KPK Updates

Syed Haider Imam · Sep 13, 2015

Sep 08 ,2015

[h=1]200kw power plant inuagurated in Upper Dir

[/h]UPPER DIR: A small power house of 200 kilowatt capacity was inaugurated in Kohistan valley here the other day.
The project was completed by by Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP), a non-governmental organisation, in collaboration with the government of Germany at a total cost of Rs0.6 billion.
The Operational Commander (OC) of Pakistan army, Brigadier Ijaz Uzmat, Deputy Commissioner Upper Dir Dr Imran Hamid Sheikh, SRSP’s Regional Project Manager, Noor Ajab Khan, elders of the area and others attended the ceremony.
Regional programme officer Noor Ajab said that the residents of Bisho area were deprived from the basic facility of electricity.
He said that SRSP had taken an initiative to meet the demand of the people of Bisho to establish the power plant and they had completed the project in very short time. He said more than 4,000 people of the area would get benefit from the project.
He said that they were making more than 35 small power houses in Upper and Lower Dir and some of them had been completed and many were being completed. He said that a few of them will be completed in the month of September this year.
Deputy Commissioner Imran Hamid Sheikh said that the district administration appreciated the services of SRSP and other NGOs like it who play their role in the betterment of the area and district.
Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1205643/200kw-power-plant-inuagurated-in-upper-dir

[h=1]PTI activists block KKH to seek Khattak, Swati’s expulsion

[/h]MANSEHRA: The disgruntled leaders and workers of PTI Batagram chapter on Monday blocked the Karakoram Highway for over two hours to demand expulsion of Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and Senator Azam Khan Swati from the party for what they claimed defying party in the recent nazim elections.
“Now the days of dirty politics and conspiracies of Mr Khattak and Swati are over. They should be expelled from the party as both caused the party’s defeat in nazim and naib nazim elections in many districts of the province during the final electoral round,” PTI Batagram leader Naeem Shaheen told protesters.
Saeed Khan and Ajab Khan also spoke on the occasion.
Holding banners, shouting slogans and carrying coffins of the chief minister and Azam Swati, protesters marched through streets.

[h=4]Threaten sit-in outside Imran Khan’s house if demand not met[/h]

They later burnt effigies of Pervez Khattak and Azam Swati and demanded that PTI chairman Imran Khan expel them.
They warned they would continue protesting until their demand was met.
“We won’t tolerate the black sheep in party anymore. If they’re not expelled from the party within 10 days, we’ll stage a sit-in outside the house of Imran Khan in Islamabad,” Naeem Shaheen said.
The PTI leader said party workers in Batagram were denied tickets in the recent nazim and naib nazim elections leading to the party’s defeat in many districts, including Mansehra.
“All tickets in wards were awarded to local elders instead of party workers in Batagram district. And when workers protested, the tickets of district and Allai and Batagram tehsils were also awarded to elders. Now, we have no option but to protest,” he said.
Speaking on occasion, Saeed Khan said the people of Batagram had buried the ‘politics of Khans’ but such people were dominating local policies due to the ‘dirty politics’ played by Pervez Khattak and Azam Swati.
“We had opposed the awarding tickets to so-called elders for elections but our voice was ignored. Now, we will not sit calmly and raise voice against Pervez Khattak and Azam Swati at all available forums,” he said.
Another PTI leader Ajab Khan said Imran Khan was the only role model for party workers, who would continue following him.
He said workers were in streets to expose so-called party leaders

http://www.dawn.com/news/1205649/pti-activists-block-kkh-to-seek-khattak-swatis-expulsion

[h=1]UNDP rehabilitates 31 Dir schools
[/h]TIMERGARA: The United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) has rehabilitated 31 schools in Lower Dir under its Refugee Affected and Housing Area project.
This was stated by UNDP country chief Mark Andre Franche while inaugurating schools in Tabbu and Kamar Kotkay areas on Sunday.
Lower Dir District Development Advisory Committee chairman Saeed Gul, Qaumi Watan Party leader Bakht Baidar Khan, Pakistan Army’s Major Kashif, Balambat tehsil nazim Imranuddin and district councillor Abdullah Shah addressed the functions, where Raha provincial programme manager Shukriya Syed, Maidan assistant commissioner Hikmatullah Wazir, local elders, elected representatives and government officials were in attendance.
The UNDP country chief said two additional rooms at Government Primary School, Tabbu, would be constructed at a cost of Rs2 million, while Rs2.1 million would be spent to build one-kilometer Kamar Kotkay Road.

[h=4]Urges women’s participation in development process[/h]

He said the UNDP had executed 3,390 projects in the country with the financial support of European Union through local communities in order to enable them to help the government in their development.
Mark Andre asked participants to help women participate in the development and decision-making process and ensure that girls get education.
He said under the UNDP Raha programme, 31 damaged schools were rehabilitated in Lower Dir, while electricity, clean drinking water, road, water, olive tree plantation and healthcare projects had been executed.
Local elders and lawmakers demanded that the UNDP extend Raha project for two years.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1205644/undp-rehabilitates-31-dir-schools

[h=1]Two held in Khar after seizure of explosives

http://www.dawn.com/news/1205647/two-held-in-khar-after-seizure-of-explosives

[/h][h=1]Govt to give legal cover to police reforms: CM

[/h]PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said here on Monday that government would provide legal cover to the reforms, initiated in police department.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of Police School of Information Technology at Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines, he said that government would enact necessary legislation to institutionalise police reforms. He said that government would notify specialised schools, set up during the current government. He also announced to set up a directorate of training in police department.
Mr Khattak said that government provided funds for establishment of 100 police reporting rooms across the province. By the end of the incumbent government tenure, all police stations of the province would have modern reporting rooms, he added.
The chief minister said that government would also extend traffic warden service to Abbottabad and Swat. He said that police personnel should also be imparted training to deal with public in a courteous manner.

[h=4]Announces to set up a directorate of training in police department[/h]

Speaking on the occasion, IGP Nasir Khan Durrani said that previously province had capacity to train 600 to 700 police recruits out of annual intake of over 2,000 personnel.
He said that two more training centres were set up to cater to the needs of remaining number of police personnel. He said that promotion in police department was linked with acquiring new skills and specialised trainings.
The IGP said that police recently started junior command course wherein officers were getting three months training at National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA).
He said that police personnel issuing traffic ticket would have to record the entire conversation with driver through the video camera. In case of complaint, the policeman not having the exchange on video would be deemed as doing wrong, he added.
The IGP urged the chief minister to institutionalise the reforms process in police department so that it should not be reverted later. He said that police needed a directorate of training.
Naveed Gul, director information technology, briefed the participants about the IT related initiatives started in the police department. He said that police had far digitised about a million FIRs, while in total about 1,356, 727 records were put in digital form.
Peshawar Police Chief Mubarak Zeb said that the aim of the school was to train police personnel in field of information technology so that the province could have skilled force for IT-based initiatives.
Chief Minister also visited the canine unit of the police and inspected two explosives scanners provided by the federal government.
Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1205648/govt-to-give-legal-cover-to-police-reforms-cm

[h=1]

[/h]

Syed Haider Imam · Sep 13, 2015

Sep 09 2015

Uplift work in full swing in Galyat

PESHAWAR: The Galyat Development Authority (GDA) is working in three shifts to complete the construction and repair of roads in the scenic tourist destination of Galyat.
This was stated by GDA director Raza Ali Habib while briefing tourism and youth affairs secretary Mohammad Azam Khan, who is also the authority’s director general, according to a press release issued by the department here on Tuesday.
The official said that roads between the tourist resorts of Nathiagali and Ayubia had been widened. He said that 80 per cent construction work on other roads would be completed by Nov 30.
“Eleven of the 17 small and medium roads in four serene spots in Ayubia, Khanaspur, Nathiagali and Changlagali are near completion,” he said. The repair and renovation work of chairlift is also in full swing to make it functional next week. The chairlift was built in 1964 and since then no major repair work had been done.
After the repair of chairlift, the tourists would be able to enjoy ride between the scenic spots. The director also said that GDA would launch another cleanliness campaign from Sept 14 in which garbage on 30km road from Baragali to Barian would be disposed of. He said that additional sanitation staff had been hired for the purpose. A cleanliness campaign held already been held in Nathiagali, Ayubia and Changlagali.
The official said that owners of hotels had been warned to keep their surroundings clean, or else their hotels would be sealed. In this regard, an agreement was also signed with the hotels, while the local population in six Galyat townships extended full support to the government in this initiative.
The statement said that soon after taking over charge of GDA the new management had launched uplift projects in Galyat to facilitate tourists and local population.
Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1205856/uplift-work-in-full-swing-in-galyat

KP assembly speaker strips assembly secretary of powers

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar has stripped the assembly secretary of his administrative and financial powers in a spat over recruitments and other issues.
In a hasty move, the speaker immediately created a parallel office of secretary by upgrading the post of additional secretary and handed him over all financial and administrative powers enjoyed by the secretary.
Sources said the secretary had refused to create certain posts and appoint an assistant, who didn’t apply for the said position, which led to the tug of war between the speaker and secretary.
A notification was issued by the speaker’s office stating: “in anticipation of approval by the relevant finance committee, the speaker is pleased to upgrade and re-designate the post held by Nasrullah Khan Khattak, additional secretary (administration), from BPS-19 to the post of secretary (administration, finance, and accounts) in BPS-20 and is promoted against the said post.”

Row over recruitments, other administrative issues behind the move

In line with the notification, the secretary will look after matters related to legislation and meetings of the public accounts committee although the secretary has been declared the principal accounting officer of the assembly’s secretariat.
Official sources said contrary to Rule 4 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province Provincial Assembly Secretariat (Recruitment) Rules, 1974, the speaker had not received the assent of the relevant finance committee for introducing the new secretary post.
Sources said serious difference persisted between the speaker and Assembly’s secretary Amanullah Khan for quite some time over certain issues related to fresh recruitments and finances of the assembly.
They said in the past, the secretary had twice asked for long leave insisting he could not work under the existing environment.
In one of the communications, which took place between the speaker and the secretary, the former said: “I, the undersigned being the authority, have strong reservations on the official business, especially the administrative and financial matters of the assembly secretariat, as on a number of occasions, whenever, I asked for some urgent nature administrative and financial arrangements in the public interests, my orders were not compiled for.
“As a result, the secretariat was put in an embarrassing situation. I feel the secretary, in addition to his primary duty of legislation, attending the assembly sessions, meetings of PAC and other standing committees, has also to deal with files on administrative and financial matters, which has put extra burden on him.”
Interestingly, the speaker’s correspondence didn’t specify any order allegedly not complied with and impliedly the powers of the secretary being illegally interfered, unfairly and unjustly curtailed.
“If any order was not implemented, there might be some legal justification and the same might have been brought to the notice of the authority, as was done in the creation of the post of assistant transport officer and induction of Baqar Sardar of Swabi and the recent filling of one post of assistant,” said an official while replying to the speaker’s charges.
Sources said the process to fill the post of the assistant was conducted in a transparent manner but it was cancelled as a resident of Swabi, Uzair, who did not apply for the post, was not placed in the merit list.
Sources said Secretary Amanullah had also turned down a proposal to create from 15 to 20 posts of various categories during the local body elections campaign in light of the Supreme Court orders.
An official of the assembly said under Rule 3 of the recruitment rules, there should be a secretariat headed by the secretary.
He said there was no room in the rules for the post of another secretary and that for creating
the same or upgrading another post to that level, the rules had to be amended for which the approval of the governor was required.
Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1205866/kp-assembly-speaker-strips-assembly-secretary-of-powers

Women physiotherapists being appointed in hospitals|

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has planned to appoint female physiotherapists in the public sector hospitals to provide physical therapy services to the women suffering from different kinds of pain.
“We are going to induct women physiotherapists to cope with the women patients. In our society, women patients prefer to be examined by female health providers,” secretary health Mushtaq Jadoon told a seminar held in connection with the World Physiotherapy Day at the Khyber Union Hall, Islamia College University, on Tuesday.
Pakistan Physiotherapists Association organised the event to highlight the importance of physical therapy services.
Mr Jadoon said that the government had already extended the physiotherapy facilities to the 25 district headquarter hospitals where equipment had been installed. He said that 20 physiotherapists were being recruited for the purpose.
He said that physiotherapy played an important role in rehabilitation of the patients who underwent treatment from physicians, surgeons as well as gynaecologists.
The PC-1 for physiotherapy services will be revised to induct females and benefit the women patients, he said.
On this occasion, presentations were made by experts, highlighting the role of physiotherapy in treatment of various diseases. Dr Mahboobur Rehman, chairman board of directors Pakistan Physiotherapy Association, said that the number of physiotherapists would be increased to reach all the patients. He said that physiotherapy had a vital role right from the intensive care unit medical rehabilitation to prevention of disabilities.
He said that there were around 100 physiotherapists in Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, while in KP their number was one or two in the teaching hospitals due to which they faced problems to prevent the physical disabilities and ensure quality health services.
The event was attended by physiotherapists from Islamabad, Lahore and Abbottabad. Prof Asghar Khan from Ripha University, Islamabad, Mohammad Ilyas of KP Paraplegic Centre, Prof Mohammad Arif and Dr Javaid Ghani also spoke on the occasion.
Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1205850/women-physiotherapists-being-appointed-in-hospitals

