Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Nov 11 2015
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Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Nov 12 2015
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
NOV 13 2015
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
NOV 14 2015
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Doctors’ rights: Larger bench to hear cases against MTI Reforms Ac
PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel ordered the formation of a larger bench to hear all petitions filed by doctors against the K-P Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act 2015. The order was issued after questions on the constitutional and fundamental rights of the medical community were raised during the hearing on Thursday.
A divisional bench of CJ Miankhel and Justice Younis Thaheem took up different petitions challenging the act and appointment of Nosherwan Barki as Lady Reading Hospital board of directors’ chairman. There were also petitions related to PTI chief Imran Khan’s alleged contempt of court.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Abdul Latif Yousafzai told the bench the petitions raised questions about constitutional and fundamental rights and therefore a larger bench should be formed to hear the case.
Lawyers representing the petitioners supported the request and said they would not object. Accepting the plea, the chief justice ordered a larger bench to hear the vires of the act.
Earlier, the bench also extended the date of a contempt of court notice against Imran and asked him to submit a reply by December 2.
The advocate general informed the bench he was contacted by Imran and the cricketer-turned-politician requested for more time to submit a detailed reply.
The chief justice also enquired whether Yousafzai could appear on behalf of the head of a political party. The attorney general replied he was merely relaying a request to the bench and said Imran’s lawyer would appear before the court at the next hearing.
‘Mafia’
Advocate Khalid Mehmud, representing one of the petitioners, said politicians should avoid issuing statements to the media on sub judice matters.
The bench also ordered separate contempt of court petitions apart from the constitutional petitions against the PTI chairperson. Several complainants produced press clippings in which Khan compared the doctors to a mafia and used derogatory language against them.
The same bench has also ordered compensation should be paid within two months under the Shuhada package to families of personnel who have lost their lives in militancy-related incidents.
CJ Miankhel and Justice Taheem were hearing a contempt of court notice filed by Zarmina Bibi through her counsel Sardar Ali Raza against the failure to implement court orders.
The CJ remarked Rs3 million was a meagre amount as it did not account for the rate of inflation. He added the failure to make the payment was regrettable.
Some petitioners hailed from Lakki Marwat and their sons, who were personnel of the Frontier Constabulary, lost their lives in a blast outside Shabqadar Fort.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/990386/...-bench-to-hear-cases-against-mti-reforms-act/
PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel ordered the formation of a larger bench to hear all petitions filed by doctors against the K-P Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act 2015. The order was issued after questions on the constitutional and fundamental rights of the medical community were raised during the hearing on Thursday.
A divisional bench of CJ Miankhel and Justice Younis Thaheem took up different petitions challenging the act and appointment of Nosherwan Barki as Lady Reading Hospital board of directors’ chairman. There were also petitions related to PTI chief Imran Khan’s alleged contempt of court.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Abdul Latif Yousafzai told the bench the petitions raised questions about constitutional and fundamental rights and therefore a larger bench should be formed to hear the case.
Lawyers representing the petitioners supported the request and said they would not object. Accepting the plea, the chief justice ordered a larger bench to hear the vires of the act.
Earlier, the bench also extended the date of a contempt of court notice against Imran and asked him to submit a reply by December 2.
The advocate general informed the bench he was contacted by Imran and the cricketer-turned-politician requested for more time to submit a detailed reply.
The chief justice also enquired whether Yousafzai could appear on behalf of the head of a political party. The attorney general replied he was merely relaying a request to the bench and said Imran’s lawyer would appear before the court at the next hearing.
‘Mafia’
Advocate Khalid Mehmud, representing one of the petitioners, said politicians should avoid issuing statements to the media on sub judice matters.
The bench also ordered separate contempt of court petitions apart from the constitutional petitions against the PTI chairperson. Several complainants produced press clippings in which Khan compared the doctors to a mafia and used derogatory language against them.
The same bench has also ordered compensation should be paid within two months under the Shuhada package to families of personnel who have lost their lives in militancy-related incidents.
CJ Miankhel and Justice Taheem were hearing a contempt of court notice filed by Zarmina Bibi through her counsel Sardar Ali Raza against the failure to implement court orders.
The CJ remarked Rs3 million was a meagre amount as it did not account for the rate of inflation. He added the failure to make the payment was regrettable.
Some petitioners hailed from Lakki Marwat and their sons, who were personnel of the Frontier Constabulary, lost their lives in a blast outside Shabqadar Fort.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/990386/...-bench-to-hear-cases-against-mti-reforms-act/
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Trend of sending children to private schools increases
PESHAWAR: Though government schoolteachers in K-P are more qualified than those at private schools, majority of parents are sending their children for private education.
The numbers
According to Alif Ailaan’s 2015 survey, shared with The Express Tribune, in the last decade 56% children in K-P were enrolled at private schools. “At least 49% students from urban areas and 77% from rural areas study at government schools,” the report stated. According to the survey, 13% students from the lowest income groups, 24% from lower middle income group, 31% from middle, 42% from upper middle and 61% from the higher income group were enrolled in private schools.
Proof is in the learning
In private schools, the highest degree teachers have is a bachelor’s whereas in government schools, majority of the teachers have a master’s degree. When government schoolteachers are more qualified and more government schools exist in K-P, why are parents increasingly sending their children to private institutions. Statistics suggest the difference lies in the learning.
At the primary level, 60% private school students and 37% government school students can read a single paragraph in English and 54% private school children and 37% government school students can solve a simple mathematics problem.
Majority of the parents believe annual results reveal a marked difference in the quality and standard of education delivered. They believe private schools are equipped with better facilities, have a stronger implementation of the English medium and produce hard-working students.
According to the survey, private schools also have the benefit of electricity, water, toilets, boundary walls and playground – all of which are either absent or not well-maintained at government schools. Talking to The Express Tribune, education expert Malik Masood said, even though government schoolteachers were more qualified than those at private schools, they did not possess the technique to proactively educate children.
Differing opinion
Peshawar Primary Teachers’ Association President Azizullah Khan said admitting children into private schools has become “fashionable.” He said all those students who earned top positions in entry tests of medical and engineering colleges were from government schools.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 9[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/987672/trend-of-sending-children-to-private-schools-increases/
http://tribune.com.pk/story/987672/trend-of-sending-children-to-private-schools-increases/
PESHAWAR: Though government schoolteachers in K-P are more qualified than those at private schools, majority of parents are sending their children for private education.
The numbers
According to Alif Ailaan’s 2015 survey, shared with The Express Tribune, in the last decade 56% children in K-P were enrolled at private schools. “At least 49% students from urban areas and 77% from rural areas study at government schools,” the report stated. According to the survey, 13% students from the lowest income groups, 24% from lower middle income group, 31% from middle, 42% from upper middle and 61% from the higher income group were enrolled in private schools.
Proof is in the learning
In private schools, the highest degree teachers have is a bachelor’s whereas in government schools, majority of the teachers have a master’s degree. When government schoolteachers are more qualified and more government schools exist in K-P, why are parents increasingly sending their children to private institutions. Statistics suggest the difference lies in the learning.
At the primary level, 60% private school students and 37% government school students can read a single paragraph in English and 54% private school children and 37% government school students can solve a simple mathematics problem.
Majority of the parents believe annual results reveal a marked difference in the quality and standard of education delivered. They believe private schools are equipped with better facilities, have a stronger implementation of the English medium and produce hard-working students.
According to the survey, private schools also have the benefit of electricity, water, toilets, boundary walls and playground – all of which are either absent or not well-maintained at government schools. Talking to The Express Tribune, education expert Malik Masood said, even though government schoolteachers were more qualified than those at private schools, they did not possess the technique to proactively educate children.
Differing opinion
Peshawar Primary Teachers’ Association President Azizullah Khan said admitting children into private schools has become “fashionable.” He said all those students who earned top positions in entry tests of medical and engineering colleges were from government schools.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 9[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/987672/trend-of-sending-children-to-private-schools-increases/
http://tribune.com.pk/story/987672/trend-of-sending-children-to-private-schools-increases/
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
NOV 15 2015
Four doctors arrested for negligence
KOHAT: The additional district and sessions judge-III on Saturday ordered the arrest of four doctors after cancellation of their bail before arrest in a case of negligence in duty in a child molestation case.
Soon after the order issued by the judge, Irshad Ahmed Khan, the city police took into custody all the four doctors and locked them up in the police station.
They would be presented before the magistrate on special duty today (Sunday).
The police said that four accused Asmatullah, Ejaz, Sakhi Jan and an Afghan refugee, Mehboob had allegedly molested a 12 year-old child, belonging to Jungle Khel, on July 15.
The victim’s father had filed an FIR against the four accused on July 19, after which they were arrested by the police.
The boy was taken to women and children hospital for checkup by police to ascertain whether he had been subjected to sexual abuse or not. But the doctors on duty -- Dr Barkat Ali, Dr Raza Ali, Dr Abdul Khaliq and Dr Waheed ur Rehman, refused to check the boy and referred the case to the KDA divisional headquarters hospital, Kohat.
The police took the boy to KDA hospital where doctors referred him back to the women and children hospital.
Dr Safdar, who was on duty at the women and children hospital, conducted the checkup and stated in the report that the boy had been molested.
