India-born Pakistani poet Fahmida Riaz passes away
Lahore, Nov 22 : Noted India-born Pakistani poet and human rights activist Fahmida Riaz has passed away following a prolonged illness at the age of 73 here, media reports said.
Riaz, who fled Pakistan during former military dictator Gen Zia-ul-Haq's rule and lived in self exile in India for nearly seven years, had been unwell for the past few months.
Born into a literary family of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh in July, 1945 and settled in Hyderabad following her father's transfer to Sindh province, always raised her voice for women rights and democracy in Pakistan, The News International reported.
Riaz, a well-known progressive Urdu writer, poet, human rights activist and feminist, worked with Radio Pakistan and BBC Urdu service (Radio), the report said.
Her Urdu publication Awaz grabbed the attention of Zia for its liberal and politically-charged content after which she and her second husband were charged with various cases and the magazine was shut down, it said.
After her husband was arrested, she fled to India with her two children and sister, and got asylum. Her children went to school in India. Her husband later joined her in India after his release from jail, it said.
The family spent almost seven years in exile in India before returning to Pakistan after Zia's death, the report said.
Riaz had been a poet in residence for Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi. She was a prominent voice in the feminist struggle in Pakistan, the report added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka Assembly Speaker seeks probe after Aadhaar cards found on riverbank in Mangaluru
Mangaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U T Khader on Wednesday sought an inquiry after a large number of Aadhaar cards were found on the banks of the Nethravathi River here.
The cards were found at Farangipete in Pudu village of his Mangaluru Assembly constituency.
Khader, in a note to the Project Manager of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Bengaluru, sought immediate intervention and necessary action against those responsible.
In the note dated March 4, he said that local residents noticed the Aadhaar cards along the riverbank on March 3.
Following information received from the public, the Pudu Gram Panchayat president and villagers collected the Aadhaar cards found scattered in the area. They subsequently brought the matter to his attention and the concerned authorities, he said.
Expressing concern over the incident, the Speaker has directed that a thorough investigation be conducted to ascertain how such a large number of Aadhaar cards ended up on the riverbank and to identify those responsible.
He instructed officials to initiate appropriate legal action through the concerned department at the earliest.