Syed Haider Imam · Sep 13, 2015

Sep 10 2015

PA speaker issues production order for Ziaullah Afridi

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar has issued production order for detained minister Ziaullah Afridi to attend the assembly session on Thursday.
The production order was issued on Wednesday wherein the secretary home and tribal affairs department and inspector general of police had been directed to hand over the detained minister to sergeant-at-arms on Thursday and Friday to attend the sittings.
The provincial Ehtesab Commission had arrested minister for minerals Ziaullah Afridi on July 9 on the charges of misusing his authority and allowing illegal mining in different areas. He has been shifted to Central Jail Peshawar after judicial remand. Presently, he is in medico-legal ward of Lady Reading Hospital.
The order said that Mr Afridi had requested on Aug 4 for production to attend the session and the Speaker considered his presence in the session appropriate.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Rule 65 A of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Procedure and Conduct of Business Rules, 1988, the Speaker has been pleased to summon Ziaullah Afridi to attend the sittings to be held on September 10 and 11 at 3pm,” the order said.
Afridi had accused Chief Minister Pervez Khattak of implicating him in false cases because he was opposing his policies. Opposition benches had demanded of the Speaker to issue production order of Mr Afridi.
Sources said that several lawmakers of the treasury and opposition had held meetings with the detained minister and sought commitments. They said that production order had been issued on the condition that he would not speak against the chief minister on the assembly floor.
Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1206070/pa-speaker-issues-production-order-for-ziaullah-afridi

PA Secretariat denies spat over appointments

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has clarified that the speaker has the legitimate authority to create jobs, make appointments or introduce new job categories in anticipation of the approval of the Finance Committee, which has to formally okay them in six months time.
A spokesman for the Assembly Secretariat said there had been no bone of contention on any matter related to the appointments made to the secretariat.
“If any, there has always been mechanism set forth for the creation or transfer of posts among the different sections of the assembly secretariat, where all the previous speakers have exercised their
power entrust upon them by the articles of the Constitution implemented equally by the provincial Assembly Secretariat other than the senate of Pakistan and the National Assembly Secretariat.”
The spokesman said the context of the decision was that over the period of time where the house’s strength had gradually increased from 40 first to 83 and later to 124 coupled with the expanded concurrent legislation after 18th Constitutional Amendment gradually demanded strengthening of the Assembly Secretariat and capacity building of the staff.
He however said necessary strengthening proposals might be considered by the competent authority in the due course of time, nevertheless, in the current situation, the speaker had no other choice but to manipulate the existing staff and redistribute their responsibilities.
“The concurrent steps were taken to bifurcate administrative, financial and legislative functions to reduce the burden on the secretary provincial assembly till such date and time where a qualified formula had been set out to create new posts to cater for expanded load with in the Assembly Secretariat after the 18th amendment, if required.”
The spokesman said the speaker of the provincial assembly had classified powers to make necessary stopgap arrangements to run the Assembly Secretariat in the best interest of the requirements of the parliamentarians and Assembly Secretariat in general.
Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1206059/pa-secretariat-denies-spat-over-appointments

Syed Haider Imam · Sep 13, 2015

Sep 11 2015

Health facilities sealed, closed over unhygienic conditions in Swabi

SWABI: The administration on Thursday sealed operation theatres of some private health centers in Swabi’s district headquarters and closed down several laboratories and clinics over unhygienic conditions and unqualified staff.
The development comes two weeks after the administration asked private health facilities to immediately ensure strict compliance with the relevant laws.
Deputy commissioner Matiullah Khan told Dawn that a party led by additional deputy commissioner Irshad Khan raided several health centres and clinical laboratories.
He warned that private hospitals and clinics would face strict action if they didn’t adhere to the healthcare laws.
The deputy commissioner said quacks won’t be allowed to operate in the district.
He said operation theaters of Jehangir Medical Centre and Misal Medical Centre were sealed, while Manzoor Eye Clinic, Abdullah Vaccination Centre and Laboratory, Ilaj Homeopathic Centre, collection unit of Al-Shifa International, and Jamal Medical Centre Laboratory were closed down over unqualified staff and unhygienic conditions.
Matiullah Khan said the sealed facilities would have to fulfil formalities on staff, equipment and services before seeking permission to resume operation.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1206302/health-facilities-sealed-closed-over-unhygienic-conditions-in-swabi

Strategy chalked out to increase tax collection

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Medium Term Inclusive Growth Strategy 2015-18 is aimed at making substantial efforts by the provincial government for generating revenue to increase provincial tax from the current 0.47 per cent to about 0.8 per cent.
Titled ‘Reclaiming prosperity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’, the strategy, prepared by the planning and development (P&D) department, asks the provincial government to take concrete measures to increase the province’s own revenue.
It says that tax revenue of the province stood at Rs13 billion in 2013-14, about 0.47 per cent of province’s GDP.
The strategy paper identifies federal receipts as main source of the province’s revenue because its share in the divisible pool of tax revenue was 14.62 per cent. In 2013-14, federal tax assignments of Rs184 billion, straight transfers of Rs29 billion, Rs 22 billion in lieu of one per cent of federal divisible on account of war against terrorism and Rs25 billion arrears under the head of hydel profit accounted for major chunk of Rs322 billion revenue of the province.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1206301/strategy-chalked-out-to-increase-tax-collection

Over 2,000 litres of crude oil seized in Kohat

KOHAT: The Gumbat police seized an oil tanker carrying over 2,000 litres of crude oil from Kamar village here to Rawalpindi and arrested two smugglers on Thursday.
Gumbat police SHO Ghulam Murtaza told Dawn that the Kamar area was rich in oil from where the smugglers dug the ground with improvised methods and filled the crude oil to sell it in Punjab market. He said that the police team stopped the oil tanker (IDC-3116) at Chorlakki village and upon questioning the driver could not give any satisfactory answer to a question that whether he was carrying the oil of a company.
During checking the police found 2,200 litres of oil from the tanker and arrested Jamroz Khan, a resident of Upper Dir, and Omer Baksh belonging to Peshawar.
He said that the police had seized over 6,000 litres of crude oil in a month and arrested 10 smugglers who were sent to Kohat prison.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1206299/over-2000-litres-of-crude-oil-seized-in-kohat

281 govt employees suspended over absence from duty

KARAK: District nazim Dr Umar Daraz Khattak on Thursday suspended the services of 281 employees of health and water supply projects over absence from duty and directed the relevant officials to terminate their services if they didn’t give satisfactory reply on the matter.
The development comes during the surprise visit of the nazim to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Takht-i-Nusrati along with district health officer Rasool Jan.
Of the 200 staff members, only one doctor and few employees were found present on duty. Medical superintendent Dr Mohammad Ishfaq was also absent from work. Dr Umar Daraz also asked officials to ensure the immediate functioning of the hospital’s operation theatre.
During surprise visits, he suspended 35 staff members of Latamber Civil Hospital, four of Dabb Basic Health Unit, seven of Latamber water filtration plant and 23 of Zebi Dam Project over absence from duty.
Orders were also issued for the suspension of water filtration plant supervisor Sabir Siddique and sub-divisional public health officer Mohammad Asif.
The nazim said he would ensure action against officials habitually absenting themselves from duty.
He said staff shortage and absenteeism were a big hurdle to healthcare in the district.
Dr Umar Daraz said the annual non-developmental budget of education department in the district was Rs2 billion, of health Rs1.5 billion and of public health and communication and works Rs700 million but the performance of the relevant staff was almost zero.
Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1206291/281-govt-employees-suspended-over-absence-from-duty

Govt facing resistance in regulating private hospitals

that big and small hospitals teamed up to foil government’s move to check their operations and notify their rates for the general public. According to them, currently, consultation’s fee of doctors ranges from Rs500 to Rs5000 and there is no fixed rate for different surgeries being performed at the private outlets. One general surgeon charged Rs20,000 for an appendix operation and another took Rs80, 000, sources said.

They said that rates for getting operated upon are negotiable. The patients paid to surgeons and the hospitals where they were operated upon, they added.

Private health outlets not ready to enlist themselves as they don’t want to cut their income

“The doctors associated with super specialties, like neuro surgery, paediatrics cardiology and surgery, laparoscopy and orthopedics etc charge more as they are few while number of patients seeking their consultation is far more,” said sources.
The HCC law, passed by the assembly, is currently in transitional stage at implementation level as the 10-member Board of Governors, in consultation with senior professors is in the process to categorise the services being offered at the private sector hospitals on the basis of facilities they offer to the patients.
“There is no ICU and CCU in the Dabgari Gardens, which houses 80 per cent of the city’s private medical infrastructure,” said a senior consultant.
He said that the government’s drive to regulate the private healthcare was facing resistance because people earned from patients without giving them appropriate facilities but they had to obey the law.
Dr Mohammad Zafar, a former director-general health, who heads the Board of Directors formed under the HCC law, told Dawn that facilities and clinics were being categorised as A, B, C and D on the basis of which they would receive fee from the patients for different services.
He said that there was resistance but they were setting up criteria to set standards for information of patients.
“For example, a lady health worker will be allowed to perform only normal deliveries at home or clinic and refer the risky ones to the nearest hospitals for proper management,” he said.
Dr Zafar said that rules and regulations currently being framed were aimed at enforcing the HCC, which would also cover homeopathic and Hakims, etc.
“The commission will notify the names of private hospitals, their rates, facilities and qualification of doctors after we collect the province-wide data,” he added.
Dr Zafar said that private hospital would not allow to operate without laboratory, blood bank and medicine store. “Private sector isn’t ready to reduce its earnings but it is a gradual process and they will complement government’s move to improve patients’ care,” he said.
He said that protecting patients’ rights and sanctity of medical profession through observance of ethics was at the core of the plan. Only standard laboratories, like Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital Lahore and Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi or others willing to fulfil the prescribe criteria would get licences to operate, he said.
Senior doctors, however, said that government had also notified a fee structure in 2003 under which consultants had to receive fee according to their seniorities but they couldn’t comply and continued high charges from patients due to lack of a mechanism. “Contrary to that notification, the HCC appears a comprehensive law,” they said.
Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1206293/govt-facing-resistance-in-regulating-private-hospitals

CM patronising mining mafias, alleges ex-minister

PESHAWAR: Former provincial minister Ziaullah Afridi, who has been arrested on corruption charges, on Thursday launched a tirade against Chief Minister Pervez Khattak in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and accused him of patronising ‘illegal mining mafias’.
He reiterated that the provincial Ehtesab Commission had implicated him in false corruption cases on the directives of Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and that he was being victimised on political grounds.
The former minister said his case was very important for the province, his party and the government.
“I am not afraid of accountability but it should be transparent and requirements of justice should be fulfilled,” he said.
Chief Minister Pervez Khattak was not present in the house.

Ziaullah reiterates he’s been implicated in false corruption cases

Ziaullah, who had held portfolio of mines and mineral development, was produced in the session on the orders of Speaker Asad Qaisar.
“I will face all allegations in the court of law and will prove myself to be innocent,” he said, requesting PTI chairman Imran Khan to call a meeting of the party’s core committee to let him (Ziaullah) plead his case.
The former minister also appealed to the chief justice of the Peshawar High Court to take notice of his victimisation.
He alleged that he was shifted from medico-legal ward of Lady Reading Hospital to jail on the directives of health minister Shah Ram Tarakai.
The Ehtesab Commission had arrested him on charges of misuse of powers and authorising illegal mining in the province on July 9.
He has been implicated in four cases of leasing out mining in different parts of the province.
The government and opposition benches began thumping desks when the sergeant-at-arms brought him to the sitting.
His supporters beat drums outside the assembly’s building.
Ziaullah came down heavily on Chief Minister Khattak, provincial police officer Nasir Khan Durrani, few ministers, Ehtesab Commission director general Lt-Gen (r) Hamid Khan and his team members, who had interrogated the former minister in custody.
He alleged that few members of the provincial cabinet were involved in narcotics smuggling and illegal timber business.
“It is beyond my comprehension why the Ehtesab Commission has singled out the mining department for corruption cases. A minister and special assistant to the chief minister have been involved in smuggling of timber but the commission didn’t initiate inquiry against them,” he said.
The former minister said three senior officers of the forest department had been suspended on corruption charges but nobody had been arrested so far.
He asked the chair if he thought that the chief minister and his special assistant were not involved in timber smuggling.
Ziaullah, who was elected MPA on the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf ticket from Peshawar, said certain elements in the party disliked him and even opposed allotment of ticket to him to contest general elections.
He said conspiracies were hatched against him after he along with another PTI MPA Qurban Ali Khan raided a mine in Mamakhel area of Nowshera district and registered FIR.
The chief minister also belongs to Nowshera.
“Majority of the people involved in illegal mining belongs to the chief minister’s constituency, mostly in Manki Sharif. An influential person, who has been the front man of Pervez Khattak since 1985, is involved in the unauthorised mining,” he alleged, adding that 97 FIRs against illegal mining had been registered in Nowshera.
The former minister said the mining department had lodged a total of 714 FIRs and diaries against illegal miners but the police didn’t take action.
He said under the law, the relevant department could only register an FIR and inform the police.
Ziaullah also criticised provincial police chief Nasir Khan Durrani and declared him ‘the most inefficient officer’ who just talked and didn’t take action.
He said the police chief was claiming credit for introducing registration of online FIR in the province, but he was so inefficient that his department was unable to take action on hundreds of original FIRs registered against illegal miners.
The former minister claimed that the cement industry was also behind his arrest as he had launched a drive against industrialists involved in illegal mining.
He said Ehtesab Commission DG Hamid Khan had refused to meet him despite many requests though he (Hamid) had a meeting with another corruption suspect.
Ziaullah said the officers, who investigated him, belonged to Nowshera and that soon after arrest, his pictures were uploaded on social media.
“There is no such precedent in the past to upload pictures of an arrested man on social media,” he said.
Minister Shah Farman said revision of the Ehtesab law was in progress to remove flaws from it and that there should be no defamation of anyone and the accountability process should be carried out fairly.
“We don’t want to victimise anyone or allow the use of accountability as a character assassination tool against lawmakers. The process of accountability is very important. The ruling party has arrested its own minister on corruption,” he said.
The minister said Ziaullah’s complaints and reservations about the accountability process would be taken care of.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1206286/cm-patronising-mining-mafias-alleges-ex-minister

PA again brought within purview of RTI law

PESHAWAR: Following a great deal of pressure from the opposition parties, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Thursday incorporated an amendment to bring the provincial assembly within the purview of the Right to Information (RTI) Act which had previously been omitted when the law was passed in June.
The amendment was passed by the assembly in its session held under Speaker Asad Qaisar. The amendment to delete Section 3 of the RTI and bring the provincial assembly under the law was passed after scathing criticism from rival political parties and civil society groups, who argued that the law should be implemented across the board.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran had taken serious notice of the situation with regard to the law and had directed his party-led government to include the assembly in the Act immediately. The amendment said that it was desirable to amend the KP Right to Information Act 2015 to add again the secretariat of the provincial assembly, along with its members and the assembly itself.
The controversial bill was passed three months ago despite staunch opposition. Even the chief minister and cabinet members were unhappy over the move to exclude the assembly from the Act due to which a new amendment was made to allow the RTI to cover the speaker, assembly’s secretariat and its members.
Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1206287/pa-again-brought-within-purview-of-rti-law

Vitamin_C · Sep 13, 2015

How is the progress in the Primary education sector?