The police had filed a case against the doctors for refusing to perform their duty but they got bail before arrest.
However, on Saturday the judge refused extension in their bail and ordered their arrest.
Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1219776/four-doctors-arrested-for-negligence
Medical teachers now have to compete for promotions
PESHAWAR: Medical teachers, who would earlier get promotion to next grades on seniority basis, will now have to compete for promotion to higher positions in accordance with the Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Law 2015.
“There will be three main criteria, including clinical performance, education performance and research, for promotion of medical teachers. Previously, the promotions took place on the basis of seniority,” Prof Nausherwan Khan Burki, told Dawn.
Prof Burki, who has been tasked by PTI chairman Imran Khan to enforce the new law in hospitals, says they have devised a mechanism which will bring academic improvement in medical education and the medical colleges will get competent people. He said that head of departments would also be selected through merit-based criteria and those with higher qualification and research experience will get top positions.
Those with higher qualification, research experience to get top positions under the new law
Prof Burki said he had held meetings with the representatives of doctors who opposed the new system, but there was no serious problem that needed resolution because 13 amendments had already been incorporated by virtue of which the grievances had been met.
As opposed to the present system in which any senior-most among medical teachers is made principal of the medical college, the dean will now head the medical college for certain period. Currently, a person stays on principal’s post till retirement.
“The selection process of the medical teachers will be done by the academic council on the recommendation of a committee to be appointed at every institution. It will lead to selection of the best available professionals,” he said.
Prof Burki said that the four hospitals – including Khyber Teaching Hospital, Hayatabad Medical Complex and Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, and Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad – where the provincial government has enforced the law would produce medical graduates, specialist doctors and workforce for all medical technologies who would serve in the rural hospitals.
A 10-member board of governors has already been appointed for each of the hospitals, which would take input from their respective academic councils and other committees about academic as well as clinical affairs of their institutions. Associations of medical teachers, who are opposing the new law, want to work under the existing terms and conditions of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) for promotion. Under the new law, the rules of the Higher Education Commission would be applied to such matters.
A professor, however, told Dawn that there was a little difference between the HEC and PM&DC’s criteria for the promotion of teaching staff. For promotion of associate professor to the post of professor, HEC requires more research papers than the PM&DC. Both these institutions are working to narrow down this difference as well. He said that the responsibility to follow the promotion criteria had been given to the academic council of the medical teaching institutions.
He said that the post of dean and head of the department were academic-cum-administrative which were filled through open competition the world over. He said that the new law was aimed at introducing international standard in the medical education and expanding health services.
Pakistan is the only country in the world with the current system of selection and promotion in hospitals and consequently has poor performance in health care services.
The new reforms will enhance the standard of medical education with consequent improvement in health care services all over the province in the short term and all over the region in long term and these institutions will also achieve financial stability.
“Those opposing reforms have nothing in substance. They know the poor performance of our hospitals, but want to delay the reforms as long as possible for their vested interest,” sources said, adding that within the last on month, three groups of serving teaching staff had opened three private hospitals who might not care for improvement in the public sector hospitals.
Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2015
Ancient gurdwara closed since 1942 set for reopening
PESHAWAR: The district administration on Saturday patched up things between Sikhs and Muslims over a gurdwara dispute paving the way for the reopening of the place of worship closed since 1942.
“Members of Sikh community will resume the acts of worships in the ancient Jogiwara gurdwara soon after minor renovation and repairs are done to it,” said a Sikh participant of the jirga held in the office of the Peshawar deputy commissioner to resolve the longstanding dispute. The gurdwara is located near Hashtnagri locality.
The jirga was participated by DC Riaz Mehsud, special assistant to the chief minister on minority affairs Sorang Singh, SP (City) Imtiaz Khan, DSP Sajjad Ahmad and representatives of local Muslim and Sikh communities.
Peshawar admin helps Muslims and Sikhs end ‘privacy’ dispute
A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that the gurdwara was closed before the creation of Pakistan due to a dispute between Sikhs and Muslims over the ‘privacy’ of those living in the neighbourhood, especially women.
He said the two religious communities had lost two lives to the dispute.
The official said no one had bothered to make efforts for the reopening of the gurdwara since its closure more than 70 years ago.
After the jirga, Riaz Mehsud told Dawn that Muslims and Sikhs had formally done an agreement on the reopening of the gurdwara.
“Now, Sikhs can worship in the gurdwara without trouble,” he said, adding that the agreement was a classical example of interfaith harmony in Peshawar.
The DC said the gurdwara’s building was historic and beautiful. He said he had been making efforts with the help of the police officers and local elders for the reopening of the gurdwara that bore fruit on Saturday.
According to the agreement, a wall will be constructed near the gurdwara to ensure ‘privacy’ of the girls enrolled in the adjacent school in line with the local culture.
The agreement also read a wall would be constructed on the roof of the temple to ensure ‘privacy’ of those living in the neighbourhood.
“The people using the street near gurdwara won’t face any disturbance,” it said, adding that in future, the locals will not object to Sikhs observing rituals in the gurdwara.
When contacted, special assistant to the chief minister on minority affairs Soran Singh said after the reopening of the Jogiwara gurdwara, Sikhs would get another place of worship in the city.
He said currently, Sikhs had only one gurdwara that was located in Mahalla Jogan Shah, which was reopened to worshippers in 1985.
The special assistant said the number of Sikhs in Peshawar had increased in the last one decade due to their displacement from different tribal areas for militancy.
He said the Jogiwara gurdwara needed minor repairs and whitewash for being closed for decades and when all that was done, it would be opened to worshippers.
“A grand ceremony will be held on the gurdwara reopening day,” he said.
Soran Singh said the reopening of the gurdwara would send out a positive message to the world about Pakistan and Peshawar.
Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1219766/ancient-gurdwara-closed-since-1942-set-for-reopening
Rescue 1122 workers demonstrate skills
PESHAWAR: The Rescue 1122 on Saturday arranged an event in connection with the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims and shared necessary information with the participants.
The event was held on the premises of the emergency service where some demonstrations were also arranged to prove that the relevant staff was able to rescue victims in different disasters, including road accidents, earthquakes, floods, etc.
Rescue 1122 spokesman, Bilal Ahmed Faizi, said that since January to mid Nov, 2015, some 6,000 traffic accidents had taken place in the provincial metropolis and Mardan district where 6,000 people had sustained wounds. He added the 1122 rescuers had timely shifted the injured to the nearest hospitals after giving them first-aid.
Of these accidents, he said 80 per cent involved motorbikes and the victims were mostly underage. He said the rescue body had properly maintained a training wing which had so far imparted training up to 10,000 people in the government and private sector organisations to help the people while in need.
Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1219763/rescue-1122-workers-demonstrate-skills
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Four doctors arrested for negligence
KOHAT: The additional district and sessions judge-III on Saturday ordered the arrest of four doctors after cancellation of their bail before arrest in a case of negligence in duty in a child molestation case.
Soon after the order issued by the judge, Irshad Ahmed Khan, the city police took into custody all the four doctors and locked them up in the police station.
They would be presented before the magistrate on special duty today (Sunday).
The police said that four accused Asmatullah, Ejaz, Sakhi Jan and an Afghan refugee, Mehboob had allegedly molested a 12 year-old child, belonging to Jungle Khel, on July 15.
The victim’s father had filed an FIR against the four accused on July 19, after which they were arrested by the police.
The boy was taken to women and children hospital for checkup by police to ascertain whether he had been subjected to sexual abuse or not. But the doctors on duty -- Dr Barkat Ali, Dr Raza Ali, Dr Abdul Khaliq and Dr Waheed ur Rehman, refused to check the boy and referred the case to the KDA divisional headquarters hospital, Kohat.
The police took the boy to KDA hospital where doctors referred him back to the women and children hospital.
Dr Safdar, who was on duty at the women and children hospital, conducted the checkup and stated in the report that the boy had been molested.
The police had filed a case against the doctors for refusing to perform their duty but they got bail before arrest.
However, on Saturday the judge refused extension in their bail and ordered their arrest.
Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1219776/four-doctors-arrested-for-negligence
Medical teachers now have to compete for promotions
PESHAWAR: Medical teachers, who would earlier get promotion to next grades on seniority basis, will now have to compete for promotion to higher positions in accordance with the Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Law 2015.
“There will be three main criteria, including clinical performance, education performance and research, for promotion of medical teachers. Previously, the promotions took place on the basis of seniority,” Prof Nausherwan Khan Burki, told Dawn.
Prof Burki, who has been tasked by PTI chairman Imran Khan to enforce the new law in hospitals, says they have devised a mechanism which will bring academic improvement in medical education and the medical colleges will get competent people. He said that head of departments would also be selected through merit-based criteria and those with higher qualification and research experience will get top positions.
Those with higher qualification, research experience to get top positions under the new law
Prof Burki said he had held meetings with the representatives of doctors who opposed the new system, but there was no serious problem that needed resolution because 13 amendments had already been incorporated by virtue of which the grievances had been met.
As opposed to the present system in which any senior-most among medical teachers is made principal of the medical college, the dean will now head the medical college for certain period. Currently, a person stays on principal’s post till retirement.
“The selection process of the medical teachers will be done by the academic council on the recommendation of a committee to be appointed at every institution. It will lead to selection of the best available professionals,” he said.
