers wrote to Lalita's father, allegedly confessing and offering cash in compensation for the loss of his daughter. Of course, the tribal-murderers were prosecuted for the crime. (Source 1 | Source 2)

5

The Liberian Commander Who Practiced Human Sacrifice and Cannibalism to Increase His Power (1979-1993)

Milton Blahyi is a former feared rebel commander in Liberia's brutal civil war who was initiated as a tribal priest and participated in his first human sacrifice at the age of eleven. During the course of the ritual, Blahyi says that the "Devil" told him that he would become a great warrior and that he should continue to practice human sacrifice and cannibalism to increase his power. Later, the Krahn elders appointed him as high priest, a position that would lead him to become the spiritual advisor to Liberian President Samuel Doe.

Blahyi stopped fighting in 1996, saying God appeared to him and told him that he was doing Satan's work. So, he became an Evangelist preacher. Now, Blahyi, 42, is the President of theEnd Time Train Evangelistic Ministries Inc., with headquarters in Liberia.

There are numerous rumors of human sacrifices during the 1979-93 conflict, but Blahyi was never punished for his crimes. The Truth Commission's only mandate was to investigate the crimes. The International Criminal Court in The Hague only has jurisdiction over crimes that have been committed since it was founded in 2002. (Source 1 | Source 2)

6

Mapuche Indians Who Sacrificed a Boy in Order to Placate Continuing Quakes in Chile (1960)

In July 1960, the continuing quakes in southern Chile forced Mapuche Indians of the Lago Budi community to sacrifice a boy between the age of five or six and offer his heart to the sea in order to placate the gods. When police arrested two of the Indians, they explained, "We were asking for calm in the sea and on the earth." Of course, the calm did not come.

According to investigative journalist Patrick Tierney in his book The Highest Altar: Unveiling the Mystery of Human Sacrifice, the child-victim, José Luis Painecur, had his arms and legsremoved, and his body was stuck into the sand of the beach like a stake. The waters of the Pacific Ocean then carried the body out to sea. On that occasion, Juan Pañán and Juan José Painecur (the victim's grandfather) were accused as perpetrators of this terrible fact.

The sacrifice was rumored to take place at the behest of local machi Juana Namuncurá Añen. The two men were charged with the crime and confessed, but later recanted. They were released after two years. A judge ruled that those involved in these events had "acted without free will, driven by an irresistible natural force of ancestral tradition." (Source 1 | Source 2)

7

The Stoning to Death of Adulterers in Iran

Upon browsing through the internet, one will find that the practice of human sacrifice by several different cultures or religious groups throughout the world to appease the gods, or God, flies in the face of religious idealism.

Unfortunately, in Iran the act of stoning is cloaked in religion since it specifically falls under the dictates of “God's law” for the purpose of fulfilling or abiding by God's will, which makes it a human sacrifice.

Stoning is a recognized form of execution under Iran's penal code, which is based on Islamic Law. Considering that the Quran does not mention stoning as a prescribed method of execution, the practice finds its legality under Iran's debatable interpretation of Sharia law, which is considered by Muslims to be God's law.

So how is stoning carried out? After the convicted individual, who is a female in the vast majority of cases, is wrapped in a white shroud from head to toe and buried in a hole up to her breasts, rocks are then thrown at her head until she dies. Article 104 of Iran's Penal Code specifically states that the appropriate stones for carrying out the killing “not be large enough to kill the person by one or two strikes; nor should they be so small that they could not be defined as stones.” According to reports, anywhere from ten to thirty minutes of pelting the victim's head with rocks by a group of citizens usually accomplishes the goal.

One of the most famous cases is that of Sakineh Mohammedie Ashtiani, a forty-three-year-old mother of two who was convicted of adultery by an Iranian court and was sentenced to death by stoning in 2006. The international publicity, generated through her children, led to numerous diplomatic conflicts between Iran's government and the heads of certain western governments. As a result, her execution has been stayed indefinitely. (Source 1 | Source 2)

8

Two Thousand Children Who were Allegedly Sold to Russia and Buried Under the Rails in Order to Strengthen Them (19th century)

The custom of burying infant children in the foundations of new buildings – a sacrifice to "ground" the building and assuage the gods of earthquakes, floods, and other misfortunes – was well established in ancient and even medieval times. However, nowadays we run into this extraordinary legend about the nineteenth-century Chinese and Russian railway.

According to the legend, as the Siberian Railway approached the northern boundaries of the Chinese Empire, a great amount of excitement was produced in Pekin by the rumor that the Russian minister had applied to the Empress of China for two thousand children to be buried in the roadbed under the rails in order to strengthen it.

The "rumor" can probably be brushed gently to one side, though it says a lot about nineteenth-century China that such a rumor could grow to maturity. Or is this just Russians barbarizing the Chinese with tall tales? (Source 1 | Source 2)

9

The Oklahoma Virgin Who was Nearly Sacrificed to Save the World When Halley's Comet Came (1910)

Perhaps the most intriguing story surviving from the visit of Halley's Comet in 1910 concerns the Oklahoma virgin who was nearly sacrificed to save the world when it came in contact with the Comet's tail. The sheriffs arrived just in time to prevent the sacrifice of a virgin by demented Americans calling themselves "Select Followers."

The story first appeared on May 19, 1910 in at least two newspapers far from the alleged scene of the action in Aline, Oklahoma. However, data didn't match concerning the young lady's age, the place where she was found, and the clothes that she was wearing (or lack thereof). The position of the Oklahoma Historical Society is simply stated. “None of the above considerations confirm or deny the Jane Warfield story.”