Syed Haider Imam · Sep 13, 2015

Sep 12 2015

Crackdown on fake food, spurious drugs launched

PESHAWAR: In order to ensure good governance, the district administration has begun a campaign to check the sale of fake food items and spurious medicines and control profiteering in Peshawar by involving the local community.
Peshawar deputy commissioner Riaz Khan Mehsud told reporters in his office here on Friday that after receiving complaints of encroachments, sale of spurious medicines, exploitation of motorists by filling station owners, the administration had launched a multi-sectoral campaign to address the problems.
He said there were complaints about unprecedented increase in fee by private educational institutions and therefore, a meeting of parents and school owners had been called at Nishtar Hall on Sept 14 to find an amicable solution to the issue.

Peshawar DC says parents, private school owners called over surge in fee

The deputy commissioner said private schools were charging parents at will to the misery of the people, especially those from low-income groups.
He said a modern slaughterhouse would be established in the capital city at the cost of Rs2.5 billion to ensure supply of quality meat to the people.
Mehsud said the administration had cleared 500 kanals of land valuing Rs2 billion from encroachments in University Town, Hayatabad, GT Road and Gulbahar areas during the past over two months by demolishing 5000 shops and structures. He said market committees had been formed in the city, 36 alone in Hayatabad Township, to check profiteering and encroachments.
The deputy commissioner said the categorisation and fixation of rates for men’s tailors, launch of SMS complaint system, pages on social media and SOPs and grading of food outlets were the steps taken by the administration to encourage people to ensure action against profiteers and hoarders.
He said during the last 45 days, over Rs7.75 million fines had been levied, while hundreds of lawbreakers were sent to prison.
“In the history of Peshawar, we for the first time launched a special hygiene campaign during which quality of food sold by PC, KFC, Pizza Hut, Jan’s Arcade, A2Z Mart, Hyper Mall and K&N were checked,” he said.
Mehsud said Pepsi, Euro Foods, Sufi Foods and Stanley Foods factories were also checked for quality control and that SOPs were being made for eateries and food factories.
About the sale of spurious medicines, he said 27 clinics had been sealed in Khyber Bazaar and seven godowns in Namakmandi, while more than 100 people had been arrested for selling fake, expired and not-for-sale medicines to patients.
When asked about the smuggling of animals to Afghanistan, the deputy commissioner said the transportation of animals had been banned under Section 144 and that 28 smugglers had been arrested.
He said the establishment of Eidul Azha cattle markets would not be allowed in urban localities.
Mehsud said during the campaign, all relevant departments remained on board to avoid legal complications.
He said 37 petrol pumps were inspected for overcharging customers or having less calibrated scale.
The deputy commissioner said a fine of Rs1.2 million was imposed on such pumps.
On the occasion, additional deputy commissioner Osama Warraich said 25 people were held after seizure of 3,000 cans of melted animal fats in Chamkani area on Thursday.
Published in Dawn September 12th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1206468/crackdown-on-fake-food-spurious-drugs-launched

Alleged terrorist held in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: The Counter Terrorism Department on Friday claimed to have arrested a terrorist involved in the firing on a PIA plane in 2014 from Ring Road here.
A statement issued here said that the arrest was made on a tip-off from a civilian intelligence agency. It identified the arrested suspect as Noor Mohammad, a resident of Amangarh, Nowshera district.
It said that during initial investigations, the suspect admitted that he was involved in firing on a passenger aircraft landing at Bacha Khan International Airport Peshawar on June 26, 2014. A woman was killed in the firing incident. According to the statement, the suspect was also involved in attacks on security forces, kidnapping and killing of officials and extortion. It said that the suspect belonged to a banned outfit.
Published in Dawn September 12th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1206479/alleged-terrorist-held-in-peshawar

jagga9 · Sep 13, 2015

I dont know why KPK govt is not publishing department wise GOALS and associated milestones.

For each milestone why cant you then evaluate your performance?

Lets make it education, damns, health?????

For example if PTI govt promised 1000 small damns, why cant we have milestones each month or quarterly updates?

Vitamin_C · Sep 13, 2015

I agree, instead of having one post with everything bunched together. It would be a better to a have a different thread for each of the departments, with clear heading, date and summary.
Hope someone would volunteer to copy relevant the posts from here and paste it in the new organized threads.
Salute to @Syed Haider Imam for this great work.

jagga9 said:
I dont know why KPK govt is not publishing department wise GOALS and associated milestones.

For each milestone why cant you then evaluate your performance?

Lets make it education, damns, health?????

For example if PTI govt promised 1000 small damns, why cant we have milestones each month or quarterly updates?

Syed Haider Imam · Sep 16, 2015

Academic help: Govt plans to set up 500 computer labs in schools

PESHAWAR: The K-P elementary and secondary education department plans to set up 500 computer laboratories in high schools and higher secondary schools.
Insiders familiar with the matter told The Express Tribune the department has sought insights and suggestions on the new scheme from IT professionals and educational institutes.
“The provincial government had established 339 IT labs worth Rs500 million in 2014-15,” the department’s chief planning officer, Idrees Azam, told The Express Tribune on Tuesday. “Since the project was successful, the government has planned to set up more labs in government high and higher secondary schools across the province.”
Open for all
According to Azam, the government has approved Rs1.5 billion to cover the cost of setting up the labs. He said the facility will be available for all teachers and students, including those pursuing PhD and MPhil programmes.

“The labs will remain open during school hours,” the chief planning officer said. “They will also remain open during the evenings and no fee will be charged for accessing these labs.”
According to details, there will be 16 computers in each laboratory.
The government will appoint teachers to help students access this facility.
“More IT teachers will also be appointed,” he said.
Catalyst for change
Senior Subject Specialist Salar Aslam Tariq lauded the initiative, saying it will serve as a catalyst of change insofar as the facility is properly utilised.
He added there are schools were computer laboratories are being used and the government has even appointed teachers for the subject on contractual basis.
“Nowadays, computers are an important requirement for education,” he said. “Through this initiative, students and teachers will become computer-literate and will be able to use technology for constructive purposes.”
Tariq suggested teachers should be appointed on the basis of merit.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 19[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/940403/academic-help-govt-plans-to-set-up-500-computer-labs-in-schools/

Afternoon shift: Government, TCF join hands to run schools

PESHAWAR: As many as five government-owned girls primary schools in Nowshera will now run in two shifts thanks to the collaboration between the government and The Citizens Foundation.

According to a handout issued on Wednesday, the two parties signed an MoU at the Chief Minister Secretariat in the presence of CM Pervez Khattak and Minister for Education Muhammad Atif Khan. The NGO was represented by its cofounder
Ateeq Riaz.
According to the agreement, TCF will be responsible for the afternoon shifts at schools for which it will not charge any fee from the students. It will also provide for running costs like salaries of teachers and staffers and follow the curriculum approved by the government. The schools will have a well-trained teacher for every 30 students.
Chairing a meeting in this connection earlier, Khattak lauded TCF’s efforts for promoting education in underprivileged areas and directed the Education department to help the organisation look into prospects of further collaboration throughout the province.
Khattak asked the department to complete under-construction schools at the earliest and provide their information to TCF for feasibility surveys. He offered the foundation vacant hostel buildings of different colleges across the province to set up new educational institutions.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 20[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/941204/afternoon-shift-government-tcf-join-hands-to-run-schools/

Institutional mismanagement: NAB arrests culprits for embezzling royalty funds

PESHAWAR: NAB K-P arrested former Chitral divisional forest officer Gulzarur Rehman, Chitral District Council member Prince Khalid Pervez, Noor Shahideen, Rehmat Karim and Malak Shaye on Wednesday on charges of embezzling millions of rupees.

According to the policy of the provincial forest department, forest royalty is created to provide funds to concessionists – locals whose forest lands are taken by the government. These funds are to be distributed equally among the concessionists of the locality through the Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC).
Read: NAB arrests former PESCO chief
However, Noor Shahideen, created a fake JFMC and fraudulently made himself the chairman. The accused, later on, diverted an amount of Rs76 million through complex bank transactions and pocketed the amount.
On the complaint of concessionists of the royalty who were deprived of their fair share of money, NAB initiated an enquiry and arrested the culprits who will be produced before an accountability court in Peshawar.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 21[SUP]st[/SUP], 2015.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/941987/...rrests-culprits-for-embezzling-royalty-funds/

Job quota for minorities increased to 5%

ABBOTABAD: Minister for Information Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani said the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has increased the job quota for minorities from 0.2% to 5%.
Speaking at the prize distribution ceremony for students who passed their intermediate exams with flying colours at the Abbottabad Presbyterian Church, Ghani said minorities have equally contributed towards the creation and well-being of the country.

He said the government is working towards bringing them into the mainstream by granting them rights at par with all other citizens. Ghani said the people of the country are all united on a single platform. “Mosques, churches and temples are all not spared by the terrorists,” he said. “I urge you to join hands with the government in fighting militancy and exhibit the same spirit you showed at the time of Pakistan’s creation.” About the steps taken by the government in this regard, he said security will be augmented and CCTV cameras will be installed at all places of worship.
Ghani said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will not be forming district governments in all areas and that every district will get its due share of development funds.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 24[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/943514/...-for-minorities-increased-to-5-peshawar-city/

Syed Haider Imam · Sep 16, 2015

Putting foot down: 500 VIPs ticketed within 10 days

PESHAWAR: In an unusual development on the roads of the provincial capital, around 500 VIPs have been fined for violating traffic rules over the past 10 days.
The rapid response squad of traffic police was established to keep tabs on high-performance vehicles like XLIs, pickups and SUVs zipping through the city’s streets. These vehicles are often used by government officials, politicos, servicemen and other VIPs. They were seldom fined in the past as locals blamed traffic cops for taking down the poor alone.

The squad has seemingly proved to be true to its name.
“If we turn a blind eye towards the traffic violations of VIPs and fine ordinary citizens alone, it means that our new traffic warden system is of no practical use,” said an official of the traffic police, adding this is the reason why IGP Nasir Khan Durrani issued directives in this regard.
“The squad’s four sub-inspectors have been provided with cars, video cameras as well as pen-cameras and on-the-spot payment machines. The squad also has a traffic education mobile at its disposal,” he said, adding that in the past 10 days 500 VIPs, including MPAs, judges, lawyers, commissioners, bureaucrats and army officers, have been ticketed.
“The SIs are required to record the entire process of dealing with traffic violators on their pen cameras so that no one can blame or question the ticket at a later stage. They have also been asked to use cameras to record the violations so that the video tapes can be used as evidence.” The official said the squad will not deal with buses, rickshaws, motorbikes and light-duty vehicles.
“They collect fines on the spot and issue a receipt to the vehicle owner. So far the most common violations found have been the use of tinkered glass, use of mobile phones during driving and avoiding the use of seat belts,” he said. “The VIPs had to pay fines between Rs200 and 600. The squad has been deployed in areas where traffic wardens have been appointed.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/946689/putting-foot-down-500-vips-ticketed-within-10-days/

Troubleshooting: Tarakai to meet LRH administration on Monday

PESHAWAR: Minister for Health Shahram Tarakai has called for a meeting with the administration of Lady Reading Hospital to discuss the grievances of patients and attendants arriving at the facility.
Insiders familiar with the matter told The Express Tribune that the meeting will be held on Monday at the health minister’s office.
A large number of patients, doctors and attendants have repeatedly complained about faulty air conditioners at the facility. The absence of ventilation at various wards has added to the woes of patients, doctors and attendants.
Cycle of woes
Shamim Akhtar, whose husband has been admitted in LRH’s nephrology ward, told The Express Tribune that the AC in the ward has not been working for a long time and is affecting her husband’s recovery.
“There is no ventilation and we feel suffocated,” he said. “The unbearable heat is creating further complications in my husband’s health. I bring him to LRH every time he needs blood transfusion and it is disappointing to note that the air conditioners are out of order.”
According to Akhtar, many attendants have been forced to bring their patients into the corridors of the hospital as ACs are non-functional at various wards.
“Some attendants have brought their own pedestal fans to the hospital,” he said. “Those who cannot afford pedestal fans are using handmade fans to provide respite from the heat.”
Babu Gul, another attendant, said his father has been admitted in medical ward B.
“However, there is no AC at the ward,” Gul said. “I have placed his bed outside the ward where there is some respite from the heat. Hospitals are meant for treating patients. On the contrary, in LRH, patients do not seem to be in a good position. Many attendants are also falling sick due to the heat, lack of ventilation and unsanitary conditions at the facility.”
Taj Mir Khan, a renal patient who hails from Mohmand Agency, came to LRH for treatment.
“My condition has worsened ever since I was admitted here,” he said. “Patients are dying due to the heat and suffocation.”
On June 20, a renal patient died at the facility due to the heat caused by load-shedding and a faulty generator.
The other view
LRH Spokesperson Jamil Shah told The Express Tribune the hospital administration is aware of the situation.
“ACs of various wards of the hospital will be repaired one by one,” he said. “Currently, ACs in the casualty ward are being repaired. We will subsequently repair ACs at other wards as well.”
About the upcoming meeting on Monday, he said the provincial government is committed to providing a range of facilities to the public. “We will do everything to solve problems faced by patients,” he said.
Government action
The provincial government had imposed an emergency in health sector and allocated over Rs24.6 billion for the health sector in the budget for 2014-15. Of this amount, Rs60 million was set aside to improve health care facilities in Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swat, Haripur, Abbottabad, Kohat, Mardan, Malakand and Chitral.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 30[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/947267/troubleshooting-tarakai-to-meet-lrh-administration-on-monday/

Ringing alarm bells: Nazims, naib nazims prove it’s a man’s world

PESHAWAR: With the nazim elections for local governments in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa wrapped up, it is time we address the elephant in the room. Across the province’s 23 districts that witnessed LG setups take shape on Sunday, not a single woman could make it to the district and tehsil nazim and naib nazim berths.

