Positive changes and achievements

One of the greatest problems in Pakistan is the availability and access to clean water. This not only limits agricultural production and industrial growth, but it is also the leading cause of disease and child mortality in the country. People, particularly in the rural areas, do not have access to clean drinking water. By resorting to drinking from the locally available water sources, the poor people are plagued with water-borne diseases, which is an immense financial burden in health care costs and also results in the loss of poor household incomes.

The High Court on 2 August ruled that only people ‘ordinarily resident’ in a constituency can vote in such constituency.  This ruling was made to civil case application lodged by a candidate against the Electoral Commission in view of the anomalies inherent of the electoral roll.

Included in the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act, H.R. 4213, congressional leaders announced this morning they would unveil new legislation to extend through the end of 2010 various tax incentives for charitable donations, including gifts made by older people from individual retirement accounts.

Based on his August 2009 ruling that the government violated KindHearts for Charitable Humanitarian Development's (KindHearts) Fourth and Fifth amendment rights in shutting it down "pending investigation" into whether it should be listed as a supporter of terrorism, Judge James Carr of the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Ohio ordered new proceedings to remedy the lack of adequate notice and opportunity to defend and freezing of assets without a warrant. 

The legal proceedings following a federal court's March 2010 ruling in Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation (AHIF) v. Obama that the government illegally wiretapped the charity and two of its lawyers from Feb. 19, 2004 to Sept. 9, 2004.

The case is the only legal challenge to Bush-era illegal surveillance programs that survived in court, because AHIF and its lawyers were able to show they had been subject to surveillance by using public records and statements. In March 2010 Chief

The Deputy Agriculture Minister designate, Roy Bennett was acquitted and freed after a ruling that the state prosecuting team failed to establish a concrete case against him.

In a move which may see transparency and accountability, finance minister Tendai Biti announced that he will name shame ministers due to the use of a staggering US$30 million by state officials within six months.

Information and Publicity Minister Webster Shamu said that the government is committed to uphold democratic principles and values for its citizens to ensure they have a right to freedom of expression at the United Nations World Press Freedom day in Harare on Monday. He said the Zimbabwe Media Commission and the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe must engage the media industry to ensure that the ideals espoused in the constitution begin to be a reality operationally and institutionally.

A pro-democracy group, The National Democratic Institute, gave one of its highest honours, The Averell Harriman Democracy Award  to the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe; Morgan Tsvangirai.  The institute recognizes individuals and groups who would have demonstrated a commitment to democracy and human rights. Prime Minister Tsvangirai received a standing ovation and was introduced to the audience by the Chairman of the NDI, Madeleine Albright, who told his story of a man working to overcome many obstacles.

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe denounced violence, urging people to desist from violent acts irrespective of political or social differences as the country marked thirty years of independence from Britain on Sunday. In a toned down speech a departure from his usual rhetoric of castigating the west at national addresses, Mugabe implored Zimbabweans to embrace national healing and reconciliation.