It is difficult to prove that something DID NOT happen, but when ALL of the existing evidence is negative, then we can be fairly positive that it did not, but the rumor is in the air. (Source)

10

The Alleged Dark Secret of the Song "London Bridge is Falling Down"

"London Bridge Is Falling Down" is a traditional nursery rhyme and singing game which is found in different versions all over the world. Several theories have been advanced to explain the meaning of the rhyme and the identity of the "fair lady" of the refrain. One of these was based on the idea that the bridge would collapse unless the body of a human sacrifice was buried in its foundation. So "the watchman" of the refrain is actually a human sacrifice who will then watch over the bridge. However, there is no archaeological evidence of any human remains in the foundation of London Bridge.

It's believed that this rumor was started by Alice Bertha Gomme, a leading British folklorist and a pioneer in the study of children's games between 1894 and 1898, and perpetuated by Iona and Peter Opie, a husband-and-wife team of literature folklorists who applied modern techniques to children's literature using this song.

Validity of Seventh Wage Board Award. decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Oct. 19, 2011

Validity of Seventh Wage Board Award. decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Oct. 19, 2011

Supreme Court of Pakistan would announce its decision on Oct. 19, 2011 which was reserved on 30th  Sep. 2011 on a petition filed field by the ll Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) appeals against Sindh High Court’s (SHC) May 31 decision on the validity of Seventh Wage Board Award.

The decision would be announced in the open Court by Chief Justice of Pakistan Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry

--------------------------

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) has reserved its decision on the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) appeals against Sindh High Court’s (SHC) May 31 decision on the validity of Seventh Wage Board Award.

Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Maulvi Anwarul Haq stated before three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry that the government was in favor of the increase in journalists’ salaries, as the court should not nullify the wage board award but also protect it.

He ensured the court that the government would implement the award. The AGP also said the representatives of newspaper employees had asked the board chairman to order 100 percent raise in the salaries, whereas the employers were ready for increase by 29 percent, meanwhile, the chairman ordered 50 percent increase in the salaries. The CJP noted that the chairman kept balance.

The counsel for APNS Hafeez Pirzada argued that his client had no right of appeal against decision of the wage board. Citing the different countries of wage board award, he pleaded that they should be allowed to file appeal against the decision in any judicial forum.

He told the court that newspaper employers were ready to implement the Seventh Wage Board Award to the extent of journalists. The CJP asked then what would be about the non-journalists.

Upon this, the CJP remarked that the court was bound to deliver judgment according to the constitution.

The counsel for non-working journalists association Shaukat Siddqui said that attitude of the media group owners towards their workers was not good and section nine of the Wage Board could not be nullified.

He further said that the media groups including Jung, Dawn, Nawa-i-Waqt, Kawish and Business Recorder covered 85 percent of the publication, although the employers were serving the nation however their attitude towards their employees was not appropriate. The employers are treating their employees like the laborers treated by the capitalists, he added.

The CJP asked him to use careful language, as all of them were respectable for us. Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Pervez Shaukat told the court that the implementation of the award to the extent of journalists was not acceptable to them. They were contesting for this for last 11 years, he added. After hearing arguments of all the parties, the court reserved its decision on the matter.

Three petitions were moved against the SHC judgment by APNS, M/S Independent Newspapers Corporation (Pvt) Limited, Pakistan Heralds Publications, Nida-i-Millat (Private) Limited, Kawish Publications (Pvt) Limited, News Publication (Pvt) Limited, J & S Enterprises (Pvt) Limited, The Nation Publications (Pvt) Ltd, Ibrat (Pvt) Ltd, Emmay Zed Publications (Pvt) Limited, Zamana Group of Publications, Pir Sufaid Shah Hamdard, Aghaz Publications (Pvt) Ltd and Marvi Publications Pakistan. One of the petitioners also challenged the vires of the Newspaper Employees (Condition of Service) Act 1973 under which the wage awards are constituted.

BY: Shamsul Islam Naz

Media practitioners and their apex body, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, are struggling hard for securing implementation of the 7th Wage Board Award as from Senate of Pakistan to the National Assembly and from the superior judiciary to the wage award implementation tribunal all have failed to persuade owners to implement the award despite sky-rocketing increase in prices of commodities.

After a lapse of over 10 years, owners are still reluctant to increase wages of journalists and other staff which has put an economic burden on newspaper employees.

This has been happening despite passage of resolutions by the four provincial assemblies, the National Assembly and the Senate, asking the owners to implement the award.

The award was supposed to be implemented with effect from Ist July 2000 which was duly notified in the official gazette of Government of Pakistan after it became a law and binding upon them.

The media owners have made 7th wage award a point of prestige for them and from their raw conduct, they have literally proved that no one on earth can compel them to bow before the law and Constitution. It seems that all state organs i.e. Parliament, Executive, Judiciary and their subordinate institutions are just small picas in front of the owners who have failed to enforce their writ.

No one can dare ask media owners to abide by law, pay taxes and lawful duties and to respect rule of law. Contrary to this, they put all state organs under tremendous pressure and have also hired “services of some hand-picked journalists” who are being fabulously paid with a clear-cut agenda to scandalise each and every government department and functionary in a manner that no one may dare to see eye to eye with them.

The media owners are very successful in their mission and they call for accountability of each and every pillar of the state and attached organisations.

They are shrewd enough that they raise hue and cry to malign anybody who may dare to ask them to pay lawful duties and to fulfill legal obligations. They raise bogey of "attack” on freedom of press and they start hurling threats and intimidate officials.