Across Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s 10 district nazims, Jamaat-e-Islami’s four, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s three and Awami National Party and Pakistan Peoples Party’s two nazims each, not a single woman managed to break through the glass ceiling which poses questions over the intentions of those in charge. Despite bossing reserved seats, women could still not make the cut.
PTI MNA Ayesha Gulalai said, “Our women follow a mindset that in this male dominant society, we are not good enough to take power positions.” She condemned the situation and assured that PTI will set things right soon. “For the first time ever, our party has provided an opportunity to women and the youth. We will continue working towards bringing them into the mainstream.”

Like all politicos all year round, ANP leader Haroon Bilour also agrees with Ayesha’s contention. “ANP gave 33% of the seats to women. We have had women ministers in the past. Why does the PTI refrain from giving them their basic rights?”
Rights activist Shad Begum said women considered as not good enough for such responsibilities is a cultural taboo. “Those who believe in equality need not hide behind excuses.”
She said political activity in the country bears testament to the fact that women are as good as men no matter what the challenge may be. “We should focus on smaller communities since they have the power to influence the whole,” she added.
Brothers in arms
While its slogans and manifestos may contradict, PTI acted no different when it came to the distribution of nazim berths. In the city alone, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak’s relative Muhammad Asim Khan was chosen over strong candidate Muhammad Younas Zaheer for the district nazim slot. In Peshawar’s Town-II, MPA Mehmood Jan’s cousin Faridullah was elected as town nazim.
The situation in Nowshera was no different. Pervez’s brother Liaquat Khattak was made district nazim. Down south in Tank, MPA Dawar Khan Kundi’s brother Mustafa Kundi was chosen for the berth. Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi’s brother was made Lachi tehsil nazim in Kohat.
Meanwhile in Karak, PTI MPA Gul Sahib Khan Khattak’s brother Dr Umar Daraz Khattak was made district nazim. The method trickled down to DI Khan too where MPA Ali Amin Gandapur’s brother Umar Amin Gandapur was made Dera tehsil nazim while Paharpur tehsil nazim Jehanzaib is an uncle of MPA Javed Ehtisham. DI Khan nazim Azizullah Alizai is also the brother of MPA Samiullah Alizai.
In Haripur, MPA Yousaf Ayub’s blue-eyed boys Tariq Khan and Ihsan Shah were made tehsil nazim and naib nazim. In Charsadda, MPA Fazal Mehmood’s relative Fahad Khan was given the district nazim office.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Special Assistant to CM Arif Yousaf said a parliamentary committee made the choices independently. “Imran Khan is against nepotism. However, new people should have been given a chance; something that even I feel didn’t happen.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2015.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/948365/ringing-alarm-bells-nazims-naib-nazims-prove-its-a-mans-world/

Girl power: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf women wing talks future plans

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s women wing arranged two separate conventions in the city to prepare its members for the upcoming women’s intra-party election.
The first programme was arranged by PTI Peshawar women wing President Rabia Basri and held at her residence with central leader Fauzia Kasuri as chief guest. The second programme was arranged by party worker Muneeza Hassan with the chief minister’s wife Amara Khattak as guest of honour. Elected party members from different districts participated in these programmes.
Muneeza said the active participation of women from across K-P showed they take interest in politics and are willing to speak up for their peers everywhere.
Special Assistant to CM on Social Welfare Meher Taj Roghani said though many people think women in K-P do not take part in the country’s political affairs, this gathering showed they are taking charge of their situation on the political, economic and social fronts. She assured the women that their active participation in politics would result in a brighter future.
Also present at the convention was MNA Nafeesa Khattak, who said the district and town councillors would be sent to Islamabad for training.
These individuals would subsequently train other councillors who in turn would do the same for local leaders at the union
council level.
PTI Women’s Wing President Dr Munazza Hassan also addressed the participants and urged them to resolve issues women face in their respective areas. She said a real change in the country cannot come just by winning elections. “That is not the sole aim of PTI,”
she said.
“Such conventions would be organised regularly in the future so that the women wing can be strengthened to take charge of problems on the grassroots level,” Munazza added. She also lauded the role of women party workers in the PTI protests against the alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections.
Besides the newly elected women members of PTI, the convention was also attended by PTI Women Wing Senior Vice President Noreen Ibrahim and other parliamentarians of the party.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 6[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/951402/...ehreek-e-insaf-women-wing-talks-future-plans/

Keep clear: No more coming to the city for treatment

PESHAWAR: The K-P health department is on a mission to revisit every rule and procedure in order to improve the efficiency of government health facilities and reduce the burden on the city’s three teaching hospitals.

A new mechanism is likely to come through wherein tehsil and district headquarters hospitals will be barred from referring any patient to get treatment at Peshawar’s central health facilities. Department officials believe the ban will help improve performance of these hospitals. Those with minor problems that can be dealt with at the primary hospitals only, and will not be allowed to make the trip to the city.
“Around 20,000 patients arrive at Lady Reading Hospital alone every 24 hours,” a health department official tells The Express Tribune. He says the same is the case with the other two teaching hospitals in the provincial capital.
When contacted, K-P Health DG Parvez Kamal confirms the development, adding it will not only reduce the burden on tertiary hospitals but also help ascertain the shortcomings that compel patients to move to the provincial capital. “It will help us learn about what exactly we need to do more at tehsil and district health facilities so that patients receive medical assistance at their doorstep,” Kamal tells The Express Tribune.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 7[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/951945/keep-clear-no-more-coming-to-the-city-for-treatment
Bridging barriers: ‘Pukhtun leaders to remove mistrust between Afghanistan, Pakistan’

PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party Provincial Chairman Sikandar Khan Sherpao has pressed Pukhtun leaders to play a proactive role to alleviate mistrust between Afghanistan and Pakistan. This was said during a gathering in Watan Kor on Monday. According to Sherpao, the involvement of Pukhtun leaders will help restore peace in the region.
“Pukhtuns on both sides of the border have faced difficult times for the last three and a half decades,” he said. “Over the years, Pukhtuns have been deprived because there is no leader who can understand and resolve their problems in an effective manner,” Sherpao said. “QWP has always stood up for the rights of the Pukhtuns on all platforms.”

The gathering was attended by a large number of former Awami National Party leaders from Buner who defected to QWP. Sherpao welcomed them into the party’s fold and vowed to resolve the plight of people in Buner and ensure a better life for them. “Moreover, we cannot forget the tribespeople of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas,” he said. “They have sacrificed a great deal for their country and we must support them through thick and thin.”
Blame game
Speaking to the media after the ceremony, Sherpao flayed the federal government for discriminating against
“smaller provinces”.
“The government is delaying the release of net hydel profit to the province,” he said. “This has negatively impacted the social and economic position of the Pukhtuns.”
According to Sherpao, the federal government should put an end to its “biased approach” towards Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
“The net hydel profit should be released as soon as possible,” he said. “This will allay the concerns of Pukhtuns.”
The QWP chairman also urged the government to take an initiative to implement the National Action Plan.
“Socio-economic development cannot take place unless peace is restored,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/952634/...remove-mistrust-between-afghanistan-pakistan/

K-P police immune to public complaints

PESHAWAR: Who watches the watchdog when it goes astray? The answer in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is simple: absolutely nobody.

The Public Safety Commission, established to register complaints of citizens against police officers, has been non-functional since the last local government’s ended their term in 2007.
There were meetings between police and government officials during the initial days of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s reign. However, they ultimately amounted to nothing.
In light of the Police Order 2002, the Public Safety Commission (PSC) was established to provide justice to citizens who were denied their rights by the police.
According to the order, the government must establish a District Public Safety and Police Complaints Commission in every district of K-P. It is also meant to have its own budget under a separate head.
Also, anyone who has affiliations with a political party or has held public office up to six months prior to the formation of the commission will not be eligible to become a member.
“Before 2002, citizens had nowhere to turn to,” said Inayatullah Bacha, the former chairman of the Mardan Public Safety Commission.
He added that under Section 22-A of the Criminal Procedure Code, the public has the right to contact the commission if police officials are not registering FIRs or for any other complaints. He claimed since the commission was set up in 2002, it resolved thousands of complaints against the police in Mardan district alone.
Bacha was chairman of the district for three-and-a-half years.
Currently, the staff appointed for the commission is now serving in district administration offices as far as Mardan is concerned. “The commission remains inactive, nonfunctional and cannot deliver a single point as envisaged in the Police Order 2002,” Bacha added.
The commission in each district has a total of nine members which include three lawmakers, as many district council members and the same number of civilians for whom an advertisement is placed in the press. The aspiring candidates are subsequently interviewed by a district and sessions judge and finally approved by the governor.
The designation of the district chairman of the commission is equal to that of a sessions judge.
Former provincial public safety commission chairperson and current Awami National Party Joint Secretary, Shagufta Malik, said a number of meetings were held to reorganise the commission.
“People are unaware of its benefits,” said Shagufta. She added the public has no platform to register their complaints. She said a lack of facilities and public interest were some of the major hurdles in the path of the commission becoming active again. “The police administration doesn’t want to see complaints from the people,” said Shagufta. “The voice of affected people has been suppressed.”
K-P Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser was not available for comments on the status of the commission despite repeated attempts to contact him.
However, PTI Mardan District Councillor Adil Nawaz claimed his party has already finalised candidates for the Public Safety Commission’s chairmanship and the list is with Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 9[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/953104/...lice-immune-to-public-complaints-for-8-years/

Amendment passed to bring K-P Assembly under RTI legislation

PESHAWAR: The much-anticipated amendment to the K-P Right to Information Act 2015 was passed in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly members on Thursday.
Before this amendment was introduced, K-P assembly, its members and the assembly secretariat were not included within the remit of the RTI legislation. The amendment brought it back under the RTI law, making the assembly accountable to the public.
MPA Shaukat Yousufzai presented the amendment through a bill, which was tabled two days back in the house, and passed with majority by the opposition and treasury benches. The opposition and treasury both raised their hands in support of the amendment.
Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Nighat Orakzai was the only one who raised an objection to the bill.
According to Orakzai, the public should not be allowed to ask about the assembly matters. “The amendment was tabled at the assembly only because Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan wanted it that way,” she said. “It was not done in the interest of public at all.”
However, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha and Sardar Hussain Babak of Awami National Party spoke in favour of the amendment.
“I thank Imran for his order to bring in the amendment,” Babak said. “The amendments and legislations should not be bulldozed in the house.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 11[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/954602/amendment-passed-to-bring-k-p-assembly-under-rti-legislation/

devoid feast · Sep 16, 2015

Well done team kpk.keep up the good work.

Syed Haider Imam · Sep 16, 2015

In full swing: Crackdown against corrupt govt officials begins

ESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Anti Corruption Department has commenced a crackdown against corrupt government officials and recovered Rs1.34 billion in embezzled money.

Addressing a press conference, the department’s director, Ziaullah Toru, said action was being taken from Chitral to DI Khan against all corrupt public servants.
“We have registered over 800 FIRs, arrested over 600 people and recovered Rs1.34 billion of embezzled money,” Toru said. He added 1,774 enquiries are currently under thorough investigation.
Replying to a question, he said most of the time politicians use government officials for their own corrupt means but it is very difficult to prove the involvement of the former.
Toru urged the public to come forward and assist the drive against corruption in the province.

He announced all those who would share authentic information with the department will be given 30% of the recovered amount and their names would be kept anonymous.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 15[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/956850/in-full-swing-crackdown-against-corrupt-govt-officials-begins/

K-P’s vehicle registration books to get facelift

PESHAWAR: The next time a policeman asks you to pull over and produce vehicle registration papers, you may not be able to get away with the old books that were perhaps designed when computers were still unknown to the public.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Excise and Taxation department has taken up the task of revamping vehicle registration books that will serve the dual purpose of enhancing security measures and looking good in the pocket.
The new books have been designed and printed by Pakistan Security Printing Corporation (PSPC), the state-owned press that manufactures banknotes and government security papers. Department insiders say the first batch of the books will be in before Eid.
A three-year agreement was inked in June and it took the printing corporation only a little over two months to prepare the first consignment of 9,500 books. “Vehicles registered from April 2015 will have the new books,” said E&T DG Javed Marwat. He said the department is in advanced negotiations with Pakistan Post to deliver the batch from Karachi and a deal will most likely go through by Tuesday (today).
The number of pages has been doubled to 32 while the design will be similar to that of the Pakistani passport. “These books have nine security features, including a special hologram, embossed writing and tracking features. They are computer readable,” he said.