Prof Burki said that the four hospitals – including Khyber Teaching Hospital, Hayatabad Medical Complex and Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, and Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad – where the provincial government has enforced the law would produce medical graduates, specialist doctors and workforce for all medical technologies who would serve in the rural hospitals.
A 10-member board of governors has already been appointed for each of the hospitals, which would take input from their respective academic councils and other committees about academic as well as clinical affairs of their institutions. Associations of medical teachers, who are opposing the new law, want to work under the existing terms and conditions of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) for promotion. Under the new law, the rules of the Higher Education Commission would be applied to such matters.
A professor, however, told Dawn that there was a little difference between the HEC and PM&DC’s criteria for the promotion of teaching staff. For promotion of associate professor to the post of professor, HEC requires more research papers than the PM&DC. Both these institutions are working to narrow down this difference as well. He said that the responsibility to follow the promotion criteria had been given to the academic council of the medical teaching institutions.
He said that the post of dean and head of the department were academic-cum-administrative which were filled through open competition the world over. He said that the new law was aimed at introducing international standard in the medical education and expanding health services.
Pakistan is the only country in the world with the current system of selection and promotion in hospitals and consequently has poor performance in health care services.
The new reforms will enhance the standard of medical education with consequent improvement in health care services all over the province in the short term and all over the region in long term and these institutions will also achieve financial stability.
“Those opposing reforms have nothing in substance. They know the poor performance of our hospitals, but want to delay the reforms as long as possible for their vested interest,” sources said, adding that within the last on month, three groups of serving teaching staff had opened three private hospitals who might not care for improvement in the public sector hospitals.
Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2015
Ancient gurdwara closed since 1942 set for reopening
PESHAWAR: The district administration on Saturday patched up things between Sikhs and Muslims over a gurdwara dispute paving the way for the reopening of the place of worship closed since 1942.
“Members of Sikh community will resume the acts of worships in the ancient Jogiwara gurdwara soon after minor renovation and repairs are done to it,” said a Sikh participant of the jirga held in the office of the Peshawar deputy commissioner to resolve the longstanding dispute. The gurdwara is located near Hashtnagri locality.
The jirga was participated by DC Riaz Mehsud, special assistant to the chief minister on minority affairs Sorang Singh, SP (City) Imtiaz Khan, DSP Sajjad Ahmad and representatives of local Muslim and Sikh communities.
Peshawar admin helps Muslims and Sikhs end ‘privacy’ dispute
A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that the gurdwara was closed before the creation of Pakistan due to a dispute between Sikhs and Muslims over the ‘privacy’ of those living in the neighbourhood, especially women.
He said the two religious communities had lost two lives to the dispute.
The official said no one had bothered to make efforts for the reopening of the gurdwara since its closure more than 70 years ago.
After the jirga, Riaz Mehsud told Dawn that Muslims and Sikhs had formally done an agreement on the reopening of the gurdwara.
“Now, Sikhs can worship in the gurdwara without trouble,” he said, adding that the agreement was a classical example of interfaith harmony in Peshawar.
The DC said the gurdwara’s building was historic and beautiful. He said he had been making efforts with the help of the police officers and local elders for the reopening of the gurdwara that bore fruit on Saturday.
According to the agreement, a wall will be constructed near the gurdwara to ensure ‘privacy’ of the girls enrolled in the adjacent school in line with the local culture.
The agreement also read a wall would be constructed on the roof of the temple to ensure ‘privacy’ of those living in the neighbourhood.
“The people using the street near gurdwara won’t face any disturbance,” it said, adding that in future, the locals will not object to Sikhs observing rituals in the gurdwara.
When contacted, special assistant to the chief minister on minority affairs Soran Singh said after the reopening of the Jogiwara gurdwara, Sikhs would get another place of worship in the city.
He said currently, Sikhs had only one gurdwara that was located in Mahalla Jogan Shah, which was reopened to worshippers in 1985.
The special assistant said the number of Sikhs in Peshawar had increased in the last one decade due to their displacement from different tribal areas for militancy.
He said the Jogiwara gurdwara needed minor repairs and whitewash for being closed for decades and when all that was done, it would be opened to worshippers.
“A grand ceremony will be held on the gurdwara reopening day,” he said.
Soran Singh said the reopening of the gurdwara would send out a positive message to the world about Pakistan and Peshawar.
Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1219766/ancient-gurdwara-closed-since-1942-set-for-reopening
Rescue 1122 workers demonstrate skills
PESHAWAR: The Rescue 1122 on Saturday arranged an event in connection with the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims and shared necessary information with the participants.
The event was held on the premises of the emergency service where some demonstrations were also arranged to prove that the relevant staff was able to rescue victims in different disasters, including road accidents, earthquakes, floods, etc.
Rescue 1122 spokesman, Bilal Ahmed Faizi, said that since January to mid Nov, 2015, some 6,000 traffic accidents had taken place in the provincial metropolis and Mardan district where 6,000 people had sustained wounds. He added the 1122 rescuers had timely shifted the injured to the nearest hospitals after giving them first-aid.
Of these accidents, he said 80 per cent involved motorbikes and the victims were mostly underage. He said the rescue body had properly maintained a training wing which had so far imparted training up to 10,000 people in the government and private sector organisations to help the people while in need.
Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1219763/rescue-1122-workers-demonstrate-skills
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
AUG 16 2015
View from the courtroom : KP’s accountability drive depends on fate of Ehtesab law
The Peshawar High Court decided on Nov 10 to constitute a larger bench for hearing around 30 writ petitions filed against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission (KPEC) Act, 2014 and different issues related to it. The constitution of larger bench for hearing these cases demonstrates the importance attached to this matter. The bench will hear these petitions on Nov 23.
Ever since the KPEC started arresting people from April 2015 the commission and the law governing it have been under debate and even the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on different occasions echoed with criticism of the commission and its functioning. The provincial government is itself having reservations about certain of the procedures adopted by the commission and it has constituted a cabinet committee a few weeks ago under the chairmanship of senior minister Enayatullah Khan for proposing amendments to the KPEC Act.
The KPEC Act 2014 was passed by the provincial assembly on Jan 7, 2014. While the issue of accountability is dearer to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, initial flaws in the Act puts a question mark on the competency of its framers.
The lacunas in the law started surfacing early this year and from time-to-time the provincial government has to introduce amendments in the Act to plug those loopholes. After over a year of passage of the Act, the government realised that retrospective effect was not given to the law due to which its applicability to crimes committed prior to it would be questionable.
Through the KPEC (Amendment) Act, 2015 certain changes were made to the original Act in April 2015 so as to remove that flaw. Initially, the law stated that it shall come into force at once, which meant that the commission could only deal with cases occurring after it came into existence and not earlier. After the said amendment the commission has been empowered to deal with corruption cases from Jan 1, 2004 onwards.
Soon after the commission started arresting public office-holders in April this year another major flaw in the KPEC Act surfaced that was the unavailability of any provision for remanding a suspect to judicial custody. While framers of the KP Ehtesab Commission Act (KPECA) had included the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in the definitions section of the law they forgot to mention its applicability to the proceedings under this Act. Furthermore, while there was a provision related to physical remand of a suspect, there was no such provision related to “judicial remand” of a suspect by the ehtesab court.
The same flaw had resulted in release of several suspects, including some prominent persons on bail by the high court. Those set free by the court also included former provincial minister Liaquat Shabab and chief coordinating officer of Kohat district council Noor Daraz Khattak, who is the father of MPA Gul Sahib Khattak.
To remove that major flaw and some other loopholes the KPEC (2nd Amendment) Act was passed in Aug 2015. Through that amendment certain provisions of the CrPC was applied to trials under the Act. Several other amendments were also introduced through that Amendment Act.
The most embarrassing development related to the commission surfaced when the provincial government issued a notification, which was mandatory under the law, on Sept 14, 2015, for setting up the KPEC almost a year after the commission had started functioning. The controversial notification was issued by the provincial establishment department in the name of KP chief secretary.
The said notification states: “In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission Act, 2014, (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Act No 1 of 2014) the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is pleased to establish the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission.”
The government tried to give retrospective effect to the notification and also included a provision in the present notification, which states: “This notification, in pursuance of sub-section (3) of section 1 of the aforesaid Act, shall be deemed to have taken effect from the date of commencement of the Act ibid.”
Several of the petitioners have now also challenged the applicability of the said notification claiming that an executive order could not be applied in back dates. Under section 3 of the said Act it was binding on the provincial government to establish the commission, as soon as, after the enactment of the Act. Furthermore, under section 1 (3) of the law, the said Act shall come into force at once. The petitioners have requested the court to declare the appointment of the commission’s director general as illegal as at the time of his appointment the commission was non-existent.
Apart from amendments made in the Act for removing the loopholes, the very first amendment made in it in 2014 had also drawn criticism. Initially, when the KPEC Act was passed section 57 was included in it which provided that the West Pakistan Anti-Corruption Establishment Ordinance, 1961, under which the anti-corruption establishment was set up in the province, is hereby repealed.
While several competent and senior advocates have been representing the petitioners in these cases, it will be a challenge for the legal team of the provincial government as well as that of the KPEC to defend this Act and the impugned notification as well as subsequent steps taken there under.