Very strangely the higher judiciary also feels pleased to rush to the rescue of media owners.

The media owners are very successful in their well conceived strategy which can be judged from this fact that they have not only literally made the 7th wage board award for the media persons ineffective and inoperative, but have also been successful in blocking the subsequent Wage Boards which were to be constituted after every successive five years. Till this time, the 9th Wage Board Award should have been in operation when this piece was being written.

In historical perspective, one would observe that basically the wage board has to be constituted by the federal government for the purpose of fixing rates of wages for newspaper employees in the country. The board is constituted after every 5 years. Up till now seven boards have been formed.

BACKGROUND:

There used to be no law for wages of working journalists when Pakistan came into being. The working journalists used to be paid according to discretion and sweet will of newspaper owners. The working journalists raised this issue before the constituent Assembly of Pakistan through a resolution which was tabled in November 1953. The resolution inter alia stated that “the Assembly is of the opinion that the government of Pakistan should appoint a Committee to investigate the conditions of the national press of Pakistan with particular reference to the working conditions of the journalists and report to the government”. This resolution was carried by the Assembly and inconsequence thereof the government of Pakistan constituted a Press Commission with various terms of reference, including recommendation in rates of pay and working conditions of journalists.

It may be noted that in the sixth year of the republic, the Indian Parliament passed Working Journalists and other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellanceous Provisions Act, 1955. Under this act, the concept of the Wage Board for fixation of wages and other fringe benefits has been provided. Likewise, there is also law for constitution of the Wage Board in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other countries.

PRESS COMMISSION (1954)

In Sept 1954, the government set up a Press Commission, which was supposed to give recommendations concerning working conditions and salaries of working journalists. One of the terms of reference of the commission was; “to examine and make recommendation on the rates of pay and working conditions of the journalists.” Mr. Justice Khurshid Zaman, Judge of the High Court headed the Commission, while late Hameed Nizami. Altaf Hussain, Z .A. Suleri and M. A. Zuberi were among the 11 other members of the Commission.

Reconstitution of Press Commission:

Due to the professional and organizational rivalries between the two bodies the All Pakistan Newspaper Editors Conference (APNEC) and the Council of Pakistan Editors, and rival bodies of newspaper Editors, the Press Commission could not function resulting in reconstitution of the of the same on Sep 5, 1958, headed by Mr. H.B Tyabji, Chief Judge of the High Court of Sindh, Karachi.


FIRST WAGE BOARD 1960:

The Ist wage board was constituted on 30th May 1960 with Mr Justice Sajjad Ahmed Jan, Judge of the High Court of the West Pakistan as its Chairman In this board, wages were fixed for the working journalists only. Every newspaper organization was supposed to pay wages according to the rates fixed by the Board. The board gave its decision on 31st Dec. 1960 which was made operative from Ist Jan. 1961. It was made clear that “the decision of the Board would be subject to review and revision after 5 years from the date of its enforcement by an authority that might be set up by the federal government.”

Fringe benefits:

In addition to basic salaries, benefits given in the Ist Wage Board Award were Dearness allowance, Conveyance allowance, Night shift transport allowance, Outfit allowance, overtime, Wages for piecework, Apprenticeship allowance, Legal expenses, Medical relief and Gratuity.

SECOND WAGE BOARD:

When the Ist Wage Board was constituted in 1960, it was decided that the government would form the board after every 5 years, therefore 2nd wage board was due in 1965. However, it was constituted after 9 years on the 25th April 1969 instead of 1965. The 2nd wage board had 8 members, four each of working journalists and newspaper employers while Mr. Justice Sajjad Ahmed Jan was nominated its Chairman.

On the 1st April 1970 Mr. Justice A.S Farooqi resigned and in his place Mr. Justice (retd) S.M Shafi was appointed as Chairman of the Wage Board on the 5th of March 1971.

Fringe benefits:

In addition to basic salaries, Cost of living allowance, Dearness allowance, General transport allowance, Gratuity. Grant on transfer, Night transport allowance, Local traveling allowance, Outfit allowance, Uniform, Interim relief were also granted.

The board announced interim rates of wages before taking the decision of wage award, which remained in force until the decision of the board came into operation which was rejected by the PFUJ. The reason behind the rejection was that the interim relief was just for the working journalists and not for all employees newspapers. The PFUJ demanded that the interim relief should be given to all newspaper employees instead of confining it only to working journalists.

Reconstitution of the 2nd Wage Board:

On the 11th Sept 1973 the Federal government reconstituted the 2nd wage board and Mr. Justice (Retd) S.M.Shafi, was appointed its Chairman with four members, 2 each from owners and employees of the newspapers. The board announced its decision on the 8th of June 1974 and fixed new pay scale for the employees.

3rd Wage Board:

The 3rd Wage Board was constituted on the 24th Jan 1979 and Mr. Justice (Retd) Muhammad Munir Faruqee, was appointed as its Chairman alongwith eight members, four each from owners and employees. The board was reconstituted in June 1979 which announced its interim relief on the 5th August 1979. The board announced its final decision on 25th May 1980 which was made effective from 15th April 1980.
Fringe benefits:

In the 3rd wage board award, in addition to basic salaries, all employees were given benefits of General transport allowance, Local traveling allowance., Outfit allowance, Uniform, Hill allowance (for the employees posted at Quetta), House rent allowance. Besides all these benefits which were given in the Ist and 2nd wage Awards and not covered under 3rd Award were allowed to be enjoyed by the newspaper employees.