E&T has broken ties with M/S EHA Hoffman that was earlier manufacturing registration books, number plates and developing a computer database. “The same database will be used. We will send it to PSPC.”
“Earlier, a single company was doing all the work,” he said, adding now the department’s own staffers will scan and archive old records. “EHA Hoffman will issue papers to vehicle owners who filed for registration before April and have not yet received their books.”
Road rage
Around 10,000 vehicles, including both four and three-wheelers, are registered with the department every 30 days. Henceforth, all data will be forwarded to PSPC which will prepare the books within a week. “They make books for all other provinces. We will recheck them for any errors,” a department official said. He added the new books will not be tampered with or duplicated easily.
At the doorstep
The idea of outsourcing number plate manufacturing to another firm is also on the cards. “Earlier, a single company was preparing the number plates which caused delays in delivery and increased the backlog,” he said, adding department bigwigs are also considering the option of allowing private companies to open up franchises and issue plates directly.
“We will be monitoring these companies as they manufacture the number plates and issue them to vehicle owners,” said the official. “A home delivery service is also expected to be rolled out.” The official said the proposal was forwarded to the finance department and the chief secretary who attached their observations and responded. “The ball is now in the court of Senior Member, Board of Revenue office.” The official admitted people find it a painstaking ordeal to frequent government offices for the job and if the proposal works out, it will make things extremely easy for them.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 15[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/956843/top-gear-k-ps-vehicle-registration-books-to-get-facelift/

Checks and balance: ‘Public has access to performance of MPAs’

PESHAWAR: The Centre for Governance and Public Accountability (CGPA) welcomed the amendment to the Right to Information act to include the K-P Assembly, within its ambit, stated a handout issued on Monday.
CGPA Executive Director Muhammad Anwar said the provincial assembly had exempted itself from the RTI ambit in June 2015, but he appreciated the provincial government for listening to the public’s demand of greater transparency from the members of provincial assembly.
“Now the public can inquire about the legislative performance and use of the budget by MPAs, thereby ensuring greater transparency and accountability in the ranks and files of the K-P government,” he said.
The information commission also suggested the Peshawar High Court be included as a ‘public body’ so that information can be demanded from it. The commission also suggested the provincial government be bound by law to appoint a new commissioner in case of a vacancy within 30 days.
The executive director added as per the recommendations made by the commission, the law should determine the appellate forum for appeal against decisions of the information commission. The information commission suggested that the Peshawar High Court be made the appellate forum and not the district and sessions’ courts.
Furthermore, CGPA urged the provincial government and president of Pakistan to extend the RTI law to the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) falling under the jurisdiction of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The 33 members of the provincial assembly from PATA have participated in the enactment of the law, but it is not applicable in their constituencies. “Not extending this law to PATA is tantamount to a violation of the constitutional rights of PATA to access information as guaranteed by Article 19-A,” Anwar said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 15[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.

Syed Haider Imam · Sep 16, 2015

Syed Haider Imam · Sep 16, 2015

Sep 13 - 2015

Housing scam victims to get money given to NAB by suspects

PESHAWAR: A local accountability court on Saturday ordered the distribution among the affected persons of around Rs63.4 million returned to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) by a former Nowshera district nazim and three other suspects as voluntary return in a housing society scam.
Judge Tariq Yousafzai also ordered the de-freezing of former nazim Dawood Khattak’s bank account, which was frozen on the orders of the NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa director general during inquiry into the scam.
The court issued the order after NAB special prosecutor Danyal Asad Chamkani confirmed that the NAB chairman had accepted the voluntary return pleas of Dawood Khattak, Dilawar, Nawab and Hikmatullah.
The prosecutor said the suspects had returned Rs63.4 million, which they had allegedly received from 238 people in Nowshera district.
The NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had received a complaint from several affected persons including Dr Aurangzeb and others on Feb 29, 2012, following which an inquiry was approved on April 16, 2013.
The NAB had claimed that the former nazim, Dawood Khattak, was the managing director of a firm, Khushal Associates, and that he along with other suspects had launched the housing scheme by the name of Khushal Gardens. However, after receiving money from general public, the suspects had neither allotted plots to applicants nor returned the deposited money to them.
The bank account of Dawood Khattak had around Rs18.7 million. The chief suspect requested the court that after the acceptance of his voluntary return application, the de-freezing of his bank account should be ordered.
Under the National Accountability Ordinance 1999, the NAB chairman is empowered to accept an offer of a suspect if he voluntarily offers to return the assets or gains acquired or made by him in the course, or as the consequence, of any offence under the ordinance.
The voluntary return provision of the law does not make a public officeholder disqualified from holding the public office or contesting election for a public office.
Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2015

Four industrial estates planned in KP

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company (KPEZDMC) announced on Tuesday that it had planned to launch four industrial estates across the province in few years.
The announcement was made here during the formal launch of the company operational since August 2015.
The company set up with over Rs1 billion seed money is governed by board of directors named by the provincial industries department and having 75 percent representation from private sector and the rest from public sector.
KPEZDMC board chairman Ghulam Dastaghir and chief executive officer Mohsin Syed told reporters that the company would develop and manage world class industrial estates in the province to rapidly industrialise and create employment opportunity in the province.
They said industrialisation was a must for economic revitalisation and employment generation.
Dastaghir said the company had planned to establish industrial hubs across the war-torn province for its economic turnaround.
He said the company had four flagship estate projects in Hattar, Haripur, Rashkai and Gurguri, and four high-end industrial estates projects in Jalozai, Ghazi, Dera Ismail Khan and Swat.

Economic Zones Development, Management Company formally launched

The KPEZDMC board chairman said work on the phase VII of the Hattar Industrial Estate costing Rs1.565 billion would be launched in October.
“For the Hattar Industrial Estate Phase VII, over 424 acres land has been acquired at a cost of Rs379 million, while the infrastructure development will cost Rs1186.431 million. For the purpose, Rs400 million has been approved in ADP, while the remaining Rs783.431 million will be generated through the sale of plots,” he said.
Dastaghir said Hattar phase VII would come under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project and its proximity to the federal government makes it full of opportunities. Rashkai estate would be constructed on a land of over 1,000 acres.
He said as provincial capital had no land for large-scale industrialisation project, an industrial estate would be set up in Jalozai, another in Ghazi area of Haripur, one in Dera Ismail Khan focusing on date processing and canning, and one in Swat.
In addition, the company will also strive to revitalise the existing estates in Gadoon, Peshawar and Hattar after the Sarhad Development Authority relinquishes its jurisdiction.
The KPEZDMC board chairman said the authority would ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to those industrial estates from gas-based electricity project and under-construction hydropower projects that had not yet been linked to the national grid.
He added that smaller industrial estates would be built on the land measuring around 60 acres across the province.
Dastaghir said the company would provide facilities and incentives to investors to bring them to the province, while it would also work on an early bird investment policy.
“We’ll involve the State Bank of Pakistan in the process so that new units would have to face cash problems,” he said.
The KPEZDMC board chairman said the company had planned to hold an industrial road show in the province and that efforts would be made to launch the Hattar industrial estate in six to seven months.
He said some Turkish companies had shown interest in investing money in the Ghazi industrial estate. Dastaghir said currently, there were about 2,200 industrial units were operating across the province, with an employment of over 100,000 persons, while 487 units were closed down.
About the multiple authorities with overlapping mandate, KPEZDMC CEO Mohsin Syed said none had expertise in setting up industrial estates in the province.
He, however, said his company would be different in the sense that it would strive to arrange and provide all utilities including electricity, gas and water, besides maintaining and providing a list of consultants and contractors to design and construct the industrial units.
“We will also help them arranging technical, commercial and technical staff,” he said.
Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1207227/four-industrial-estates-planned-in-kp

Former CM’s assistant ready to return Rs200m dirty money

PESHAWAR: Former special assistant to the former chief minister, Syed Masoom Shah, arrested on the charge of corruption, on Tuesday expressed willingness before an accountability court to return Rs200 million ill-gotten money to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for the acceptance of his ‘voluntary return plea’.
Judge Mohammad Ibrahim Khan asked the NAB to consider the plea and inform the court about its response.
Masoom Shah, an ANP leader, who was special assistant to former chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti, made the offer when he was produced before the judge after completion of physical custody with the NAB, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The judge remanded him in the NAB custody for seven more days ordering his production on Sept 22.
He asked NAB prosecutor Nauroze Khan that the bureau should consider the suspect’s voluntary return application and if the NAB chairman was not willing, then inquiry against him could be converted into full-fledged investigation.

Court asks NAB to consider voluntary return plea in corruption case

Under Section 25 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, where a holder of public office or any other person, prior to the authorisation of investigation against him, voluntarily comes forward and offers to return the assets made by him in the course, or as the consequence, of any offence under this Ordinance, the Chairman NAB may accept such offer and after determination of the amount due from such person and its deposit with the NAB discharge such person from all his liability in respect of the matter or transaction in issue.
Following authorisation of investigation or end of inquiry stage, an accused could not be exonerated by the chairman on basis of voluntary return and he could only apply for plea bargain for which the approval of concerned court was necessary.
Under the law, once a suspect enters into plea bargain he stands disqualified for holding any public office, but same is not the case with voluntary return.
The suspect, who was arrested on Aug 11, is accused of possessing assets disproportionate to known sources of his income.
While the suspect was in custody, the NAB had also recovered 4.5kg of gold bars concealed by him.
When he was produced before the court on Tuesday, his counsel, Barrister Waqar, requested the court not to further remand his client in the NAB custody saying he’s given application for voluntary return.
He added that his client was willing to return up to Rs40 million but the NAB had not accepted the offer.
The lawyer said his client was willing to voluntary return the amount for which he faces corruption charge but the NAB chairman should make a just demand for voluntary return.
The judge asked Masoom Shah whether he was willing to voluntarily return the amount for which he was charged with looting by the NAB.
The suspect replied in affirmative saying NAB officials should inform him about how much amount they want for the acceptance of his voluntary return application. He expressed willingness to pay up to Rs200 million.
The judge observed that the NAB chairman should decide the application as the case was still in the inquiry stage and if he didn’t accept the plea, then the investigation stage should be authorised.
If the investigation is authorised by the chairman, then the suspect could avail himself of the plea bargain option only, which will render him disqualified from holding public offices in future.
Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1207230/former-cms-assistant-ready-to-return-rs200m-dirty-mo

Project to promote KP’s heritage

PESHAWAR: The Directorate of Culture, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, for the first time is launching a project to revive, preserve and promote the cultural heritage in 75 tehsil councils of the province.
According to the plan, the directorate would arrange various programmes, including cultural fairs, games, folk music, handicraft and artefact exhibitions and poetry sessions, in 75 tehsils and all these would also be documented to preserve them for the future generations, said a press release of the department here.
Approval of the project was given at a meeting of the cultural promotion forum on Tuesday by the district development working party. The scheme is titled “Revival of Indigenous Cultural Heritage Project.” The programmes would give a new lease of life to the once halted cultural activities due to terrorism incidents.
The project costing Rs60 million would be completed in two years. It has also been decided to establish cultural councils in 75 tehsils and people having passion for the promotion of culture, history and heritage would manage these councils.
Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1207237/project-to-promote-kps-heritage

Syed Haider Imam · Sep 16, 2015

Sep 14 2015

[h=1]Books distributed among Swat schools
[/h]MINGORA: More than 2,000 books were distributed among the libraries of government and private schools during a ceremony here on Saturday.
The book exhibition and books distribution ceremony titled “When you open a book, you open a new world” was organised by Swat Education Development Society in collaboration with the Asia Foundation.
The teachers and students of different schools appreciated the efforts of the organisers of the event. They said that books were inevitable for formation of a civilised, developed and peaceful society.
“Books have been here for centuries. Getting knowledge about our ancestors, culture and civilisation is impossible without books. We not only want to revive books but also want promote book reading culture among the children of the militancy-affected Swat valley,” said Zahid Abbas, the manager of Books for Asia Programme of Asia Foundation

http://www.dawn.com/news/1206708/books-distributed-among-swat-schools

[h=1]Sanitation project launched in University Town

[/h]PESHAWAR: The Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) has started collecting solid waste from houses in the University Town as a pilot project and it plans to replicate the project in other areas of the city.
Under the programme, the WSSP will supply around 28,000 biodegradable bags to 1,860 households in the target area for 15 days in which they will put their waste, a press release said on Sunday.
“Residents will accumulate their entire solid waste in these bags in the locality and our staff will collect it the same day,” WSSP GM operations Nasir Ghafoor said at the launching ceremony of the project.
People will place the bags stuffed with solid waste at their doorstep every day, he said, adding that the programme would be extended to other areas in the city with the support of the elected representatives and people.
He said that awareness campaign was also part of the project under which teams had been formed for distribution of pamphlets to tell the people about sanitation issues and preventing diseases.
Mr Ghafoor appealed to the residents of the area to join hands with WSSP for ensuring cleanliness not only in the University Town, but the whole of Peshawar. Councillors Yasir Anwar and Ayesha Bano asked the people to support the government’s efforts to make the city clean.
Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1206843/sanitation-project-launched-in-university-town