The government has also to satisfy the court as to why two different institutions, KPEC and ACE, have been operating in the province for dealing with corruption especially when the National Accountability Bureau has also been operational.
Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1220014/vi...tability-drive-depends-on-fate-of-ehtesab-law
Simultaneous anti-polio drive in Fata, KP can get results
PESHAWAR: The introduction of Continuous Community Protected Vaccination (CCPV) programme in high-risk areas is unlikely to produce desired results due to vaccination campaigns on different dates in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
The global polio eradication campaign focuses on Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Nowshera, FR Peshawar and FR Kohat and adjoining Khyber and Mohmand agencies in Fata.
These areas have been grouped as “Greater Peshawar” which has recorded 22 of the 40 nationwide registered polio cases this year.
Compared to 2015, Pakistan has achieved 85 per cent reduction this year, but the polio efforts in the main epidemiological block posed obstacles to global eradication of virus.
Fata recorded 178 cases last year compared to only 13 this year and is facing a challenge to maintain quality of vaccination because the campaigns aren’t carried out on same days due to which children are missed, especially in border areas. Early this year, the government launched simultaneous campaign in the Fata and KP under Sehat Ka Ittehad programme, but later both continued with different dates due to which children could miss vaccination.
Launching of the CCPV programme by KP and Fata has proved effective because the workers have been paid monthly salaries. KP has appointed 1300 vaccinators, 95 per cent of them female, to vaccinate children in their neighbourhoods.
The programme is in progress in 50 per cent of the union councils in Peshawar, six union councils in Bannu and 11 in Tank due to which the authorities were able to access population at the grassroots level. The workers who get Rs1,500 a month have been deployed in areas where polio virus was in circulation.
Unlike this arrangement, the vaccinators get paid Rs500 per day and they work only for specific days during the routine campaign. The regular workers do vaccination continuously. The new approach also seeks to do away with Simultaneous anti-polio drive in Fata, KP can get results threats posed by attacks on polio workers. However, CCPV workers do their duty like other employees of the health department and as such stays out of focus of the attackers.
Even many local children are brought to the homes of the vaccinators for administration of polio drops. The programme was also launched in Jamrud and Bara tehsils in September with the objective to pave the way for eradication of virus from the same infected epidemiological block.
However, chances to maintain gains so far made in polio vaccination efforts depend on the coordination of KP and Fata to ensure vaccination of children in border areas because the virus can only be eliminated when all children are immunised.
Fata is directly governed by the centre, but due to its proximity with KP, both needed simultaneous campaigns to get access to all children in endemic areas.
The global polio eradication initiative, which previously thought that world would become free from polio virus by 2015, had revised the deadline to 2018 due to the Fata and KP situation.
Both the Fata and KP have to join forces to run the campaigns simultaneously. As the low transmission season is underway and will run till March, both the endemic KP and Fata required joint intervention to put brakes on the vaccine-preventable childhood diseases.
Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1220025/simultaneous-anti-polio-drive-in-fata-kp-can-get-results
New funds release policy blamed for delay in projects’ completion
PESHAWAR: Amid concerns about slow utilisation of development funds, the new policy of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finance department on release of funds is drawing flaks from other departments for delaying timely completion of projects.
The funds release policy for 2015-16 was issued earlier on July 13, 2015. The minutes of the first quarter review of Annual Development Programme (ADP) available with this scribe also note that secretary of planning and development department had also demanded revision of the policy. “The release policy may be revisited and second tranche should be released immediately for ongoing projects,” the minutes read.
According to officials, the departments that utilise major chunk of development expenditures like health, education and communication and works are unhappy with the policy as they blame it for slow pace of work.
A senior official, requesting anonymity, told this scribe that previously finance department used to release 100 per cent funds in the first week of July for those projects, which were due to be completed in the current year.
“Now the amount in first tranche has been reduced to 50 per cent while the remaining amount will be released on need basis after the first quarter review,” he added.
The official said that 50 per cent of funds were allocated for ongoing projects in July, while the remaining 50 per cent were automatically released on January 1 in snowbound areas. “Under the old policy, if a department managed to spend its 50 per cent funds by September, the remaining amount was released the same time and the department had not to wait for January,” he added.
Finance minister says departments can’t utilise allocated funds
The official said that old release policy was a good one and it should not have been changed. He said that they were having big problems with umbrella development schemes, wherein bulk allocation was made for establishment of facilities throughout the province.
“If a department has to construct 25 hospitals or schools in 25 districts, then under this policy it needs to provide utilisation reports of all units to finance department,” said the official.
He added that if about 22 components were completed but pace of work was slow on two or three, then the completed components could not get funding till others.
The release policy says that 25 per cent fund is released in the first week of July for all other provincial and devolved projects as well as umbrella schemes in the non-snowbound areas, however, more than 25 per cent of funds can be released to schemes with better performance on production of utilisation report.
Similarly, under the policy, 25 per cent funds to new provincial and devolved schemes will be released on issuance of administrative approval by the competent authority.
The remaining funds will be released as and when are demanded by the department concerned on case to case basis on production of utilisation report.
The official questioned the logic of seeking utilisation reports, saying they surrendered funds if they failed to utilise the same. He said that finance department had so far not released money for schemes approved in August meeting of Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP).
“I have a feeling of being let down this year due to the release policy,” he added.
An official of communication and works department said that the process of getting utilisation report took at least three weeks and left little time for timely decisions and lead to delay in completion of projects. He said that the condition of utilisation report was affecting umbrella schemes more as compared to ‘stand alone’ projects.
Minister for Finance Muzaffar Said, when contacted, said that the finance department released funds on quarterly basis.
He said that the department had released 25 per cent funds to all departments but the departments could not spend the allocated amount.
The minister said that the whole amount allocated for a development scheme could not be issued on a single day and it was spent as per policy.
“I fully take responsibility that finance department has been regularly releasing funds to all departments,” he added.
Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1220024/new-funds-release-policy-blamed-for-delay-in-projects-completion
View from the courtroom : KP’s accountability drive depends on fate of Ehtesab law
The Peshawar High Court decided on Nov 10 to constitute a larger bench for hearing around 30 writ petitions filed against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission (KPEC) Act, 2014 and different issues related to it. The constitution of larger bench for hearing these cases demonstrates the importance attached to this matter. The bench will hear these petitions on Nov 23.
Ever since the KPEC started arresting people from April 2015 the commission and the law governing it have been under debate and even the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on different occasions echoed with criticism of the commission and its functioning. The provincial government is itself having reservations about certain of the procedures adopted by the commission and it has constituted a cabinet committee a few weeks ago under the chairmanship of senior minister Enayatullah Khan for proposing amendments to the KPEC Act.
The KPEC Act 2014 was passed by the provincial assembly on Jan 7, 2014. While the issue of accountability is dearer to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, initial flaws in the Act puts a question mark on the competency of its framers.
The lacunas in the law started surfacing early this year and from time-to-time the provincial government has to introduce amendments in the Act to plug those loopholes. After over a year of passage of the Act, the government realised that retrospective effect was not given to the law due to which its applicability to crimes committed prior to it would be questionable.
Through the KPEC (Amendment) Act, 2015 certain changes were made to the original Act in April 2015 so as to remove that flaw. Initially, the law stated that it shall come into force at once, which meant that the commission could only deal with cases occurring after it came into existence and not earlier. After the said amendment the commission has been empowered to deal with corruption cases from Jan 1, 2004 onwards.
Soon after the commission started arresting public office-holders in April this year another major flaw in the KPEC Act surfaced that was the unavailability of any provision for remanding a suspect to judicial custody. While framers of the KP Ehtesab Commission Act (KPECA) had included the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in the definitions section of the law they forgot to mention its applicability to the proceedings under this Act. Furthermore, while there was a provision related to physical remand of a suspect, there was no such provision related to “judicial remand” of a suspect by the ehtesab court.
The same flaw had resulted in release of several suspects, including some prominent persons on bail by the high court. Those set free by the court also included former provincial minister Liaquat Shabab and chief coordinating officer of Kohat district council Noor Daraz Khattak, who is the father of MPA Gul Sahib Khattak.
To remove that major flaw and some other loopholes the KPEC (2nd Amendment) Act was passed in Aug 2015. Through that amendment certain provisions of the CrPC was applied to trials under the Act. Several other amendments were also introduced through that Amendment Act.
The most embarrassing development related to the commission surfaced when the provincial government issued a notification, which was mandatory under the law, on Sept 14, 2015, for setting up the KPEC almost a year after the commission had started functioning. The controversial notification was issued by the provincial establishment department in the name of KP chief secretary.
The said notification states: “In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission Act, 2014, (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Act No 1 of 2014) the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is pleased to establish the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission.”
The government tried to give retrospective effect to the notification and also included a provision in the present notification, which states: “This notification, in pursuance of sub-section (3) of section 1 of the aforesaid Act, shall be deemed to have taken effect from the date of commencement of the Act ibid.”
Several of the petitioners have now also challenged the applicability of the said notification claiming that an executive order could not be applied in back dates. Under section 3 of the said Act it was binding on the provincial government to establish the commission, as soon as, after the enactment of the Act. Furthermore, under section 1 (3) of the law, the said Act shall come into force at once. The petitioners have requested the court to declare the appointment of the commission’s director general as illegal as at the time of his appointment the commission was non-existent.