4th Wage Board:

The 4th Wage Board was constituted on 4th Oct 1984 and Mr. Justice Mian Fazle Mehmood of Lahore High Court was appointed its Chairman. The Board had 12 members, six representing the employers and six employees.

The Board announced Interim Relief on the 10th of Jan 1985 while final award was given on 28th Sept 1985 and it was made operative from 15th April 1985.

Fringe benefits:

In this award, almost the same Fringe benefits of the previous wage boards decisions were given in addition to Study and Research Allowance for journalists.

5th WAGE BOARD:

The 5th Wage Board was set up on 20th July 1989 which was reconstituted on the 20th Dec. 1989 with Mr. Justice (Retd) Agha Ali Hyder of the Sindh High Court as Chairman and 14 members equally drawn from amongst the employers and the employees. The Board granted Interim Relief on the 8th Feb 1990 while final decision was given on the 18th Dec 1990 and it was made operative from 15th of April 1990.
Fringe benefits:

According to the 5th wage board, the fringe benefits were almost the same as announced in the previous board decisions. However, rates of the same were revised and increased to some extent.

LITIGATION:

The All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS) and some of its members challenged the Interim Award in the Supreme Court through a constitutional petition. However, during pendency of the petition final decision was announced by the Wage Board on the 18th of Dec 1990 which was made operative from15th of April 1990. The APNS filed an amended petition to challenge the validity of the final award but the court declared the petition as in fructuous and the amended petition was dismissed by a full bench of five judges on the 14th Dec 1993. The SC, however, ruled that the petitioners may challenge the final award before a court of competent jurisdiction as provided by law but the APNS did not opt to continue further litigation against the final award of 5th wage board.

6th WAGE BOARD:

It came into existence with Mr. Justice Zia Mehmood Mirza, a Judge of Supreme Court of Pakistan as its chairman on the 23rd Oct 1994 consisting of 18 members, 9 each from the employers and the employees. Final decision was announced by the board on 23rd Oct 1994.


Fringe benefits:

In addition to the basic pay and other benefits, the 6th wage board award announced computer allowance for employees working as a computer staff.

7th WAGE BOARD:

The 7th wage board consisting of ten members five each representing the employers and employees and the Chairman Mr. Justice Raja Afrasiab Khan (Retd) Judge of the Supreme Count of Pakistan pronounced its award which was published in the official gazette on the 25th Oct 2001 and made operative with effect from Ist July 2000.

ABOLISHMENT OF NATIONAL PRESS TRUST:

During review of the causes of non-implementation of the Wage Board Awards and tendency among media owners and their organisation – APNS -- one would observe that in Pakistan media workers working in the defunct Progress Papers Limited, National News Publication and NPT i.c. Pakistan Times, Imroze, Morning News, Mashriq, used to be the fortress of trade unions. The workers of the PPL / NPT always played a pivotal role for forcing the successive governments for constitutions of the wage boards and implementation of the Wage Board Awards. Till the operation of the NPT which used to implement the wage board awards immediately after announcements alongwith the state owned news agency Associated Press of Pakistan, the issue of non implementation of the wage board awards always resolved as private sector media owners have to implement the same. However, after abolishment of the NPT since 1992 the issue of implementation of the wage board became a serious issue and media owners felt no moral or legal obligation in absence of their competitors. Interestingly, the PFUJ has played a forefront role for the abolishment of the NPT.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 7th WAGE BOARD:

The newspapers owners immediately challenged the validity of the 7th wage board award directly before the Supreme Court of Pakistan under Article 185 (3) of the Constitution and also questioned the vires of the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973, claiming that the same was discriminatory law and meant for suppression of the freedom of press and putting undue economic stress upon the media. The said petition remained pending before the S.C for about 4 years. Finally the Supreme Court dismissed the petition filed by the APNS and newspaper owners declaring that the matter did not fall under the ambit of Article 185 (3) of the Continuations of the Pakistan(PLD 2004 S.C. 600) . However, the petitioners were asked to move “competent court of jurisdiction” if so desired on the same issue. Taking advantage of this observation of the apex court the media owners challenged the validity of the 7thWage Board Award once again before the Islamabad High Court, which dismissed the same in limini. However, once again the APNS and some of the owners moved yet another writ petition before the Singh High Court against the varies of the NESOCA as well as the 7th Wage Board Award and succeeded in getting restraint order without any service or knowledge to the PFUJ and affected newspaper employees. This restraint order is still operative providing leverage to media owners to escape from legal obligations of making payment of the wages and other accrual benefits of the 7th Wage Board award to their employees. Various benches of the Sindh High Court heard the case of the 7th Wage Board Award but none of them had announced the verdict. The height of injustice and atrocity with media persons can be judged from the fact that the Supreme Court of Pakistan in Aug. 2009 directed to decide the issue within 90 days but to no avail. Even, after changing of various benches a divisional bench finally concluded the proceedings on 20th Sept 2010 and reserved the judgment, which still remains reserved and there seems no fate of this reserved judgment, thus paving way for media owners to deprive their workers of benefits of the 7th Wage Board Award as case would once again be reopened as per High Court Rules since the “reserved” judgments could not be announced or in the meantime the bench would be no more functional with the same judges. These tricks were employed by the media owners with the patronage of judiciary.

The story of exploitation and money minting by media owners does not end here. On the one hand the 7thWage Board Award was never implemented by them, and on the other hand they launched a vigorous campaign by inserting hundreds of “advertisements” in newspapers on front pages, raising an alarm that “newspapers industry” would be ruined if Wage Board Award was implemented in letter and spirit.