[h=1]Tehsil nazim election in Dir again ends in tie

[/h]UPPER DIR: The election for the slot of nazim and naib nazim of Wari tehsil, Upper Dir, again ended in a tie on Sunday. The third round of the election would now be held on Sept 20.
Wari tehsil nazim election was tied on Aug 30 for the first time when the Jamaat-i-Islami candidate Gul Bahadar, elected on reserved seat from JI, filed nomination papers against his own party candidate Hussain Ahmad. After getting an equal number of seven votes, the returning officer had declared the election as tied and announced the re-election.
This time too both the candidates secured seven votes each. For the naib nazim slot, the contest was held between PTI candidate Saeed Shah and JI’s Mushtaq Ahmad. And that, too, was tied when both the candidates got seven votes each.
An interesting situation has emerged because if the election ended in a tie for the third consecutive time on Sept 20 then as per rules fresh election of tehsil councillors in Wari tehsil would be held.
JI leader and Upper Dir district nazim Sahibzada Fasihullah told Dawn that they were going to cancel the party membership of Gul Bahadar because the law allowed the party to cancel membership of its candidate for changing loyalty after being elected on its ticket.
Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1206844/tehsil-nazim-election-in-dir-again-ends-in-tie

[h=1]ANP extends olive branch to PTI ‘for progress of country’[/h]

UPPER DIR: Awami National Party provincial president and former chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has said that their party is ready to extend ‘hand of friendship’ to Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) for the sake of progress and unity of the country.
He was addressing a public gathering in Wari, organised in connection with the election campaign of PPP candidate Sahibzada Sanaullah. PPP provincial general secretary Hamayun Khan, tripartite alliance (ANP, PPP and JUI-F) provincial general secretary Najamudin Khan, Malak Mohammad Zeb Khan and others were also present on the occasion.
Mr Hoti said that his party would always remain indebted of former president Asif Ali Zardari and his party PPP for supporting ANP in renaming the province as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said that people should not be deceived with a bag of cement, water pipes or installing solar penal in streets. Rather, he said, the real progress and development was to establish universities, hospitals, roads and execute major development projects.
Mr Hoti said that he had established nine universities during the five-year tenure of his provincial government. Apart from it, the ANP government had also established medical colleges including Bacha Khan Medical College in Mardan, he added.
Mr Hoti alleged that during Senate elections in the previous government, an MPA from Upper Dir had demanded money to vote for ANP candidate. He said that the four-party alliance of PPP, ANP, PML-N and JUI-F would easily defeat JI candidate on Sept 15.
He asked the ANP workers to expedite their campaign for Sanaullah and convince each and every voter in the constituency. He said that voters could not be bought by giving them a bag of cement and pipe. He advised voters to take pipe, cement and cash from JI’s ministers but vote for the candidate of four-party alliance. Mr Hoti said that he had spent Rs550 billion to construct and repair of 6,000 masques in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that JI was a non-custom paid vehicle that was only limited to Upper and Lower Dir districts.
Najamudin Khan, Hamayun Khan, Raja Ameer Zaman, Sanaullah Khan and others also addressed the meeting. They said that they had formed the alliance to free the people of PK-93 from JI’s slavery.
Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1206867/anp-extends-olive-branch-to-pti-for-progress-of-country

Syed Haider Imam · Sep 16, 2015

Sep 15 2015

Massive campaign against polio gets underway

PESHAWAR: A three-day anti-polio campaign began in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and adjoining Federally Administered Tribal Areas on Monday.
According to a news release issued by the provincial health department here, vaccinators supported by volunteers and mobilisers will target 5.422 million children under the age of five years in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 86,5719 in Fata during the campaign.
The campaign is also supported by SMS messages to be sent to the people by the department asking them to vaccinate their children for protection against the permanent disability.
The provincial Expanded Programme on Immunisation is carrying out the campaign in collaboration with the police, security forces and national agencies.
A total of 17,135 teams, (34,270 persons) in addition to volunteers and lady health workers had been deployed to give polio drop to children in door to door visits. Centres have also been providing polio vaccination at each of the government hospitals where parents could vaccinate their children against crippling diseases.
The government has issued instructions to the deputy commissioners and political agents to spearhead and monitor the campaign in their respective areas of jurisdiction and ensure that targets are achieves.
Another statement said Fata additional chief secretary Aslam Kamboh inaugurated the campaign by administering anti-polio vaccine to children.
The campaign will run be conducted from September 14 to 16 in the entire Fata.
It has started in Bajaur, Khyber, Mohmand, North Waziristan, South Waziristan, Orakzai and Kurram agencies, and FR Peshawar, FR Kohat, FR Bannu, FR Lakki, FR DI Khan and FR Tank.
The target for the said campaign is to vaccinate 865719 for which a total 3244 teams and 724 areas in charges are deployed.
Shakeel Qadir Khan, secretary (law and order) and Dr Zafeer Hussain, director (health services), and representatives of UN agencies were also present at the Massive campaign against polio gets underway ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, the additional chief secretary said polio was crippling diseases and it was the responsibility of all segments of the society to support the government’s efforts to defeat the ailment.
He said great responsibilities lied on the shoulders of parents to vaccinate their children in case polio teams did not come to their homes.
The official urged ulema and media persons to educate people about the importance of anti-polio vaccination.
He said it was the children to get protection against vaccine-preventable ailments by getting free vaccination at hospitals and from teams visiting their houses.
In Bajaur Agency, too, a three-day anti-polio campaign began in the day.
Tight security checks were seen as vaccinators administered anti-polio drops to the children.
A total of 223,000 children under the age of five years are to be vaccinated during the door-to-door campaign.
Agency Surgeon Dr Zakir Hussain told reporters that around 640 mobile, fixed and transit teams comprising more than 1,400 health workers, schoolteachers, volunteers, and WHO and health department representatives were taking part in the campaign.
About the security, Dr Zakir Hussain said that fool proof security arrangements had been made by the administration and security forces to thwart any untoward incident during the drive.
We are satisfied with the security arrangements being adopted for the safety of health workers and hope the campaign would concluded peacefully,” he added.
The agency surgeon said according to the security plan, Bajaur Levies, security forces and members of local village defence committees had been tasked with providing protection to vaccinators across the agency.
Dr Hussain disclosed that the campaign had been delayed in few localities of Mamund tehsil, including Damadola and Inam Khwaroo Chinagi, for security reasons.
Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1207047/massive-campaign-against-polio-gets-underway

Private schools moneymaking machines: parents

PESHAWAR: In absence of a grievance redressal mechanism, parents of schoolchildren on Monday used an event organised by the district administration to heap criticism on the capital city’s privately-owned educational institutions for being ‘moneymaking machines’.

The event, a consultative meeting between parents and owners of private schools, was organised by deputy commissioner Peshawar Riaz Mehsud at Nishtar Hall to reach a consensus on fee fixing mechanism.
Private school owners boycotted it for beginning an hour behind schedule.
Besides parents of schoolchildren, officials of the education department were also in attendance.
Until now, the education department has failed to categorise private schools and formulate fee structure mechanism for them causing educational institutions to increase monthly tuition fee at will besides charging students on other heads.
During the meeting, a lawyer demanded that the administration form an independent watchdog for private schools.
At the same time, he said quality of education at government schools should be improved.
Some parents demanded a crackdown on private schools charging unfairly high fee like the one carried down on profiteers and butchers selling unhygienic meat, of late.

Deputy commissioner forms panel to formulate SOPs for privately-owned educational institutions in Peshawar

“Besides other fees, the administration of my son’s privately-owned school has also been charging Rs400 for operating generator during power outages,” a man said.
He said the school administration had been collecting millions of rupees from students on the power generator head only.
“Astonishingly, there is no one in the education department to ask such schools why they’re looting parents. We have no option but to enrol our kids in private schools as educational standards at government schools are pathetic,” he said.
The man said every year, private schools increased fee on their own free will as there existed no fee fixing mechanism.
“It is our policy to raise fee by 15 percent annually,” a participant quoted the management of a private school, where his son is enrolled, as saying.
The parent said he had been paying Rs3,500 to school under the head of ‘others fees’.
The deputy commissioner said private schools earned millions of rupees every month only in the name of security fee introduced after the Dec 2014 massacre at the Army Public School.
Without naming the private school, he said he knew about an educational institution, which used to charge Rs175 as security fee before the APS attack but increased it to Rs595 afterwards.
“With the increase of security fee, that school is earning additional Rs2.8 million,” he said.
The deputy commissioner said the administration was determined to bring private schools in the ambit of law.
He said a proper standing operating procedure would be framed for private schools.
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education chairman Dr Mohammad Shafi Afridi told the meeting that in the recent past, private schools had mushroomed in the city.
He said the fee-related problems were limited to few elite private schools.
At the end of the meeting, the deputy commissioner announced the formation of a committee to formulate SOPs for private schools.
He said the committee would have three members from parents of schoolchildren, three from private school owners, district nazim, two members of the consumers protection council, one member each from education department, district administration, education board and Peshawar Press Club president or his nominee.
Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1207050/private-schools-moneymaking-machines-parents

Over 30 schools to be set up in Swat rural areas

MINGORA: More than 30 schools will be set up in the rural areas of the district under a three-year project to impart quality education to girl students and equip them with vocational skills.
The schools will be established particularly in those areas where middle schools don’t exist to facilitate the girl students, who have passed primary level.
The project will help them to stand on their feet by providing them vocational skills.
The project titled “Institutional support for participatory, inclusive and respective education (Inspire) II” has been funded by Reach out to Asia (Rota) and being implemented jointly by Idea, Lasona and Care International.
According to the NGOs, 35 schools will be set up in the rural parts of Swat, particularly in those areas where middle schools don’t exist. “The schools will work in the second shift,” said Mohammad Mukhta Pasha, the project manager. He said that 37,315 persons would benefit from the project.
Elizabeth Mclaughlin, the country director of Care International in Pakistan, said that she was privileged to be in Swat as part of the team for a noble cause of educating and empowering girls.

Three-year project is aimed at imparting education and vocational skills to girls

Ambar Junaid said that history showed that Swat was a prosperous and developed state in every sector but unfortunately some factors pushed the valley into a mess and its education sector was affected badly.
“The dropout ratio of girls is much higher than boys in Swat and one cause of it is shortage of middle and high schools in the rural parts,” she said, adding that inaccessibility, poverty, early marriages, social beliefs, security problems and man-dominated society were the main factors that barred girls from getting higher education.
Lasona executive director Azam Khan said that apart from imparting education to girls in those schools, they would also equipped with vocational skills and entrepreneurship development to empower them to earn livelihood.
Mohammad Ahmad, the executive director Idea, said that Swat experienced several tests in the recent past. “Now after normalcy has returned, we have to make the region peaceful and prosperous by promoting education,” he said.
Appreciating the activity, District Nazim Mohammad Ali Shah assured the NGOs of full support. “We understand the importance of education and will take every step to promote it. Education is our first, second and third priority,” he said.
Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1207035/over-30-schools-to-be-set-up-in-swat-rural-areas

PWD official acquitted of corruption

PESHAWAR: A local accountability court on Monday acquitted an assistant executive engineer of Pak-PWD arrested by the National accountability Bureau on charges of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Judge Mohammad Ibrahim Khan accepted the application of suspect Kaleemullah for acquittal under Section 265-K of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which empowers the court to exonerate the accused before conclusion of trial if there appears to be no possibility of his or her conviction for a crime on the basis of available evidence.
The court recorded the evidence of some prosecution witnesses, including investigator, and reached the conclusion that there was no possibility of conviction of the accused even if the trial was concluded.
Despite his acquittal, the accused will remain imprisoned as he has also been charged in another case in which he was charged of conniving with other accused to embezzle Rs290 million in public funds in development projects including water supply schemes in different tehsil and union councils in swat district.
In the corruption case, the NAB, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, had alleged that the accused illegally possessed a bungalow in Hayatabad Township of Peshawar and had around Rs8.89 million bank accounts.
The defence counsel argued that the prosecution could not prove that the properties possessed by the defendant were made through ill-gotten wealth.
He added that the already recorded evidence did not connect the defendant with the commission of the offence.
SENT TO JUDICIAL LOCK-UP: The judge of another accountability court, Asim Imam, on Monday sent to judicial lock-up four other Pak-PWD officials arrested last month on the charge of embezzling Rs190 million in Upper Dir development schemes.
The suspects, including executive engineer Mohammad Asif, assistant executive engineer Iftikharullah Qureshi, SDO Abdul Wahab and contractor Riaz Shoaib, were produced before the court after completion of their physical custody with the NAB.
The NAB alleged that the four suspects in connivance with each other had embezzled around Rs190 million of public funds in development projects, including water supply schemes in Dir Town Water supply scheme, Upper Dir.
It added that the Pak-PWD Batkhela had allocated and released the said funds for Dir Town Water Supply scheme in 2012-13.
The NAB alleged that physical inspections of the sites revealed ghost, substandard and incomplete schemes for which complete payments were made to contractors.
It added that XEN Mohammad Asif along with other corruption suspects at Pak-PWD Batkhela offices had committed grave financial irregularities and embezzled public funds released for the developmental works in question in connivance with contractors.
Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1207038/pwd-official-acquitted-of-corruption

Syed Haider Imam · Sep 22, 2015

Sep 16 , 2015

Four industrial estates planned in KP

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company (KPEZDMC) announced on Tuesday that it had planned to launch four industrial estates across the province in few years.
The announcement was made here during the formal launch of the company operational since August 2015.
The company set up with over Rs1 billion seed money is governed by board of directors named by the provincial industries department and having 75 percent representation from private sector and the rest from public sector.
KPEZDMC board chairman Ghulam Dastaghir and chief executive officer Mohsin Syed told reporters that the company would develop and manage world class industrial estates in the province to rapidly industrialise and create employment opportunity in the province.
They said industrialisation was a must for economic revitalisation and employment generation.
Dastaghir said the company had planned to establish industrial hubs across the war-torn province for its economic turnaround.
He said the company had four flagship estate projects in Hattar, Haripur, Rashkai and Gurguri, and four high-end industrial estates projects in Jalozai, Ghazi, Dera Ismail Khan and Swat.