Apart from amendments made in the Act for removing the loopholes, the very first amendment made in it in 2014 had also drawn criticism. Initially, when the KPEC Act was passed section 57 was included in it which provided that the West Pakistan Anti-Corruption Establishment Ordinance, 1961, under which the anti-corruption establishment was set up in the province, is hereby repealed.
While several competent and senior advocates have been representing the petitioners in these cases, it will be a challenge for the legal team of the provincial government as well as that of the KPEC to defend this Act and the impugned notification as well as subsequent steps taken there under.
The government has also to satisfy the court as to why two different institutions, KPEC and ACE, have been operating in the province for dealing with corruption especially when the National Accountability Bureau has also been operational.
Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1220014/vi...tability-drive-depends-on-fate-of-ehtesab-law
Simultaneous anti-polio drive in Fata, KP can get results
PESHAWAR: The introduction of Continuous Community Protected Vaccination (CCPV) programme in high-risk areas is unlikely to produce desired results due to vaccination campaigns on different dates in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
The global polio eradication campaign focuses on Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Nowshera, FR Peshawar and FR Kohat and adjoining Khyber and Mohmand agencies in Fata.
These areas have been grouped as “Greater Peshawar” which has recorded 22 of the 40 nationwide registered polio cases this year.
Compared to 2015, Pakistan has achieved 85 per cent reduction this year, but the polio efforts in the main epidemiological block posed obstacles to global eradication of virus.
Fata recorded 178 cases last year compared to only 13 this year and is facing a challenge to maintain quality of vaccination because the campaigns aren’t carried out on same days due to which children are missed, especially in border areas. Early this year, the government launched simultaneous campaign in the Fata and KP under Sehat Ka Ittehad programme, but later both continued with different dates due to which children could miss vaccination.
Launching of the CCPV programme by KP and Fata has proved effective because the workers have been paid monthly salaries. KP has appointed 1300 vaccinators, 95 per cent of them female, to vaccinate children in their neighbourhoods.
The programme is in progress in 50 per cent of the union councils in Peshawar, six union councils in Bannu and 11 in Tank due to which the authorities were able to access population at the grassroots level. The workers who get Rs1,500 a month have been deployed in areas where polio virus was in circulation.
Unlike this arrangement, the vaccinators get paid Rs500 per day and they work only for specific days during the routine campaign. The regular workers do vaccination continuously. The new approach also seeks to do away with Simultaneous anti-polio drive in Fata, KP can get results threats posed by attacks on polio workers. However, CCPV workers do their duty like other employees of the health department and as such stays out of focus of the attackers.
Even many local children are brought to the homes of the vaccinators for administration of polio drops. The programme was also launched in Jamrud and Bara tehsils in September with the objective to pave the way for eradication of virus from the same infected epidemiological block.
However, chances to maintain gains so far made in polio vaccination efforts depend on the coordination of KP and Fata to ensure vaccination of children in border areas because the virus can only be eliminated when all children are immunised.
Fata is directly governed by the centre, but due to its proximity with KP, both needed simultaneous campaigns to get access to all children in endemic areas.
The global polio eradication initiative, which previously thought that world would become free from polio virus by 2015, had revised the deadline to 2018 due to the Fata and KP situation.
Both the Fata and KP have to join forces to run the campaigns simultaneously. As the low transmission season is underway and will run till March, both the endemic KP and Fata required joint intervention to put brakes on the vaccine-preventable childhood diseases.
Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1220025/simultaneous-anti-polio-drive-in-fata-kp-can-get-results
New funds release policy blamed for delay in projects’ completion
PESHAWAR: Amid concerns about slow utilisation of development funds, the new policy of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finance department on release of funds is drawing flaks from other departments for delaying timely completion of projects.
The funds release policy for 2015-16 was issued earlier on July 13, 2015. The minutes of the first quarter review of Annual Development Programme (ADP) available with this scribe also note that secretary of planning and development department had also demanded revision of the policy. “The release policy may be revisited and second tranche should be released immediately for ongoing projects,” the minutes read.
According to officials, the departments that utilise major chunk of development expenditures like health, education and communication and works are unhappy with the policy as they blame it for slow pace of work.
A senior official, requesting anonymity, told this scribe that previously finance department used to release 100 per cent funds in the first week of July for those projects, which were due to be completed in the current year.
“Now the amount in first tranche has been reduced to 50 per cent while the remaining amount will be released on need basis after the first quarter review,” he added.
The official said that 50 per cent of funds were allocated for ongoing projects in July, while the remaining 50 per cent were automatically released on January 1 in snowbound areas. “Under the old policy, if a department managed to spend its 50 per cent funds by September, the remaining amount was released the same time and the department had not to wait for January,” he added.
Finance minister says departments can’t utilise allocated funds
The official said that old release policy was a good one and it should not have been changed. He said that they were having big problems with umbrella development schemes, wherein bulk allocation was made for establishment of facilities throughout the province.
“If a department has to construct 25 hospitals or schools in 25 districts, then under this policy it needs to provide utilisation reports of all units to finance department,” said the official.
He added that if about 22 components were completed but pace of work was slow on two or three, then the completed components could not get funding till others.
The release policy says that 25 per cent fund is released in the first week of July for all other provincial and devolved projects as well as umbrella schemes in the non-snowbound areas, however, more than 25 per cent of funds can be released to schemes with better performance on production of utilisation report.
Similarly, under the policy, 25 per cent funds to new provincial and devolved schemes will be released on issuance of administrative approval by the competent authority.
The remaining funds will be released as and when are demanded by the department concerned on case to case basis on production of utilisation report.
The official questioned the logic of seeking utilisation reports, saying they surrendered funds if they failed to utilise the same. He said that finance department had so far not released money for schemes approved in August meeting of Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP).
“I have a feeling of being let down this year due to the release policy,” he added.
An official of communication and works department said that the process of getting utilisation report took at least three weeks and left little time for timely decisions and lead to delay in completion of projects. He said that the condition of utilisation report was affecting umbrella schemes more as compared to ‘stand alone’ projects.
Minister for Finance Muzaffar Said, when contacted, said that the finance department released funds on quarterly basis.
He said that the department had released 25 per cent funds to all departments but the departments could not spend the allocated amount.
The minister said that the whole amount allocated for a development scheme could not be issued on a single day and it was spent as per policy.
“I fully take responsibility that finance department has been regularly releasing funds to all departments,” he added.
Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1220024/new-funds-release-policy-blamed-for-delay-in-projects-completion
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
NOV 17 2015
Seven hurt as doctors, paramedics clash in Peshawar hospital
PESHAWAR: Seven persons, including a doctor and six technicians, sustained injuries when trainee medical officers and paramedics pelted each other with stones here on Monday during a clash erupted over the ownership of a newly-built hostel at Lady Reading Hospital.
Police reached the spot and resorted to baton charge to stop the scuffle, officials said.
A seven-room hostel was built for paramedical staff at a cost of Rs70 million on the hospital premises and was about to be handed over to them after its inauguration by the health minister, officials at Lady Reading Hospital told Dawn.
They said that on Saturday night, the trainee medical officers occupied the hostel on which paramedics lodged a complaint with the administration. “The administration requested the doctors to vacate the hostel for paramedics but they refused,” they added.
Representatives of paramedical association on Monday visited the hostel to persuade the doctors to vacate it but they started quarrelling and both sides started pelting stones at each other.
The members of Provincial Doctors Association said that one of their colleagues was admitted to intensive care unit while two paramedics with head injuries and fracture were also hospitalized after the clash. The doctors complained that trainee medical officers performed 24 hours duty at the hospitals but they lacked accommodation.
Officials said that the hostel was sanctioned to provide accommodation to paramedics performing emergency duty in the hospital and its occupation by doctors was beyond comprehension.
The paramedical staff briefly held protest and stopped work to press government to proceed against the doctors for illegal occupation of their hostel and causing injuries to them.
Police evicted doctors from the hostel building, which remained a battlefield for about two hours.
Roidar Shah, the president of paramedical association of LRH, who also sustained injuries in the clash, said that the administration had assured them that the hostel would be allotted to them. The government had sanctioned the hostel three years ago on the request of paramedics to provide accommodation to them so that they could perform emergency duty, he said.
Health Minister Shahram Tarakai said that cases would be registered against responsible people. He said that issues and problems were being resolved but nobody had the right to close the hospital and deny treatment to patients visiting the facility from across the province.
“We have sealed the hostel and police are investigating the case after lodging an FIR,” said the minister. He added that the people causing harm to the infrastructure would be held accountable for disrupting treatment of patients as well as damaging the hospital.
The minister said that an inquiry was ordered into incident to fix responsibility and pinpoint the people, who caused violence in the hospital and disrupted smooth treatment of patients.
Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1220206/seven-hurt-as-doctors-paramedics-clash-in-peshawar-hospital
SMEs get funds to restart business
PESHAWAR: The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda) distributed Rs44 million funds here on Monday among the small and medium enterprises belonging to the areas affected by violence and flood to enable them to restart business activities.