Under the garb of such types of false propaganda, they succeeded in getting concessions in various federal taxes and drastic reduction in import duties on the import of newsprint and other printed material to the tune of billions of rupees giving an allurement that “they will extend the benefits of the 7th Wage Board Award”. However, such pledges were never honored by the newspaper owners, even after lapse of more than 10 years which clearly indicates their highhandedness.

Ironically, on the eve of every federal budget, the APNS got various privileges claiming that it would "help the fourth pillar of state in its survival" and thus they always got concessions on various levies, including import of reconditioned machinery at zero taxation on the plea that these would be installed. They also secured loans for import of second-hand printing machinery at zero mark-up rates from SMEs and state-owned financial institutions on false pretext of upgrading newspaper industry in the “national interest."

Taking countless advantages and financial benefits from the governments during the last full decade the media owners also fleeced newspapers subscribers, advertisers and all end users on various counts. For instance they reduced pages and cut the size of newspapers substantially. Not only this, rates of newspapers as well advertisements were increased almost by 200 to 300 per cent during the past ten years. Yet wages of newspaper employees were not increased.

How cruel media owners and the government are can be judged from this that although wages and other fringe benefits of government employees are increased as a “regular feature of every budget”, right from 1996 to 1997, while in the budget 2010-2011 basic wages of government employees was enhanced by 50 per cent, which shows that newspaper employees were discriminated against and were being extended step-motherly treatment.

Salaries of newspaper employees, including journalists, were earlier fixed in July 1996 under the 6th Wage Award and since then no increase had been made. The media owners had been using delaying tactics and filing cases in one court or the other to delay the implementation of the award. Likewise, from 1996-97 to-date salaries of law-enforcement agencies, armed forces, government employees and private sector have gone up by at least 400 to 500 per cent. But still the media owners were not ready to make payment of salaries as per price-hike and newspaper employees were working on the salary structure fixed in 1996 under the 6th Wage Award.

These hard facts clearly indicate that media persons were being exploited by media owners who consider that perhaps media persons do not need to take meals for themselves and their kids.

The question is whether it is possible for a media person to live without clothes, bread, shelter, medical facilities and education for their kids, and can they perform their professional assignments without job protection, life insurance, life security etc.

The miserable plight of media persons can also be observed from the sad story a journalist, Mohamed Azam, working with “Channel 5" owned by Zia Shahid of Khabrain group. Azam committed suicide on 2 Dec in Lahore. He was not paid wages for five months. On Dec. 2008, he went to the office of the Khabrain to demand his wages.

Azam pleaded his bosses that he must be paid wages as there is no food at home. He was treated badly by Imtinan Shahid, son of Zia Shahid and was asked to leave office without payment. Imtinan even made bad comments about Azam's 8 sisters. Imtinan told Azam that you have 8 sisters, ask them to work. He meant that the sisters should go for prostitution.

This made Azam very sad. As he arrived, his mother asked if he was paid, he told her that the boss has not paid him. The mother reminded him about Eid which is coming and asked him to do something for wages. He went to his room, closed the door and hanged himself with an electric wire at 2pm on Dec. 2, 2008.
Azam had 8 sisters, five of them married and three to be married. He has a brother of 9 year. Azam was the only breadwinner of the family as his father had left them long ago.

The callousness of media owners can be judged from this fact that none of the print and electronic media aired or published this gruesome incident in detail. Even it was not mentioned that the cause of his death was nonpayment of five months wages. The name of journalist Muhammad Azam was also not mentioned.

The media mentioned only that Azam committed suicide because he was facing financial difficulties. This attitude of media exposes their real anti-worker and inhuman attitude against ethics of real journalism.

There are endless and long stories of atrocities by Pakistan media owners but the disturbing question is constant silence of vocal segments of society, including lawyers, judiciary, human rights activists, political parties and the government of Pakistan. They are, of course, afraid of nuisance of Pakistani media. But one wonders that in an age of globalization even the international forces too are salient about sorrow state of affairs of Pakistani media industry, and they are hardly aware of the plight of Pakistani media workers and journalists and have confined them only to look after “economic interests” of media houses.

They do not believe in freedom of expression, and that they have a duty to keep the citizens informed which is the prime objective and social obligation of the print and electronic media. Everything printed or aired in the Pakistani media by and large is biased.

Not a single newspaper in Pakistan or electronic media, and the news agencies carries and publishes the point of view media employees and their trade unions as well as PFUJ. This hard fact ipso facto proves how much under pressure the Pakistani journalists are.

Shamsul Islam Naz

Turkey History, Geography, Basic Facts etc

Turkey History, Geography, Basic Facts etc

Map of Turkey

Land area: 297,591 sq mi (770,761 sq km); total area: 301,382 sq mi (780,580 sq km)

Population (July 2012 est.): 79,749,461 (growth rate: 1.197%); birth rate: 17.58/1000; infant mortality rate: 23.07/1000; life expectancy: 72.77

Capital (2011 est.): Ankara, 4.338 million

Largest cities: Istanbul, 13.301 million; Izmir, 2.783 million; Bursa, 1.704 million; Adana, 1.609 million.

Monetary unit: Turkish lira (YTL)

National name: Türkiye Cumhuriyeti

Current government officials

Languages: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli, Azeri, Kabardian

Ethnicity/race: Turkish 70-75%, Kurdish 18% (2008 est.)

