New Delhi, May 17: Senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani on Thursday approached the Supreme Court in his personal capacity against Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala's decision of inviting BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa to form a new government in the state despite being eight short of a simple majority in the assembly.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud asked Jethmalani to mention his plea on Friday before the bench concerned.

Jethmalani, who had taken retirement from law practice, told the bench that the Karnataka Governor's order is a "gross abuse of Constitutional power".

The apex court early on Thursday after a midnight hearing refused to stall the swearing-in of Yeddyurappa as Karnataka's new Chief Minister.

Yeddyurappa took the oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka on Thursday at 9 a.m. at the Raj Bhavan amid tight security.

The court, however, sought the communications which Yeddyurappa had written to Karnataka Governor informing him his election as BJP legislature party.

The apex court said that the swearing-in is subject to the final outcome of the matter before it.

The bench headed by Justice A.K. Sikri, while seeking Yeddyurappa's response on the petition by Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) seeking to stall his swearing-in, has directed further hearing of the matter at 10.30 a.m. on Friday.

 

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Karachi, May 13 (PTI): Kashish Chaudhary, a 25-year-old Pakistani Hindu woman, has made history by becoming the first female from the minority community in Balochistan to be appointed as Assistant Commissioner in the restive province.

Kashish, who hails from the remote town of Noshki in district Chagai in the province, qualified Balochistan Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination.

On Monday, Kashish, accompanied by her father Girdhari Lal, met Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti in Quetta and told him that she would work for the empowerment of women and minorities, and the overall development of the province.

“It is a matter of great pride for me that my daughter has become an assistant commissioner due to her hard work and commitment,” Lal told the media.

Lal, a mid-level trader, said his daughter had always dreamed of studying and doing something for her women.

Chief Minister Bugti said it was a matter of pride for the nation when members of the minority communities got to key positions due to their hard work and effort.

“Kashish is a symbol of pride for the nation and Balochistan,” he said.

In recent years, women from the Hindu community have achieved notable success in generally male-dominated fields in Pakistan, overcoming many cultural, religious and social hurdles to get to important positions.

In July 2022, Manesh Ropeta became the first Hindu woman to be appointed as Superintendent of Police in Karachi, where she is still fulfilling her duties.

Pushpa Kumari Kohli, a 35-year-old police sub-inspector in Karachi, said Hindu women have the tenacity and intelligence to reach the top.

“I also passed the Sindh police Public Services Examination. There are many more Hindu girls out there waiting to educate themselves and become something,” said Kohli, who belongs to a scheduled caste.

Suman Pawan Bodani is still serving as a civil judge in Hyderabad after first being appointed as a civil judge in her hometown of Shahdadkot in Sindh province in 2019.

Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, a politician in Sindh province, believes that young Hindu girls, who are supported by their families, have shown more inclination and initiative to gain education and pursue higher studies.

“Our young women are doing us proud. We have doctors, civil servants, police officers, etc in Sindh,” he said.

He said that despite being notorious for its problem of underage and young Hindu girls being abducted and converted by Muslim men, Sindh required more educational facilities for the Hindu community to counter such menaces. 

Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan. According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country.

The majority of Pakistan's Hindu population is settled in Sindh province.