Economic Zones Development, Management Company formally launched

The KPEZDMC board chairman said work on the phase VII of the Hattar Industrial Estate costing Rs1.565 billion would be launched in October.
“For the Hattar Industrial Estate Phase VII, over 424 acres land has been acquired at a cost of Rs379 million, while the infrastructure development will cost Rs1186.431 million. For the purpose, Rs400 million has been approved in ADP, while the remaining Rs783.431 million will be generated through the sale of plots,” he said.
Dastaghir said Hattar phase VII would come under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project and its proximity to the federal government makes it full of opportunities. Rashkai estate would be constructed on a land of over 1,000 acres.
He said as provincial capital had no land for large-scale industrialisation project, an industrial estate would be set up in Jalozai, another in Ghazi area of Haripur, one in Dera Ismail Khan focusing on date processing and canning, and one in Swat.
In addition, the company will also strive to revitalise the existing estates in Gadoon, Peshawar and Hattar after the Sarhad Development Authority relinquishes its jurisdiction.
The KPEZDMC board chairman said the authority would ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to those industrial estates from gas-based electricity project and under-construction hydropower projects that had not yet been linked to the national grid.
He added that smaller industrial estates would be built on the land measuring around 60 acres across the province.
Dastaghir said the company would provide facilities and incentives to investors to bring them to the province, while it would also work on an early bird investment policy.
“We’ll involve the State Bank of Pakistan in the process so that new units would have to face cash problems,” he said.
The KPEZDMC board chairman said the company had planned to hold an industrial road show in the province and that efforts would be made to launch the Hattar industrial estate in six to seven months.
He said some Turkish companies had shown interest in investing money in the Ghazi industrial estate. Dastaghir said currently, there were about 2,200 industrial units were operating across the province, with an employment of over 100,000 persons, while 487 units were closed down.
About the multiple authorities with overlapping mandate, KPEZDMC CEO Mohsin Syed said none had expertise in setting up industrial estates in the province.
He, however, said his company would be different in the sense that it would strive to arrange and provide all utilities including electricity, gas and water, besides maintaining and providing a list of consultants and contractors to design and construct the industrial units.
“We will also help them arranging technical, commercial and technical staff,” he said.
Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1207227/four-industrial-estates-planned-in-kp

Mardan varsity VC among educationists held by NAB

PESHAWAR: The National Accountability Bureau Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday arrested four educationists, including noted archeologist and Vice-Chancellor of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan Professor Ihsan Ali on the charge of misusing authority by giving affiliation to an illegal medical institution in Abbottabad.
The suspects, including Professor Ihsan Ali, who is also former VC of Hazara University, another former Hazara University VC Dr Syed Sakhawat Shah, Northern Institute of Medical Sciences Abbottabad chairman Dr Mohammad Aziz Khan and former chairman of Higher Education Regulatory Authority Professor Hamayun Zia, will be produced by the NAB before an accountability court here today (Wednesday) for physical custody.
The NAB alleges that the suspects were involved in the misuse of authority and cheating of people at large by luring students to get admission in illegal and unregistered medical educational institution depriving their parents of more than Rs550 million.

Four arrested men face charge of giving affiliation to illegal medical institution

It added that the inquiry showed that without any medical faculty or mandate as provided in the Khyber Medical University Act 2006, former vice chancellors Professor Ihsan Ali and Professor Sakhawat Shah granted affiliation to the NIMS Abbottabad with ulterior motives and conducted examination of the said illegal educational institution.
The NAB said the two suspects abetted with the illegal medical college not only to fleece parents of their hard earned money but also to play with the future of innocent students by wasting their precious time.
According to the NAB, the inquiry discovered that Dr Mohammad Aziz Khan willfully indulged in the illegal business for monitory gains by admitting students without any lawful mandate prior to the recognition of the institute as envisaged in the Pakistan Medical and Dental College Ordinance 1962 and a Supreme Court judgment given in 2007.
Hamayun Zia in connivance with others illegally registered the NIMS by overlooking criteria for registration and failed to pay periodic regulatory visits.
The NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also been conducting inquiry into the alleged illegal recruitments at the Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan.
It began inquiry last year after receiving complaints about appointments to the university allegedly on political basis.
The inquiry was challenged by the university last year through a petition on the ground that it’s an autonomous and independent body set up under the AWKU Act 2012.
However, the court disposed of the petition on Feb 11, 2015, asking the NAB regional office to provide in writing the list of the university’s documents it needed.
The bench had asked the NAB to route correspondence with the university through registrar.
Few weeks ago, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission, a provincial anti-corruption body, had also begun inquiry into the matters already challenged by the university in the court.
The PHC disposed of the petition after the Ehtesab Commission informed it that it had stopped the inquiry and transferred the relevant material to the NAB, which was a federal body.
Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1207244/mardan-varsity-vc-among-educationists-held-by-nab

Private schools regulatory authority being set up

PESHAWAR: The Elementary and Secondary Education Department has decided to establish the much-awaited private schools regulatory authority.
Provincial Minister for E&SE Mohammad Atif said this on Tuesday while talking to a delegation of parents of the children enrolled in private schools. He said that the proposed bill had already been drafted by the education department.
Successive provincial governments have failed to regulate the affairs of the private schools, particularly developing a mechanism for fixing fee, about which the parents had a lot of concerns. The previous government had also made an attempt to pass a law for establishment of the authority, but it failed due to pressure from the influential lobby of private schools.
In 2013, when the PTI government was established it also initiated the process to set up the regulatory authority. The education department proposed a draft bill and got it vetted from the law department, but the provincial government failed to table the bill in the provincial assembly. The bill is still lying in the education department for over two and a half years.
Speaking to the parents, Mr Atif said that the proposed regulatory authority would have representation of all the stakeholders, including the representatives of the private schools, parents and education department.
Deputy commissioner, Peshawar, Riaz Mehsud, officials of the education department, representatives of the Consumers Protection Council, All Pakistan Parents Association, Peshawar, and a number of the parents of students of private schools were also present on the occasion.
The minister said that the proposed authority would have the powers to make the policy guideline for private schools and implement them. About increase in fee, he said that in the open market economy the government couldn’t force the private schools to cut fee. However, he said that the regulation of schools was the responsibility of the provincial government.
Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1207243/private-schools-regulatory-authority-being-set-up

ADB to extend assistance for power projects

PESHAWAR: The Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (Pedo) has entered into collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to develop and implement power projects across the province.
A statement issued here said that both the organisations have agreed to jointly work on developing a strategic roadmap for power sector of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through the ADB’s technical assistance. It said that international consultants would be hired to develop the power sector roadmap for next 15-20 years and associated investment plan besides undertaking key project identification and development of an effective corporate structure and regulatory framework.
It said that both the parties agreed on the access to energy and will deal with providing electricity to rural areas where there is no connectivity to power. A detailed assessment will be carried out by the ADB’s international consultants to identify potential, including conducting a feasibility study, identification of mini/micro hydel and solar off-grid solutions, community empowerment and mobilisation.
Subsequently, the ADB would work with Pedo to finance this initiative by developing and implementing an economically sustainable model. It said that both the parties also decided to finance hydropower projects in KP through ADB’s Multi-tranche Finance Facility. The bank will provide support in evaluating the feasibility of a key strategic hydropower project or portfolio of projects and subsequently finance it through available financing options.
Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1207241/adb-to-extend-assistance-for-power-projects

Syed Haider Imam · Sep 22, 2015

Sep 17 2015

Five held over illegal WWB equipment contracts

PESHAWAR: The National Accountability Bureau, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has arrested five people, including a former Workers Welfare Board chairman and Provincial Housing Authority (PHA) director (finance) on the charge of misusing authority by illegally awarding contracts for the supply of over Rs3.5 billion equipment.
The suspects include former WWB chairman Aizazur Rehman, director (finance) Mohammad Ibrar Hussain, PHA director (finance) Mohammad Imran Wazir, Ashraf Enterprises owner Mohammad Akbar Awan and contractor Irfan Qureshi.
They were produced before an accountability court’s judge, Ibrahim Khan, who remanded them in the NAB custody for 12 days.
WWB former secretary Tariq Awan and some other officials have already been arrested by the NAB in the case.

Accountability court remands detainees in NAB custody for 12 days

NAB prosecutor Daniyal Chamkani appeared with the suspects and alleged that they were involved in illegal award of contracts for the procurement of equipment including generators, vacuum cleaners, first aid box, fans, fiber glass rooms, etc. through fake and non-registered firms at highly exorbitant rates to the tune of over Rs3.5 billion approximately and had caused huge loss to state exchequer on account of short and substandard supply.
He said the investigation discovered that suspect Aizazur Rehman with mala fide intention delegated all his administrative and financial powers to the prime accused Tariq Awan thus illegally handing him over all affairs of the board.
He said the prime accused in connivance with other accused persons opened hidden bank account and used it for their illegal activities.
He added that all the illegal payments to the un-registered and fake supply firms were made through the account.
The NAB has claimed both the suspects, including Imran Khan and Mohammad Abrar, remained the WWB director (finance) and had issued cheques in connivance with other accused for payments to the fraudulent contractors and thus willfully failing to exercise their authority to prevent loss to the kitty.
Suspects Arsalan Qureshi and Mohammad Akbar Awan allegedly secured contracts for supply of equipment at highly exorbitant rates through active connivance of WWB officials.
Some firms were unregistered and did not have prior experience of supplying equipment to government departments.
SUSPECT ARRESTED: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission (KPEC) has arrested the owner of a private firm, Sajjad Ahmad, on the charge of
supplying substandard material at exorbitant rate to the Expanded Programme on Immunisation.
The suspect was produced before an Ehtesab court comprising judge Subhan Sher Khan on Wednesday and was remanded in the custody of the commission for 14 days.
Additional deputy prosecutor general Lajbar Khan and prosecutor Qaisar Khan told the court that an EPI deputy director and clerk had already been arrested in the case.
According to them, the suspect was awarded contract for the provision of 700 stabilisers needed to maintain cool chain of anti-polio vaccines in different districts due to low voltage.
However, the relevant authorities in most districts returned stabilisers after they went out of order due to poor quality.
Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1207526/five-held-over-illegal-wwb-equipment-contracts

Rs60 million for renovation of museums

PESHAWAR: Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has decided to launch a project for the rehabilitation and renovation of six museums to attract foreign and domestic tourists to the province.
The decision was taken at a meeting of officials of the archaeology and museums here on Wednesday, said a press release issued by the archaeology department.
The museums at Dir, Bannu, Swat, Chitral, Mardan and Hund would be restored and renovated under a two-year project for which Rs60 million had been allocated.
Under the project, display centres would also be established at these museums while lighting and drainage systems would also be improved. Construction of international standard parking lots, lawns, benches, racks for antiquities, cafeteria, upgradation of library and stores are also part of the project.
Virtual tours would be initiated and use of technology would be made in projection of antiquities and museum exhibit for the convenience of tourists. Another innovative prospect of this project is that multilingual titles and descriptions are also in the pipeline.
After the 18th amendment, the archaeology and museums were handed over to the provinces and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government launched various steps to attract tourists by developing tourism and heritage sites. The participants of the meeting said that the museums needed maintenance, development and expansion to preserve the precious antiquities.
A nominal fee would be charged for entry, parking and conducting cultural events and exhibitions to generate revenue for the maintenance of museums, the meeting decided.
Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1207525/rs60-million-for-renovation-of-museums

Business community lauds police for restoring peace

PESHAWAR: The business community of Peshawar on Wednesday paid homage to the sacrifices rendered by the police personnel for restoration of peace and said that the investors who had left the province due to lawlessness were now returning to restart their businesses.
Leaders of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry said this while speaking at a ceremony held at the chamber to acknowledge the efforts of KP police and commemorate the sacrifices rendered by the police personnel during the past several years in the fight against terrorism.
IGP Nasir Khan Durrani was the chief guest at the ceremony. Representatives of the traders and industries participated in the function.
Expressing the sentiments of traders and members of the chamber, KPCCI president Fuad Ishaq said, “We congratulate IGP Nasir Durrani on his efforts for revolutionising the police on modern lines.”

Says investors returning to KP

Zahid Shinwari and Sharafat Ali Mubarak, former presidents of the chamber, also addressed the gathering and paid tribute to the police sacrifices. KPCCI vice-president Iqbal Khan Afridi, CCPO Peshawar Mubarak Zeb and representatives of traders’ organisations participated in the function.
They lauded the initiatives adopted by the KP police for reducing the public-police trust deficit. In this regard, they mentioned the establishment of police assistance lines, dispute resolution councils, police access system and reporting rooms.
They said that owing to these initiatives relations among police, traders and people had improved, contributing to improvement in the law and order situation.
The business community praised the KP police for providing them an atmosphere conducive to pursuing and promoting business activities in Peshawar city.
They said that the traders and industrialists who had withdrawn their investment from the KP and migrated to other provinces had now started returning to the province.
On this occasion, Mr Durrani thanked the business community for reposing trust in the police and extending support in maintaining law and order situation. He said that the province was rich with human resource, which needed to be channelized in a right direction.
Shields and souvenirs were also presented to the families of the police martyrs. The chamber’s president presented a souvenir to the IGP in recognition of the services of the KP police.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1207523/business-community-lauds-police-for-restoring-peace

Three wildlife parks, but no zoo in Kohat

KOHAT: The people have demanded opening of the existing wildlife parks in Kohat district for public to provide families, especially children, amusement and knowledge.
They said that there were three wildlife parks in Kohat, but local people were deprived of the benefits to learn about the wildlife in their natural habitat. They said that these parks could be run as mini zoos to provide an opportunity to the schoolchildren to learn about the wildlife.
Wildlife range officer, Kohat, Shabbir Ahmed said that at present there was no such project to set up a zoo here.
He said that zoos cost the government a big amount of money for feeding the animals and birds and taking their care by professional staff.