Religions: Islam (mostly Sunni) 99.8%, other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)

Literacy rate: 87.4% (2004 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2011 est.): $1.075 trillion; per capita $14,400. Real growth rate: 8.5%. Inflation: 6.5%. Unemployment: 9.8% (plus underemployment of 4.0%). Arable land: 29.81%. Agriculture: tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulse, citrus; livestock. Labor force: 26.69 million (2011); note: about 1.2 million Turks work abroad; agriculture 25.5%, industry 26.2%, services 48.4% (2010). Industries: textiles, food processing, autos, electronics, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper. Natural resources: antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulfur, iron ore, arable land, hydropower. Exports: $143.4 billion (2011 est.): apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment. Imports: $232.9 billion (2011 est.): machinery, chemicals, semifinished goods, fuels, transport equipment. Major trading partners: Germany, UK, Russia, U.S., Italy, France, Russia, China, Iraq, Iran (2011).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 15.211 million (2011); mobile cellular: 65.322 million (2011). Broadcast media: national public broadcaster Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) operates multiple TV and radio networks and stations; multiple privately-owned national television stations and up to 300 private regional and local television stations; multi-channel cable TV subscriptions are obtainable; more than 1,000 private radio broadcast stations (2009). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 7.093 million (2012). Internet users: 27.233 million (2009).

Transportation: Railways: total: 8,699 km (2010). Highways: total: 352,046 km; paved: 313,151 km; unpaved: 38,895 km (2008). Waterways: about 1,200 km (2010). Ports and harbors: Gemlik, Hopa, Iskenderun, Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli (Izmit), Icel (Mersin), Samsun, Trabzon. Airports: 98 (2012).

International disputes: complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the Aegean Sea; status of north Cyprus question remains; Syria and Iraq protest Turkish hydrological projects to control upper Euphrates waters; Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq; in 2009, Swiss mediators facilitated an accord reestablishing diplomatic ties between Armenia and Turkey, but neither side has ratified the agreement and the rapprochement effort has faltered; Turkish authorities have complained that blasting from quarries in Armenia might be damaging the medieval ruins of Ani, on the other side of the Arpacay valley.

Geography

Turkey is at the northeast end of the Mediterranean Sea in southeast Europe and southwest Asia. To the north is the Black Sea and to the west is the Aegean Sea. Its neighbors are Greece and Bulgaria to the west, Russia, Ukraine, and Romania to the north and northwest (through the Black Sea), Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran to the east, and Syria and Iraq to the south. The Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosporus divide the country. Turkey in Europe comprises an area about equal to the state of Massachusetts. Turkey in Asia is about the size of Texas. Its center is a treeless plateau rimmed by mountains.

History

Anatolia (Turkey in Asia) was occupied in about 1900 B.C. by the Indo-European Hittites and, after the Hittite empire's collapse in 1200 B.C. , by Phrygians and Lydians. The Persian Empire occupied the area in the 6th century B.C. , giving way to the Roman Empire, then later the Byzantine Empire. The Ottoman Turks first appeared in the early 13th century, subjugating Turkish and Mongol bands pressing against the eastern borders of Byzantium and making the Christian Balkan states their vassals. They gradually spread through the Near East and Balkans, capturing Constantinople in 1453 and storming the gates of Vienna two centuries later. At its height, the Ottoman Empire stretched from the Persian Gulf to western Algeria. Lasting for 600 years, the Ottoman Empire was not only one of the most powerful empires in the history of the Mediterranean region, but it generated a great cultural outpouring of Islamic art, architecture, and literature.

After the reign of Sultan Süleyman I the Magnificent (1494–1566), the Ottoman Empire began to decline politically, administratively, and economically. By the 18th century, Russia was seeking to establish itself as the protector of Christians in Turkey's Balkan territories. Russian ambitions were checked by Britain and France in the Crimean War (1854–1856), but the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) gave Bulgaria virtual independence and Romania and Serbia liberation from their nominal allegiance to the sultan. Turkish weakness stimulated a revolt of young liberals known as the Young Turks in 1909. They forced Sultan Abdul Hamid to grant a constitution and install a liberal government. However, reforms were no barrier to further defeats in a war with Italy (1911–1912) and the Balkan Wars (1912–1913). Turkey sided with Germany in World War I, and, as a result, lost territory at the conclusion of the war.

Oppression of Kurds and Kurdish Culture and Deadly Clashes

About 12 million Kurds, roughly 20% of Turkey's population, live in the southeast region of Turkey. Turkey, however, does not officially recognize Kurds as a minority group and is therefore exempted from protecting their rights. Oppression of Kurds and Kurdish culture led to the emergence in 1984 of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a militant Kurdish terrorist campaign under the leadership of Abdullah Ocalan. Although the guerrilla movement sought independence at first, by the late 1980s the rebel Kurds were willing to accept an autonomous state or a federation with Turkey. About 35,000 have died in clashes between the military and the PKK during the 1980s and 1990s. On Feb. 16, 1999, Ocalan was captured. He was tried and convicted of treason and separatism on June 2, 1999, and sentenced to death.

On Aug. 17, 1999, western Turkey was devastated by an earthquake (magnitude 7.4) that left more than 17,000 dead and 200,000 homeless. Another huge earthquake struck in November.

Construction on a $3-billion, 1,000-mile oil pipeline running from Baku, Azerbaijan, to the Mediterranean port city of Ceyhan began in Sept. 2002. The pipeline opened in July 2006.