The cheques were distributed among the SMEs at a ceremony of Multi-Donors Trust Fund (MDTF), funded by Economic Revitalisation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata (ERKF) project.
The event was held under the auspices of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KPCCI) wherein Senior Minister Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao was chief guest.
The project was launched under the auspices of World Bank through Smeda for the rehabilitation of the insurgency and flood affected SMEs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata. The project was framed for a total of 850 SMEs, however, with the better financial management and monitoring system the number of beneficiaries reached to 1,300.
The stipulated duration of the project was from June 2012 to June 2015, but the traditional bureaucratic hurdles caused delay in disbursement of grants.
In their speeches at the ceremony, some known businessmen criticised the bureaucratic red tape and unnecessary hurdles and demanded action against the concerned officials of industries department.
However, Mr Sherpao appreciated the performance and role of Smeda in the implementation of the project and promotion of business activities in the province.
Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1220205/smes-get-funds-to-restart-business
Govt’s school furniture plan imperils shisham trees in KP
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s plan to provide rosewood furniture to millions of children in schools may lead to the depletion of immature shisham trees (rosewood), which are already fighting for survival due to an incurable dieback disease in South Asia, warn environmentalists and people associated with the furniture industry.
The elementary and secondary education department’s plan to provide rosewood furniture worth Rs1.5 billion for schools during the current financial year has generated a debate about the future of the species.
Approximately, the government will spend Rs7 billion on the plan in next three years.
Under the plan, every child will have a chair in more than 28,000 public sector schools across the province.
Environmentalists and market sources say the procurement of shisham wood runs contrary to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek Insaf’s tsunami tree campaign under which the government is spending around Rs15 billion on planting one billion trees in the province by 2018.
They fear the mandatory procurement of shisham will ultimately result in the cutting of immature trees as the required volume of seasoned wood for supplying a large number of chairs is not available in the market.
Environmentalists fear procurement of rosewood to make chairs will cause cutting of immature trees
Officials of the elementary and education department, however, argue it is binding upon the government to procure the furniture made of shisham wood only for government schools in the province.
They contradict claims the treated wood of shisham for making furniture is not available in the market and suppliers could manage to acquire the required volume of wood.
“The department can’t violate the procurement rules 2014 and will purchase only rosewood furniture to schools,” said Qaisar Alam, additional secretary of the department.
He said a committee of experts had declared the rosewood furniture durable and cost effective compared to the medium-density fiberboard (MDF).
“The market price of shisham wood is between Rs1,500 and Rs2,500 per square foot, while the cost of imported beech wood is around Rs3,000 per square foot,” he said, adding that the department’s top priority was to provide chair to every child in schools.
Mian Jafar Sadiq, who is running a campaign for the conservation of shisham, raised serious reservations about the large-scale procurement of rosewood for manufacturing chairs, which, he believed, would result in the chopping of young trees.
“Allocation of Rs1.5 billion for purchasing rosewood furniture requires a whopping 3.6 million square feet treated wood,” he said, adding that such a huge volume of seasoned wood was not available in the market.
“I don’t contest the quality and durability of treated rosewood. My apprehension is that suppliers will ultimately purchase raw and untreated wood of shisham from the market to meet the demand. That will be disastrous for shisham trees,” he said, suggesting import of timber for local consumption.
Keeping aside the controversy about the availability of the required volume of treated rosewood in the market, officials of the forest department and a senior researcher of the Pakistan Forest Institute agreed that the population of shisham tree, which was a farm forest, was shrinking rapidly because of its demand in the country and abroad as well as the dieback disease.
“Certainly shisham is under threat because of the disease and researchers have yet to detect causes of the disease,” a PFI researcher told Dawn requesting not to mention his name because he is not authorised to comment on the subject.
“The best option is to reduce import duty on timber to reduce pressure on domestic forests, both natural and farm forests in the country.”
An official of the forest department also acknowledged that shisham tree imported from Nepal was under threat due to the disease and that the plant was rapidly depleting.
He said shisham tree grown in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar was becoming an endangered species.
Another official of the forest department told Dawn that shisham was disappearing in Mardan and Swabi districts, the main region for growing the species in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to the diseases and market demand.
He said around 4,000 square feet treated shisham wood was available at the department’s own depot in Mardan.
The official said the department had another depot in Bannu.
He said farmers grew shisham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and that the planned forests of the species did not exist.
The official said local buyers purchased rosewood from Punjab.
Additional secretary of the department Qaisar Alam was of the view that some people, who had business interests, exaggerated figures as one chair needed 30 per cent rosewood and 70 per cent steel for its making.
“The lifespan of shisham wood furniture is more than 20 years, while the MDF furniture hardly lasts five years,” he said.
“Millions of square feet rosewood is available in Bannu and other parts of the province,” he claimed, adding that the purchase of timber from the local market would save huge foreign exchange.
The people associated with the furniture industry dispute his claim, however.
Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1220207/govts-school-furniture-plan-imperils-shisham-trees-in-kp
Seven hurt as doctors, paramedics clash in Peshawar hospital
PESHAWAR: Seven persons, including a doctor and six technicians, sustained injuries when trainee medical officers and paramedics pelted each other with stones here on Monday during a clash erupted over the ownership of a newly-built hostel at Lady Reading Hospital.
Police reached the spot and resorted to baton charge to stop the scuffle, officials said.
A seven-room hostel was built for paramedical staff at a cost of Rs70 million on the hospital premises and was about to be handed over to them after its inauguration by the health minister, officials at Lady Reading Hospital told Dawn.
They said that on Saturday night, the trainee medical officers occupied the hostel on which paramedics lodged a complaint with the administration. “The administration requested the doctors to vacate the hostel for paramedics but they refused,” they added.
Representatives of paramedical association on Monday visited the hostel to persuade the doctors to vacate it but they started quarrelling and both sides started pelting stones at each other.
The members of Provincial Doctors Association said that one of their colleagues was admitted to intensive care unit while two paramedics with head injuries and fracture were also hospitalized after the clash. The doctors complained that trainee medical officers performed 24 hours duty at the hospitals but they lacked accommodation.
Officials said that the hostel was sanctioned to provide accommodation to paramedics performing emergency duty in the hospital and its occupation by doctors was beyond comprehension.
The paramedical staff briefly held protest and stopped work to press government to proceed against the doctors for illegal occupation of their hostel and causing injuries to them.
Police evicted doctors from the hostel building, which remained a battlefield for about two hours.
Roidar Shah, the president of paramedical association of LRH, who also sustained injuries in the clash, said that the administration had assured them that the hostel would be allotted to them. The government had sanctioned the hostel three years ago on the request of paramedics to provide accommodation to them so that they could perform emergency duty, he said.
Health Minister Shahram Tarakai said that cases would be registered against responsible people. He said that issues and problems were being resolved but nobody had the right to close the hospital and deny treatment to patients visiting the facility from across the province.
“We have sealed the hostel and police are investigating the case after lodging an FIR,” said the minister. He added that the people causing harm to the infrastructure would be held accountable for disrupting treatment of patients as well as damaging the hospital.
The minister said that an inquiry was ordered into incident to fix responsibility and pinpoint the people, who caused violence in the hospital and disrupted smooth treatment of patients.
Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1220206/seven-hurt-as-doctors-paramedics-clash-in-peshawar-hospital
SMEs get funds to restart business
PESHAWAR: The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda) distributed Rs44 million funds here on Monday among the small and medium enterprises belonging to the areas affected by violence and flood to enable them to restart business activities.
The cheques were distributed among the SMEs at a ceremony of Multi-Donors Trust Fund (MDTF), funded by Economic Revitalisation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata (ERKF) project.
The event was held under the auspices of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KPCCI) wherein Senior Minister Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao was chief guest.
The project was launched under the auspices of World Bank through Smeda for the rehabilitation of the insurgency and flood affected SMEs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata. The project was framed for a total of 850 SMEs, however, with the better financial management and monitoring system the number of beneficiaries reached to 1,300.
The stipulated duration of the project was from June 2012 to June 2015, but the traditional bureaucratic hurdles caused delay in disbursement of grants.
In their speeches at the ceremony, some known businessmen criticised the bureaucratic red tape and unnecessary hurdles and demanded action against the concerned officials of industries department.
However, Mr Sherpao appreciated the performance and role of Smeda in the implementation of the project and promotion of business activities in the province.
Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1220205/smes-get-funds-to-restart-business
Govt’s school furniture plan imperils shisham trees in KP
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s plan to provide rosewood furniture to millions of children in schools may lead to the depletion of immature shisham trees (rosewood), which are already fighting for survival due to an incurable dieback disease in South Asia, warn environmentalists and people associated with the furniture industry.
The elementary and secondary education department’s plan to provide rosewood furniture worth Rs1.5 billion for schools during the current financial year has generated a debate about the future of the species.
Approximately, the government will spend Rs7 billion on the plan in next three years.
Under the plan, every child will have a chair in more than 28,000 public sector schools across the province.
Environmentalists and market sources say the procurement of shisham wood runs contrary to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek Insaf’s tsunami tree campaign under which the government is spending around Rs15 billion on planting one billion trees in the province by 2018.
They fear the mandatory procurement of shisham will ultimately result in the cutting of immature trees as the required volume of seasoned wood for supplying a large number of chairs is not available in the market.