Opening of parks for public sought

There are hog deer, chinkara, blue bull, orial and other species in the Kotal (1987) Tanda Dam (1991) and Togh Manglore (2005) wildlife parks besides a good number of birds like pheasants, peacocks, etc.
The Kotal wildlife park, which was the nearest to the city along the old hilly track, was spread over 145 acres. At present, the parks have more than 150 pairs of hog deer and chinkara and they were regularly breeding and giving birth to healthy calves, sad Mr Ahmed.
He said that since 2005 no new project had been approved for the wildlife so that they could buy more different kind of animals and turn the parks into mini zoos or buy vehicles for showing the visitors animals from a close range.
People are not being encouraged to visit Kotal park which could be opened by issuing an order by the government. One can have a bird’s eye view of the park and the animals there from the high Kotal Pass.
The deer could be seen in the afternoon when they come down from mountains for grazing.
Mohammad Imtiaz, a TMA officer, suggested that the government could persuade the oil companies working in the area to make investment in construction of a zoo.
Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1207519/three-wildlife-parks-but-no-zoo-in-kohat

Syed Haider Imam · Sep 22, 2015

Sep 18 2015

Imran Khan favours Fata merger with KP

NOWSHERA: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Thursday favoured the merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying turning tribal areas into a separate province near Afghan border was not doable.
He, however, said the people of Fata should be given the opportunity to decide about the matter.
“Fata should be made part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will consult tribal elders, political leaders and experts to reach an understanding on this important issue,” the PTI chief told reporters here in Manki Sharif.
He went to the area to condole the death of Abdul Latif Khan Khattak, brother-in-law of provincial Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.

Says turning tribal areas into a separate province not possible

The deceased was also the brother-in-law of Nowshera district nazim Liaquat Khattak and father of PTI MNA Dr Imran Khattak.
PTI central vice chairman and deputy parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Shah Mehmood Qureshi, party’s provincial organiser Fazal Mohammad Khan, Senators Mohsin Aziz and Nauman Wazir, MNAs, ministers, advisers and special assistants to the chief ministers, and MPAs were also present on the occasion.
Imran said after tribal elders and elected representatives were taken into confidence, the PTI-led provincial government would consult experts on how to do away with the centuries-old British system of governance and justice still prevalent in Fata.
[TABLE="class: media four-tenths palm--one-whole media--center media--uneven"]
[TR]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

He declared the prime minister’s relief package for farmers part of rigging before major by-elections and local government elections and said the package should have been given in the federal budget for fiscal year 2015-16.
The PTI chief said it was unfortunate that he and his party leaders had been stopped from campaigning for party candidate in the NA-122 constituency though Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had announced a ‘big relief package’ for farmers just ahead of by-elections and local government elections.
He criticised the federal government for asking provinces to pay half of the cost of fertilisers.
“Provinces don’t have money to buy fertilisers,” he said.
About the National Accountability Bureau’s action against the Pakistan People’s Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement leaders, the PTI chief said pressure was mounting on the prime minister to stop the operation of Rangers in Karachi against criminals, their financers and corrupt people.
He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif didn’t honour his commitment made to former president Asif Ali Zardari and approved the NAB inquiry against his party’s leaders.
Imran said people wanted accountability across the board and that PML-N and PPP had always made bargain on the appointment of the NAB chiefs to hush up their corruption.
Referring to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission, he said the chief of the accountability body was appointed by the provincial assembly instead of the provincial government.
The PTI chief said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission had begun a probe against provincial minister Ziaullah Afridi without any interference from the party.
He said he took action against Ziaullah Afridi after he began hurling accusations at everyone in the party besides blackmailing them.
“(Ziaullah) Afridi’s duty was to clear himself from charges,” he said.
Imran said the Ehtesab Commission was free and independent and won’t spare looters of public money.
Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2015

Pleas against dispute resolution councils disposed of

ESHAWAR: A Peshawar High Court bench on Thursday disposed of four identical petitions against the functioning of dispute resolution councils (DRCs) in the province after learning that the provincial government had made amendments to the relevant law for providing legal support to their formation by the provincial police officer.
The bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Roohul Amin Khan observed that in the wake of amendments to the Police Order 2002 to add provision for the establishment of DRCs, the petitions had become infructuous.
It observed that if petitioners had any grievance, they should file fresh petitions challenging the law under which the councils were formed.
On May 27, a high court bench headed by Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel had suspended the functioning of the DRCs with the direction to the advocate general to submit written explanation about how and under what law these councils had been set up.

PHC rules petitions have become infructuous due to amendments to Police Order

It was hearing a petition filed by a resident of Hayatabad in Peshawar, Qaisar Khan, against the functioning of the DRCs.
The petitioner had claimed that he was having money dispute with another person and he was issued notice through police by the DRC set up at West Cant police station.
He added that when the petitioner did not turn up before the council he was warned of dire consequences by one of the members of the council and was told that he had to abide by the council’s decision.
After the petitioner filed the petition in the high court, he was informed that the council had rejected the complaint of his rival on the ground that the disputed amount involved was Rs2.7 million which was beyond the council’s jurisdiction. During subsequent hearings in the case the court extended the restraining order of stoppage of the DRCs from functioning till further order.
Later, three other petitions were also filed by aggrieved people against the DRC.
There were around 50 DRCs functioning across the province under a foreign funded project. Initially, a DRC was established at Gulbahar Police Station in Jan 2014. There were also superior panels in the DRCs which hear the cases already decided by the regular panels but are not acceptable to one or the other party.
When the bench took up for hearing the cases on Thursday, Advocate General Abdul Lateef Yousafzai said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly had passed the KP Police Order (Amendment) Act, 2015, and the governor had assented to the law on Aug 12. He pointed out that through the said amendment a new Section, 168A, had been included in the Police Order, 2002, and the said section provided legal cover to the DRCs. He added that the amendment was applicable with retrospective effect and the already established DRCs and the decisions made by it had also been given protection.
Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2015
On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile Ap
http://www.dawn.com/news/1207750/pleas-against-dispute-resolution-councils-disposed-of

Educationists remanded in judicial custody over illegal affiliation

PESHAWAR: A local accountability court on Wednesday sent to prison on judicial remand the four educationists, including Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan Vice-Chancellor Professor Ihsan Ali, arrested for misusing authority by giving affiliation to an illegal medical institution in Abbottabad.
The suspects, including Professor Ihsan Ali, who is also the former VC of Hazara University, former Hazara University VC Dr Syed Sakhawat Shah, Northern Institute of Medical Sciences Abbottabad chairman Dr Mohammad Aziz Khan and former chairman of Higher Education Regulatory Authority Professor Hamayun Zia, were produced before judge Mohammad Ibrahim Khan.
National Accountability Bureau Special prosecutor Nauroze Khan informed the court that the investigation against suspects had been completed and therefore, the bureau didn’t need their physical custody.
The court sent them to the Peshawar Central Prison on 14 days of judicial remand.
While accepting their application, it asked the prison administration to keep suspects in ‘B’ class.
Academicians and students turned up in large number to meet the arrested persons. Strict security measures were adopted on this occasion.
The suspects were arrested a day earlier by the NAB, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on the charges of misusing authority and cheating public at large by luring students to get admission in an illegal and unregistered medical educational institution depriving them of more than Rs550 million.
The NAB alleged that the inquiry showed that without any medical faculty or mandate as provided in the Khyber Medical University Act 2006, former vice-chancellors Professor Ihsan Ali and Professor Sakhawat Shah granted affiliation to the NIMS Abbottabad with ulterior motives and conducted examination of the said illegal educational institution.
According to the NAB, the inquiry discovered that Dr Mohammad Aziz Khan willfully indulged in illegal business for monitory gains by admitting students without any lawful mandate prior to the recognition of the institute as envisaged in the Pakistan Medical and Dental College Ordinance 1962.
Hamayun Zia illegally registered the NIMS by overlooking criteria for registration and failed to pay periodic regulatory visits.
Also in the day, top management and faculty members of AWKUM expressed dismay over the surprise arrest of the University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Ihsan Ali.
During an emergency meeting, the AWKUM management and faculty said they were concerned about the way the vice-chancellor was arrested by the NAB regional office.
“The arrest of a sitting VC is astonishing and unprecedented. The NAB action has hurt the reputation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s most modern and credible university,” said a statement issued after the meeting.
Senior management of the university said Professor Ihsan had not been proven guilty but the media coverage of his arrest had caused discomfort and anxiety among AWKUM staff and students because it had damaged the reputation of AWKUM and its vice-chancellor.
They said they would ensure smooth functioning of the institution.
They hoped that the courts would exonerate Professor Ali of all charges.
Meanwhile, employees and students of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan and its campus in Buner protested the arrest of Professor Ihsan Ali and warned they would agitate if he was not freed immediately.
In Mardan, a procession was taken out under the aegis of the Employees Union of AWKU, which was led by its president Ajmal Mayar and general secretary Jawad Khan.
Addressing the demonstration, the office-bearers said Professor Ihsan Ali had a very clean career and had rendered unmatched contribution to the fields of archeology and education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
They termed the NAB action against Professor Ihsan Ali and other educationists discriminatory and based on mala fide.
In Buner, the administration officers, teachers and students of AWKU campus took out a procession from the campus up to Main Chowk in Swari.
They said the arrest of Professor Ihsan Ali was a conspiracy against education sector as he had promoted the university’s ranking to 12th in the country and second in the province.
Provincial vice president of AWKU employees’ union Mustafa Khan, lecturer Anwar Khan, clerk Inam Khan and student leader Tauseef Khan criticised the NAB over the arrest and warned the protest would spread to other universities if Professor Ihsan was not freed at once.
Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1207522/educationists-remanded-in-judicial-custody-over-illegal-affiliation

150 police stations in KP lack proper buildings: IGP

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief Nasir Khan Durrani has said that 150 of the total 262 police stations in the province lacked proper buildings and other facilities.

Talking to Dawn here on Thursday, he said that about 150 police stations were either unsafe or housed in rented spaces.
He said that the government could not construct all these police stations in one year and there was no allocation made for the construction in a phase-wise manner.
He said that currently the funds were not enough to construct even a single police station properly.
Mr Durrani said that they were constructing police reporting centres across the province to improve public-police interaction.
“We have built 11 such centres from our own resources,” he said, adding that the provincial government would fund construction of 100 such centres in the province.
He said that the apex committee’s experience had proved to be very effective in bringing down terrorism incidents in the province.
He said that on the one hand the Pakistan Army conducted operations in tribal areas to dismantle the terrorist networks, on the other the police did not allow the fleeing terrorists to hide in urban areas and form sleeper cells.
“To prevent entry of militants, police have to be very alert and conduct search and strike operations daily,” he said. However, the police chief added that it would be wrong to say that the threat was over.
“The threat still exists as incidents happening across the border have their impact here,” he said.
He said that legislation was made to check rented houses and hoteliers and deny bases to militants. He said that under the law about 215,000 houses were searched and cases registered against 4,421 owners for not registering their tenants, while 759 FIRs were filed against hotels.
The IGP said that the police had increased its snap-checking to control the hit-and-run attacks.
He said that they had taken action against 1,736 fake identity card holders, while legal action was initiated against 966 persons involved in attestation of their papers. He said that they had also issued warnings to about 12,000 schools for not following the security guidelines.
Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1207748/150-police-stations-in-kp-lack-proper-buildings-igp

Police to have technical labs at zonal level

ISLAMABAD: The capital police have decided to establish technical laboratories at the zonal level to reduce the cost of investigation.
The decision was taken by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sajid Kiani after it was brought to his knowledge that at the moment only the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the police had the facility of such a laboratory.
A police officer told Dawn on the condition of anonymity that preparations to set up the laboratories at each of the four police zones were almost complete.
The labs would start working within the next a couple of days. There is no need for any huge finance as the establishment of a lab needs just a few computers having data banks and experts, he added.
Besides, an official having technical expertise, called the focal person, would be nominated from each of the zones. These officials have already been briefed on the equipment, skills and handling of the technical data at the SIU.
According to the police officer, each of the labs would comprise two subdivisions containing two police stations.
He said the only technical laboratory working under the SIU handled 22 police stations of the capital city along with the Crime Investigation Department, the Crime Investigation Agency and the Anti-Car Lifting Cell.
Besides, the laboratory also assisted its parent department, the SIU, in investigating crimes referred to it by the police stations.
At present, investigation officers from all the police stations have to visit the SIU to get access to the technical data about different cases.
After the laboratories are set up at the zone level, the access time to the technical date can be reduced and IOs can also save their time.
The officer said the incharges of the zones had been asked to set up the labs in consultation with the focal persons.
Besides, they were also asked to develop communication links between the zone and the concerned police stations for cutting short the time required to get the technical data.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1207741/police-to-have-technical-labs-at-zonal-level

Syed Haider Imam · Sep 26, 2015

Sep 19, 2015

[h=1]Car lifting cases on the rise in Dir[/h]
TIMERGARA: Lower Dir former district nazim Ihsanul Haq said on Friday that incidents of car lifting were increasing in the district, but police were doing nothing to trace the culprits.

Speaking at a press conference at Timergara Press Club, he said that the car of a local property dealer was stolen the other day and despite complaints the Timergara police had not traced the car lifters as yet.
Timergara Property Dealers Association president Bakhtawar Syed and Yousaf Khan were also present on the occasion. Mr Haq said that over 10 vehicles had been stolen from the area during the last two months, but the administration was not taking notice of such crime incidents.
“The silence of the police is encouraging criminals,” he said and demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to take notice of the matter. The former nazim threatened to bring people on the road if the authorities failed to trace the car lifting cases within next 15 days. He also demanded of the commandant Dir Task Force to launch a crackdown on car lifters in the area.
Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1207938/car-lifting-cases-on-the-rise-in-dir

KPK Updates

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)

Senator (1k+ posts)

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)