In Nov. 2002 elections, the recently formed Justice and Development Party (AK) won. Its leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was barred from becoming prime minister, however, because of a conviction for “inciting religious hatred” by reciting an Islamic poem at a rally in 1998. Another popular AK leader, Abdullah Gul, served as prime minister until Turkish law was amended to permit Erdogan to run for a seat in parliament again, which he easily won. Gul resigned as prime minister, making way for Erdogan.

In March 2003, U.S.-Turkish relations were severely strained when Turkey's parliament narrowly failed to pass a resolution permitting the U.S. to use Turkish bases as a launching pad for the pending war against Iraq. Turkish opinion polls reported that an overwhelming 90% of Turks were against war in Iraq, but the U.S. had promised the country much-needed economic aid.

Terrorism; Attempts to Improve the Government

In Nov. 2003, two terrorist attacks rocked Istanbul. On Nov. 17, truck bombs exploded near two synagogues; on Nov. 22, the British Consulate and a British bank were targeted. More than 50 were killed and hundreds were wounded in the attacks; al-Qaeda is believed to be responsible.

In an effort to make itself more attractive for potential EU membership, Turkey has begun revamping some of its repressive laws and policies. In 2003, its parliament passed a law reducing the military's role in political life and offered partial amnesty to PKK members, many of whom have sought refuge in northern Iraq. In 2004, Turkish state television broadcast the first Kurdish language program and the government freed four Kurdish activists from prison. Turkey also abolished the death penalty in all but exceptional cases.

In April 2007, Prime Minister Erdogan nominated Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, an Islamist, as the ruling party's candidate for president over the objections of the military, which has historically been protective of a secular state. Gul, however, failed to win the necessary two-thirds majority in parliament, and a constitutional court later nullified the vote, citing a lack of a quorum. Many secularists in parliament, who accused Gul of harboring an Islamist agenda, boycotted the vote. Gul withdrew from the race in May. Gul was victorious in the third round of elections in August.

Turkey recalled its ambassador to the United States and threatened to withdraw its support of the war in Iraq in October after the U.S. House Foreign Relations Committee passed a resolution labeling as genocide Turkey's murder of some 1.5 million Armenians during World War I. President George Bush strongly urged members of the committee to vote against the resolution.

Tension between Turkey and Iraq peaked in October, as Kurdish separatists in Iraq, members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), escalated their attacks into Turkey. In response, Turkey's Parliament voted, 507 to 19, to allow the deployment of troops into northern Iraq. U.S. and Iraqi officials feared a war on another front in Iraq would further destabilize the already fragile country. In December, Turkish fighter jets, with the help of the U.S. military, bombed areas in Dohuk Province in northern Iraq, targeting the (PKK). Turkish troops resumed their attacks on Dohuk Province in February 2008, killing as many as 160 PKK fighters, who claimed to have killed as many Turkish troops.

In January 2008, police arrested 13 ultranationalists, including three former military officers, who were accused of organizing and carrying out political murders. One of the officers, Veli Kucuk, is suspected of running a secret unit within the police force that orchestrated political violence against religious and ethnic minority groups.

Improvements for Civil Rights and the Secular Movement

In February 2008, Parliament voted in favor of a measure put forth by Prime Minister Erdogan that would lift the ban on women wearing headscarves in universities. Secular lawmakers voted overwhelmingly against the laws, concerned that their secularism faced attack by the conservative government. In June, the Constitutional Court, Turkey’s highest court, overturned the measure, saying it violated secularist principles inherent in the country’s constitution.

On July 14, 2008, 86 people, who are suspected to be part of a secular organization called Ergenekon, were charged with attempting to overthrow the current AKP government. The attempted coup was exposed in June 2007. On October 20, 2008, the court began a public trail of the suspects.

On July 30, 2008, Turkey's 11-member Constitutional Court fell one vote short of banning the Justice and Development party for violating the country's secular constitution. The court did rule, however, to reduce by one-half the party's public financing.

After nearly 100 years of hostility between Turkey and Armenia over the murder of 600,000 to 1.5 million Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Turks during World War I, the two countries agreed in October 2009 to establish diplomatic relations and reopen the border between them. Both parliaments must approve the deal.

Turkey Takes on Bigger Role on the World Stage

In May 2010, as the U.S. and other members of the Security Council were negotiating the language and terms of a fourth round sanctions against Iran for continuing to enrich uranium and refusing to open its facilities to weapons inspectors, Iran agreed to send 2,640 pounds of enriched uranium to Turkey in exchange for uranium enriched to 20% that can be used in a reactor that creates isotopes for medical use—a deal strikingly similar to the one Iran reneged on in October 2009. Turkey and Brazil brokered the agreement. Both countries were criticized for interfering with the sanctions process and accused of attempting to increase their presence on the world stage.

In late May 2010, an activist group, Free Gaza Now, and a Turkish humanitarian organization, Insani Yardim Vakfi, sent a flotilla of aid to Gaza, a violation of a blockade that Israel and Egypt imposed on Gaza in 2007. The move was an apparent attempt to further politicize the blockade. In the early hours of May 31, Israeli commandos boarded one of the ships, and there are conflicting accounts of what happened next. The Israelis say the commandos were attacked with clubs, rods, and knives, and that they fired upon the activists in retaliation; the activists say the commandos opened fire when they landed on deck. Nine Turkish activists were killed in the conflict.