Environmentalists fear procurement of rosewood to make chairs will cause cutting of immature trees
Officials of the elementary and education department, however, argue it is binding upon the government to procure the furniture made of shisham wood only for government schools in the province.
They contradict claims the treated wood of shisham for making furniture is not available in the market and suppliers could manage to acquire the required volume of wood.
“The department can’t violate the procurement rules 2014 and will purchase only rosewood furniture to schools,” said Qaisar Alam, additional secretary of the department.
He said a committee of experts had declared the rosewood furniture durable and cost effective compared to the medium-density fiberboard (MDF).
“The market price of shisham wood is between Rs1,500 and Rs2,500 per square foot, while the cost of imported beech wood is around Rs3,000 per square foot,” he said, adding that the department’s top priority was to provide chair to every child in schools.
Mian Jafar Sadiq, who is running a campaign for the conservation of shisham, raised serious reservations about the large-scale procurement of rosewood for manufacturing chairs, which, he believed, would result in the chopping of young trees.
“Allocation of Rs1.5 billion for purchasing rosewood furniture requires a whopping 3.6 million square feet treated wood,” he said, adding that such a huge volume of seasoned wood was not available in the market.
“I don’t contest the quality and durability of treated rosewood. My apprehension is that suppliers will ultimately purchase raw and untreated wood of shisham from the market to meet the demand. That will be disastrous for shisham trees,” he said, suggesting import of timber for local consumption.
Keeping aside the controversy about the availability of the required volume of treated rosewood in the market, officials of the forest department and a senior researcher of the Pakistan Forest Institute agreed that the population of shisham tree, which was a farm forest, was shrinking rapidly because of its demand in the country and abroad as well as the dieback disease.
“Certainly shisham is under threat because of the disease and researchers have yet to detect causes of the disease,” a PFI researcher told Dawn requesting not to mention his name because he is not authorised to comment on the subject.
“The best option is to reduce import duty on timber to reduce pressure on domestic forests, both natural and farm forests in the country.”
An official of the forest department also acknowledged that shisham tree imported from Nepal was under threat due to the disease and that the plant was rapidly depleting.
He said shisham tree grown in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar was becoming an endangered species.
Another official of the forest department told Dawn that shisham was disappearing in Mardan and Swabi districts, the main region for growing the species in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to the diseases and market demand.
He said around 4,000 square feet treated shisham wood was available at the department’s own depot in Mardan.
The official said the department had another depot in Bannu.
He said farmers grew shisham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and that the planned forests of the species did not exist.
The official said local buyers purchased rosewood from Punjab.
Additional secretary of the department Qaisar Alam was of the view that some people, who had business interests, exaggerated figures as one chair needed 30 per cent rosewood and 70 per cent steel for its making.
“The lifespan of shisham wood furniture is more than 20 years, while the MDF furniture hardly lasts five years,” he said.
“Millions of square feet rosewood is available in Bannu and other parts of the province,” he claimed, adding that the purchase of timber from the local market would save huge foreign exchange.
The people associated with the furniture industry dispute his claim, however.
Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1220207/govts-school-furniture-plan-imperils-shisham-trees-in-kp
Naveed Tariq
Citizen
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
Good work great imran khan
Good work great imran khan
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Thank you everyone. This is the only five star thread which is being viewed on regular basis .
Last edited:
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
NOV 18 2015
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
NOV 19 2015
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
NOV 20 2015
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
NOV 21 2015
[h=1]Biker with 49kg explosives arrested in Swabi[/h] SWABI: The district police on Friday seized 49kg explosives from a motorcyclist in the jurisdiction of Kalu Khan police station here.
The accused person was shifted to an unknown place for interrogation.
DPO Javid Iqbal confirmed that 49kg explosives were recovered from a suspected motorcyclist near Shewa Adda, the venue where PTI chief Imran Khan would address a public meeting on Sunday.
He termed the seizure of explosives a big achievement of police, adding law and order in the district would be maintained at all costs.
Another police official said that the detained person was identified as Rozi Khan, hailing from neighbouring Buner district where Pakistan army conducted an operation in 2009 to flush out militants.
Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1221179/biker-with-49kg-explosives-arrested-in-swabi
[h=1]Biker with 49kg explosives arrested in Swabi[/h] SWABI: The district police on Friday seized 49kg explosives from a motorcyclist in the jurisdiction of Kalu Khan police station here.
The accused person was shifted to an unknown place for interrogation.
DPO Javid Iqbal confirmed that 49kg explosives were recovered from a suspected motorcyclist near Shewa Adda, the venue where PTI chief Imran Khan would address a public meeting on Sunday.
He termed the seizure of explosives a big achievement of police, adding law and order in the district would be maintained at all costs.
Another police official said that the detained person was identified as Rozi Khan, hailing from neighbouring Buner district where Pakistan army conducted an operation in 2009 to flush out militants.
Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1221179/biker-with-49kg-explosives-arrested-in-swabi
Last edited:
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
[h=1]The force be with you: Imran promises exemplary police reforms
[/h]PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan said the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government would soon introduce the Police Act in the K-P Assembly to bring tangible reforms to the force.
He claimed the reforms would be so effective that no succeeding government would be willing to amend them.
Imran was speaking to participants at the launch ceremony of the Public Liaison Councils (PLCs) at Police Lines in the city on Wednesday.
The PTI supremo said Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had empowered the K-P inspector general to restore peace. He added the IG was asked to take steps to improve security throughout the province. Khan appreciated the role of the K-P police and said it was the first time the force was trained to use information technology.
He said that through PLCs, disputes could be resolved on a local level and crime rates would further decrease. He said members of the councils and local elders supported the police in their collective efforts to stop crime.
He said criminal acts had decreased by 60% across the province in one year compared to the crime rates of the last four years.
The PTI chief said 70% of industries had closed due to the security situation, while wealthy businessmen moved out of the province for their safety. He said once the police system of a province is corrected, peace will come automatically and hence the economy would flourish.
Imran added that bringing reforms to the police was PTI’s first priority and their government would change the system across the province. He added it was the first time that police learned computer skills and a database was formed through which all kinds of information would be posted online.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 19[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/994075/the-force-be-with-you-imran-promises-exemplary-police-reforms/
[h=1]Gurdwara Bhai Biba Singh set to reopen after 1940s
[/h]
PESHAWAR: Gurdwara Bhai Biba Singh, an architectural jewel built during the rule of Sikh leader Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, is all set to reopen after almost six decades. Its ownership has been handed down to the Sikh community.
Sikh elders told The Express Tribune there was no controversy over the place of worship. However, after Partition, the Sikh community started shifting to other places—such as Hasan Abdal and Rawalpindi—resulting in fewer worshipers at the gurdwara. For the population left behind in the city, Gurdwara Jogan Shah in Saddar was more than enough.
Spate of attacks shake Pakistan’s dwindling Sikh community
However, in the last few years a renewed movement had taken root to take back the historical monument from the Auqaf department.
Restoration under way
Sikh leader Baba Ji Gorpal Singh told The Express Tribune, “The 300-year-old gurdwara has reopened after we waited for years; we have been struggling to get its ownership rights from the Auqaf department.”
He added, “Earlier, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government allocated Rs5 million for its restoration but in spite of claiming to have spent the amount, renovation remained at a standstill.” Singh added Sikhs had now taken it upon themselves to restore the gurdwara to its previous glory.”
He said, “The government has constructed a school right next to the gurdwara and we will not demolish it as our religion gives importance to education. However, we have demanded the authorities to erect a tall wall between the two sides to maintain privacy.”
Nirankari Gurdwara : Birthplace of reformist Sikhism now a govt school
Ham-handed reconstruction?
History enthusiast Dr Ali Jan told The Express Tribune, “The gurdwara is considered an archaeological monument in Peshawar.” He added, “Though renovation work has commenced, it must follow the archaeological code for restoration.”
Jan pointed out, “There is a possibility the design and structure of this beautiful monument was planned during the reign of Paolo (Abu Tabela), an Italian general serving in the Army of Ranjeet Singh.”
Giving details of the intricate design, Jan said “The old Samadi still exists in the basement and its roof is carved with complicated woodwork similar to the one found in the Shahi Qila in Lahore.” This, according to the historian, reflected it was constructed during Ranjeet Singh’s brief rule in Peshawar. He added, “There is a dome on the roof that is badly damaged while its walls also incurred damage during various earthquakes.”
Pakistan’s long forgotten Hindu temples and Gurdwaras
Director for Archaeology and Museums Dr Abdul Samad told The Express Tribune, “We have written several times to the Auqaf department to hand over a list of archaeologically important buildings or at least hire our services for restoration of the gurdwara but they never replied to us.” Samad said the Auqaf department should have taken the archaeology directorate into confidence before handing the building over to the Sikhs for restoration.
“We were told that after Partition, there has been some controversy between the Muslims and Sikhs due to which some people from our community left the city,” said Sikh elder Charanjeet Singh. “But now we live here peacefully.” Charanjeet was looking forward to set foot in the gurdwara again.
“Handing over the gurdwara to us sends a positive message – the government appreciates our importance and gives adherents of all faiths freedom to protect their places
of worship.”
