Norwegian Property ASA: Norwegian Property extends lease contract with NAV in Oslo

Norwegian Property has agreed with NAV (the Norwegian Labour and Welfare organisation)
to extend the existing lease contract in Ibsenkvartalet (C.J.Hambros plass 2) for 5
years from 1 October 2011.

The lease contract comprises approximately 9 200 square meters. The extended lease
contract implies a rental uplift of approximately 14 per cent.

The extension is agreed based upon “as-is” terms, i.e. no investment obligations for the
lessor.

Director leasing and market Market Aili Klami says in a comment:

“NAV’s space in Ibsenkvartalet comprise approximately 20 per cent rental space up for
renewal in 2011. We secure a public tenant for five years on better terms. The new
contract confirms that the Oslo rental market is improving.”

For further information, please contact:

Norwegian Property ASA

Olav Line, CEO

Tel. +47 48 25 41 49

Aili Klami, director leasing and market

Tel. +47 95 26 45 55

This information is subject of the disclosure requirements acc. to §5-12 vphl (Norwegian
Securities Trading Act)

HUG#1420257

Police turn blind eye to rampant kidnapping and rape of Hindu girls in Pak’s Sindh province

Karachi, Mar.26 (ANI): A 12-year-old Hindu girl, Nandini, is still missing as police officials have failed to recover her even after four months of her being allegedly picked up by an influential individual of the city.

Officials have no information regarding Nandini’s whereabouts, who was kidnapped in December last year, and the accused named Younis has not been arrested despite the fact that there is a first information report (FIR) registered against him.

It is not an isolated case where Hindu families have been left with little choice than to lament over their fate, with no help in sight from the authorities.

Several Hindu families, which are at the receiving end of the government’s apathy, are awaiting justice for years but there’s no one to listen to their plight.

According to Roshni Research and Development Welfare Organisation (RRDWO), a non-government organisation (NGO), a research has shown in majority of cases involving the minority community, police only provide lip service and do not seriously hunt down the criminals.

The NGO’s President, Muhammad Ali, cited another case of a 17-year-old Hindu girl, who was kidnapped and raped by four men, in January this year. All the four accused were granted pre-arrest bail by a session court.

“Rape is a non-bail able offence in Pakistan and this is against criminal procedure and the law,” The Daily Times quoted Ali, as saying.

Ali said the Asian Human Rights Commission has also expressed its serious concern over the case.

“Instead of giving justice to the victim’s family, the police later arrested the victim’s father on a false offence, and have obstructed attempts by the family to file an FIR and obtain a medical report,” he added.

Ali also disclosed that an ‘illegal’ tribal court had asked the victim girl to marry her rapist and convert to Islam following which the girl had threatened public self-immolation.

“Not arresting the rapists and rather forcing a Hindu girl, who is a rape victim, to convert to Islam and be the wife of the culprit could be double trauma for the victim. It is another form of further victimising a woman,” he said.

Ali also appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to take suo moto notice of the gross human rights violations of the poor and the marginalized minorities in the Sindh province at the hands of police and lower judiciary, who are influenced by the feudal and local elite. (ANI)

JuD chief’s wife files petition challenging Hafiz Saeed’s detention

Islamabad, Mar 6 (ANI): A Pakistani court on Friday directed authorities to respond within a week to a petition filed by Jamaat- ud- Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeeds wife, Memoona Saeed, challenging the government’s decision to detain Saeed.

Justice Khurshid Anwar Bhinder of the Lahore High Court disposed of the petition on Wednesday and directed the Punjab home secretary to respond within one week to her plea.

The judge also said the authorities would face contempt of court proceedings if they failed to respond to the plea.

The petitioner submitted that the government detained her husband only to please the US and India without giving any valid reason.

Memoona said on December 12, 2008 the Lahore district coordination officer had issued detention orders for Hafiz’s detention with a note that the reasons would be mentioned later. But on January 10, the Punjab Home Department again issued two-month detention orders without giving any reason.

She claimed that Jamaatud Dawa was basically a social welfare organisation and had provided rehabilitation services to earthquake victims in Kashmir and NWFP.

A law officer of the provincial government opposed the petition and also requested the court to allow the Home Department one-month time to decide the representation of the petitioner.

The judge, however, did not accept the request and directed the Home Department to decide on the representation within one week. (ANI)

A help line for homosexuals launched in Chennai

Chennai, Feb.8 (ANI): Volunteers and associates of a non-government organization here have launched a help line for homosexuals to provide professional and emotional counselling.

The Chennai-based Indian Community Welfare Organisation (ICWO) launched the help line on Saturday.

The ICWO works for the transgenders, eunuchs, homosexuals and the marginalized sections of the society.

According to A J Hariharan, ICWO’s founder Secretary, the help line will address issues confronting homosexuals.

“We want to create some developmental programs for lesbian communities in Tamil Nadu. It will be created as a model for other States to take up. Further more, burning issues like stigma, discrimination, ill treatment and isolation because of being of same sexual orientation, have been facing a lot of violence. This help line will address these issues of lesbian community,” said Hariharan.

As for lady homosexuals, Jenni mentioned that this help line would come to the aid of others like her to come out of depression.

“We, lesbian people, are large in numbers. One can find then in families, in colleges and just about everywhere. Indian Community Welfare Organisation (ICWO) phone help line will be very helpful for lesbian women to come out of depression through proper counselling and prevent them from committing suicide. I have come out of depression. Likewise for others too this will be useful,” noted Jenni, a homosexual based in Chennai.

This help line will work from 7 a.m. till 5 p.m. throughout the week, rendering various services like counselling, emotional support and livelihood assistance to homosexuals. (ANI)