In a September 2010 referendum, voters approved several constitutional changes that will give Parliament increased oversight of the judiciary and the military, diminishing the power of both and introducing wider democratic freedoms to Turkey's citizens. The vote, 58% to 42%, was considered a referendum on the leadership of Prime Minister Erdogan.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) won a third term in June 2011. Voter turnout was 84.5% in a general election that gave the ruling party 326 seats in parliament—41 seats shy of the two-thirds majority needed to amend the country's constitution unilaterally. The secular Republican People's Party (CHP) had 26% of vote and the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) 13%. In his victory speech, Mr. Erdogan pledged to work with opposition parties, which criticized him before the election for his divisive ruling style. 

The publication in September 2011 of a UN report on the attack on the Turkish flotilla further frayed relations between Turkey and Israel. The report concluded that Israel's blockade of Gaza was legal but that Israel used "excessive and unreasonable" force when boarding the ships. It also called on Israel to apologize and compensate victims. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, said he would not issue a statement of regret. In response, Turkey ejected the Israeli ambassador and severed defense ties with Israel.

In October, PKK militants killed two dozen Turkish troops near the border with Iraq. In response, Turkey launched a large-scale offensive, deploying about 10,000 troops and warplanes into Kurd strongholds in northern Iraq. Tension had been building for months, with the militants increasing their attacks.

.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Turkey

On October 23, 2011, an earthquake, measured at 7.2 in magnitude, struck Turkey in Van Province, near the border of Iran. The death toll quickly rose to more than 360 and was expected to climb higher. Rescue teams worked quickly to find survivors in more than 2,260 buildings that had collapsed from the earthquake. More than 1,300 were injured in what was one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the area in recent years.

More than 50 countries offered aid, including Israel, despite strained relations between the two countries. Officials in Turkey denied reports that the government refused Israel's offer. In the days immediately following the earthquake, the Turkish Government said that it planned to build 3,000 houses and would postpone residents' tax collections for a full year.

Relations Between Syria and Turkey Deteriorate

Turkey, once a close ally of Syria, threw its support behind opposition groups during the uprising against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, which began in March 2011. Turkey endorsed the Syrian National Council, an organization of dissidents and opposition leaders, and allowed members of the Free Syrian Army to set up camp within its borders.

Relations between Syria and Turkey deteriorated in 2012, reaching a nadir in the fall. In October, a cross-border mortar attack from Syria killed five Turkish civilians, and Turkey launched retaliatory attacks on targets in Syria. The following day, the Turkish Parliament passed a motion that authorized military action as long as Syria continued to shell Turkey. If the fighting does persist, NATO may intervene to protect Turkey, a member nation. The Turkish government said it did not want to go to war with Syria, but it would protect its borders as necessary militarily.

Eight Captives Freed by Kurdish Rebels

On March 13, 2013, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (P.K.K.) released eight Turkish soldiers and civil servants. The captives were kidnapped in 2011 and 2012 and held by the Kurdish militants in the mountains of northern Iraq. The P.K.K. has been using forms of guerrilla warfare against Turkey for almost three decades.

The P.K.K.'s leader, Abdullah Ocalan ordered the release of the eight captives. A prisoner himself since 1999, Ocalan has been in peace talks with Turkish government officials since 2012. If peace between the Kurdish rebels and Turkey could be achieved it would end a war that has so far claimed 40,000 lives.

Israel Formally Apologies to Turkey for 2010 Commando Raid

In mid-March 2013, President Obama visited Israel. During the visit, he helped negotiate a reconciliation with Turkey. Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed sincere regret to Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's prime minister, for the commando raid in 2010 on a Turkish ship that killed nine people. Israel also offered compensation for the incident. Erdogan accepted Israel's apology.

After the apology, both countries announced that they would reinstate ambassadors and completely restore diplomatic relations. President Obama supported the apology in this statement, "the United States deeply values our relationships with both Turkey and Israel, and we attach great importance to the restoration of positive relations between them, in order to advance regional peace and security."

Anti-Government Protests Call for Erdogan's Resignation

In late May 2013, a sit-in protesting government plans to raze Istanbul's Gezi Park in Taksim Square to build a shopping mall grew into enormous anti-government demonstrations after police began spraying protesters with tear gas and water cannons. The demonstrations spread to dozens of cities throughout the country. On June 1, police withdrew from the park and let the occupation continue. Protesters criticized Prime Minister Erdogan for being authoritarian and called for his resignation. Erdogan initially dismissed the protesters as "thugs," but agreed to meet with representatives of the many groups of demonstrators. However, a day later—on June 11, police stormed the park, again spraying protesters with tear gas and water, and forced protesters out of the area. Two demonstrators died in the violence. The protests were compared to the Occupy movement that took hold in the U.S. in September 2011. Erdogan has been popular since taking office in 2003, leading an economic recovery, expanding the middle class, and weakening the influence of the military. At the same time, his critics have accused him of being heavy-handed and allowing his religious views to influence his leadership. In July, it was reported that a judge had ruled in June against the development of Taksim Square.

Erdogan unveiled a package of reforms in late September aimed at reopening a dialogue with the minority Kurds, who have been at odds with the government since the early 1980s. The reforms included lifting a ban on teaching the Kurdish language in private schools, allowing villages to reclaim their Kurdish names, and making it easier for Kurds to be elected to parliament. Many Kurds, however, said the reforms did not go far enough. In particular, they bemoaned the fact that the reforms did not include revising the country's anti-terrorism laws, which have landed thousands of Kurdish activists in jail. In addition, the package included returning confiscated property to Syriac Orthodox Christians and easing restrictions on women wearing headscarves in public. Many believe the package was an attempt by Erdogan to restore confidence among Turks that he would follow through on his promise of reform