[Current Affairs] January 05, 2021 Top Pakistan Current Affairs for FPSC Test Preparation

2. Abducted lawyer describes his ordeal

What’s going on? Advocate Hammad Saeed Dar was reportedly taken from his home on Saturday. However, it turns out he’s back because he appeared in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) yesterday. He was allegedly abducted, but then his captors released him.

The details: IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard what Dar had to say, and reaffirmed that Dar was kept in illegal detention for 48 hours. According to Dar, someone rang his doorbell at around 1:00am on Saturday. Around 12-15 people standing outside told his father they wanted to meet Dar. Two people were allowed inside, but 10 others allegedly forced their way in and grabbed Dar.

Tell me more: Dar said he was blindfolded and driven away in a car, then detained in a room. He doesn’t know who took him, and why.

Looking ahead: Dar’s father initially filed a petition in the IHC for his recovery. Now, Justice Minallah is demanding a thorough investigation. The next hearing is on January 15.

The bottom line: Justice Minallah said abductions are taking place too often, and the culprits don’t get caught. He criticized the law and order situation, calling it “abysmal.”

4. Provincial court opposes two-finger test

On Monday, Justice Ayesha A. Malik of the Lahore High Court (LHC) said the two-finger test (i.e. hymen test or virginity test) offends the dignity of women survivors. According to Justice Malik, the test goes against the Constitution, since there are two articles that refer to security and dignity. Justice Malik also called the test discriminatory, since it’s carried out on the basis of gender. She told federal and provincial govts to make sure the tests aren’t carried out during medical-legal examinations in sexual abuse cases. A 30-page judgement said the test doesn’t have any medical basis or forensic value.

• Backstory: A few months ago, provincial health authorities in Punjab told the LHC that the medical evaluation of sexual assault survivors should no longer require the two-finger test. Two petitions against the test called it “intrusive,” “demeaning,” “inhuman,” and “violative.” The two-finger test is meant to determine whether a woman or girl has had vaginal intercourse. However, anti-test petitioners claim the test has little scientific merit. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) “the appearance of a hymen is not a reliable indication of intercourse…no known examination can prove a history of vaginal intercourse.”