09 May 2004	Sunday	18 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

MUZAFFARABAD, May 8: AJK High Court Chief Justice Syed Manzoor Hussain Gillani held on Friday that owing to non- implementation of Juvenile Justice System Act, 2003, in Azad Kashmir , the courts already in existence have the right to try offenders who are under age in accordance with the normal procedure.

He passed this judgment while accepting a bail application of two under-16 offenders, who were booked by police under different sections of law for stealing, misusing, burning some official vehicles and then leaving them at unattended places.

Their bail application was rejected by an additional district judge, Muzaffarabad, against which they had moved the high court.

The chief justice observed that the Juvenile Justice System Act gave certain rights to offenders under 18 years of age to keep them away from habitual criminals and jail atmosphere.

The Act was in line with international standards of children rights, but it was a dead letter until the machinery envisaged by it was established and set in motion by the government, he observed.

MOU: The Azad Jammu & Kashmir government will soon be signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Dong Fang Electric Corporation of China for construction of the second phase of Jagran hydropower project in district Muzaffarabad, it was learnt on Wednesday.

The 43.5 megawatt Jagran II project would be constructed downstream of Jagran Nullah, some 80 kilometres northeast of here in the cedar-forested Neelum valley, and the Chinese firm has offered to arrange credit from the Chinese government for the project on a 'turn-key' basis, sources told Dawn here.

The Hydro Electric Board (HEB) has initiated necessary proceedings in this regard under the directions of Chief Secretary Shahid Rafi, the sources said, adding that the draft of the MoU had been sent to the Law Department for vetting and after that it would be put before Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat for approval.

SECRETARY RESIGNS: In yet another blow to Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat's government, another parliamentary secretary has resigned from his office in Azad Kashmir, it was confirmed here on Wednesday.

Mohammad Yasin Gulshan, parliamentary secretary for education, faxed his resignation to the premier from his constituency in Abbaspur on Tuesday afternoon.

He was said to be disappointed for not being elevated as minister despite promises made to him by the prime minister, sources told Dawn, quoting the lawmaker as saying that the premier had not fulfilled the commitment made to him during the recent crisis in the ruling party.

What added insult to the injury was allotment of the portfolio of education to Minister for Auqaf Chaudhry Mohammad Aziz late last month, the sources said.

When contacted, a spokesman for the prime minister confirmed that the resignation had been received.

Asked if it would be accepted, he said: "When a resignation is submitted, it should be taken as accepted."

It may be relevant to mention here that last month the resignations of four AJK ministers and a parliamentary secretary were also accepted by the prime minister at the end of a prolonged crisis in Muslim Conference.