My journey as a Pakistani-Hindu
A brief history
The gurdwara in Jogiwara is said to have been established at the time of the 10th Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, who died in 1708, making this structure at least 300 years old.
The gurdwara was one of the most visited places of worship for followers of Sikhism for centuries but has not been used since Partition. Post Partition, many Sikh families migrated to Rawalpindi, Hasan Abdal, and Khyber, Kurram and Orakzai agencies. During these years, the building remained under the Auqaf department which protected it from being encroached but failed to renovate the structure.
The decision to reopen Gurdwara Bhai Biba Singh was taken several years ago but it could not be implemented as people living in the area questioned its existence as Sikhs had abandoned the place. However, in a recent meeting between Sikhs, Auqaf department officials and the deputy commissioner, it was decided the gurdwara would be reopened after the completion of its restoration.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 17[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/992795/...ra-bhai-biba-singh-set-to-reopen-after-1940s/
[/h]PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan said the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government would soon introduce the Police Act in the K-P Assembly to bring tangible reforms to the force.
He claimed the reforms would be so effective that no succeeding government would be willing to amend them.
Imran was speaking to participants at the launch ceremony of the Public Liaison Councils (PLCs) at Police Lines in the city on Wednesday.
The PTI supremo said Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had empowered the K-P inspector general to restore peace. He added the IG was asked to take steps to improve security throughout the province. Khan appreciated the role of the K-P police and said it was the first time the force was trained to use information technology.
He said that through PLCs, disputes could be resolved on a local level and crime rates would further decrease. He said members of the councils and local elders supported the police in their collective efforts to stop crime.
He said criminal acts had decreased by 60% across the province in one year compared to the crime rates of the last four years.
The PTI chief said 70% of industries had closed due to the security situation, while wealthy businessmen moved out of the province for their safety. He said once the police system of a province is corrected, peace will come automatically and hence the economy would flourish.
Imran added that bringing reforms to the police was PTI’s first priority and their government would change the system across the province. He added it was the first time that police learned computer skills and a database was formed through which all kinds of information would be posted online.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 19[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/994075/the-force-be-with-you-imran-promises-exemplary-police-reforms/
[h=1]Gurdwara Bhai Biba Singh set to reopen after 1940s
[/h]
PESHAWAR: Gurdwara Bhai Biba Singh, an architectural jewel built during the rule of Sikh leader Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, is all set to reopen after almost six decades. Its ownership has been handed down to the Sikh community.
Sikh elders told The Express Tribune there was no controversy over the place of worship. However, after Partition, the Sikh community started shifting to other places—such as Hasan Abdal and Rawalpindi—resulting in fewer worshipers at the gurdwara. For the population left behind in the city, Gurdwara Jogan Shah in Saddar was more than enough.
Spate of attacks shake Pakistan’s dwindling Sikh community
However, in the last few years a renewed movement had taken root to take back the historical monument from the Auqaf department.
Restoration under way
Sikh leader Baba Ji Gorpal Singh told The Express Tribune, “The 300-year-old gurdwara has reopened after we waited for years; we have been struggling to get its ownership rights from the Auqaf department.”
He added, “Earlier, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government allocated Rs5 million for its restoration but in spite of claiming to have spent the amount, renovation remained at a standstill.” Singh added Sikhs had now taken it upon themselves to restore the gurdwara to its previous glory.”
He said, “The government has constructed a school right next to the gurdwara and we will not demolish it as our religion gives importance to education. However, we have demanded the authorities to erect a tall wall between the two sides to maintain privacy.”
Nirankari Gurdwara : Birthplace of reformist Sikhism now a govt school
Ham-handed reconstruction?
History enthusiast Dr Ali Jan told The Express Tribune, “The gurdwara is considered an archaeological monument in Peshawar.” He added, “Though renovation work has commenced, it must follow the archaeological code for restoration.”
Jan pointed out, “There is a possibility the design and structure of this beautiful monument was planned during the reign of Paolo (Abu Tabela), an Italian general serving in the Army of Ranjeet Singh.”
Giving details of the intricate design, Jan said “The old Samadi still exists in the basement and its roof is carved with complicated woodwork similar to the one found in the Shahi Qila in Lahore.” This, according to the historian, reflected it was constructed during Ranjeet Singh’s brief rule in Peshawar. He added, “There is a dome on the roof that is badly damaged while its walls also incurred damage during various earthquakes.”
Pakistan’s long forgotten Hindu temples and Gurdwaras
Director for Archaeology and Museums Dr Abdul Samad told The Express Tribune, “We have written several times to the Auqaf department to hand over a list of archaeologically important buildings or at least hire our services for restoration of the gurdwara but they never replied to us.” Samad said the Auqaf department should have taken the archaeology directorate into confidence before handing the building over to the Sikhs for restoration.
“We were told that after Partition, there has been some controversy between the Muslims and Sikhs due to which some people from our community left the city,” said Sikh elder Charanjeet Singh. “But now we live here peacefully.” Charanjeet was looking forward to set foot in the gurdwara again.
“Handing over the gurdwara to us sends a positive message – the government appreciates our importance and gives adherents of all faiths freedom to protect their places
of worship.”
My journey as a Pakistani-Hindu
A brief history
The gurdwara in Jogiwara is said to have been established at the time of the 10th Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, who died in 1708, making this structure at least 300 years old.
The gurdwara was one of the most visited places of worship for followers of Sikhism for centuries but has not been used since Partition. Post Partition, many Sikh families migrated to Rawalpindi, Hasan Abdal, and Khyber, Kurram and Orakzai agencies. During these years, the building remained under the Auqaf department which protected it from being encroached but failed to renovate the structure.
The decision to reopen Gurdwara Bhai Biba Singh was taken several years ago but it could not be implemented as people living in the area questioned its existence as Sikhs had abandoned the place. However, in a recent meeting between Sikhs, Auqaf department officials and the deputy commissioner, it was decided the gurdwara would be reopened after the completion of its restoration.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 17[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/992795/...ra-bhai-biba-singh-set-to-reopen-after-1940s/
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Progress schemes: 16 new degree colleges to be constructed in K-P
PESHAWAR: The establishment of 16 new degree colleges in various districts at an estimated cost of Rs5 billion has been approved by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.
This was mentioned in a handout issued on Friday. The CM has ordered officials to raise the standard of the district headquarters level public sector institutes and convert them into modern model colleges at a meeting at the CM’s Secretariat.
Khattak reviewed proposals for 19 colleges and while calling 16 of them feasible, directed authorities to initiate construction. They will be set up in Swat, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Abbottabad, Peshawar, Chitral, Buner, Nowshera, DI Khan, Mardan, Lakki Marwat and Charsadda.
In another meeting, the CM spoke about development schemes in southern districts where gas is produced.
Khattak added priority should be given to the areas where gas is produced so long-standing demands of the population in such areas could be fulfilled.
“Sufficient funds received by the provincial government from gas royalty would be made available for these schemes.” He also directed the district administration of Kohat to form district-level committees comprising MPAs, the district nazim, deputy commissioner and representatives of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited to identify schemes by mutual consultation.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 7[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/986657/progress-schemes-16-new-degree-colleges-to-be-constructed-in-k-p/
Bright future: Ghost schools decrease to 273
PESHAWAR: At least 273 government schools are still non-functional in K-P, stated the Annual School Census Report 2014-2015 issued by the education department this month.
The statistics have been revealed at a time when the department has reportedly doled out large sums of money to promote literacy. However, the silver lining is that the number of non-functional schools is comparatively lesser than what was recorded in 2013-14.
“There have been countless improvements in government schools as compared to previous years,” K-P Elementary and Secondary Education Additional Secretary Qaiser Alam told The Express Tribune. “Last year, 40 new schools were constructed while this year buildings for 82 new schools will be completed.”
According to Alam, the recent earthquake has placed an additional burden on the department as it now has to rebuild schools destroyed or damaged by the calamity. “We are collecting data of these schools and are planning to reconstruct them as soon as possible,” he added.
Open and close
As per the report, there are 28,178 government schools across the province out of which 27,823 are functional. However, the data reveals that most of these are primary schools and not many institutes exist for students to enrol for further studies.
“There are 22,717 primary and 5,106 secondary schools which are functional,” read a copy of the report available with The Express Tribune. “Of the institutes which are non-functional, only 11 are secondary schools while the rest are primary schools.”
Lacking facilities
“There are 1,223 primary schools in urban areas and 21,494 in rural areas which are still operational,” stated the document.
However, it added basic facilities at these schools are still a luxury that students and teachers continue to long for. The report suggests out of the government schools which are functional, 16% are without boundary walls, 29% do not have adequate water supply, 36% do not have electricity while 14% have no toilets.
Number rumble
The report also reveals there are 138,033 sanctioned posts for teachers in government schools. Of these posts, 123,380 have been filled. “The teacher-to-student ratio in government primary schools is 1:42, but the ratio is better for secondary schools: 1:23,” stated the report.
According to the report, 27% of girls enrolled at primary schools are attending boys schools while at the secondary level 4% of girls enrolled are attending boys secondary schools. Similarly, 5% boys at the primary level are attending girls schools.
The number of functional schools have increased by 0.56%. Meanwhile, the recruitment of teachers has increased by 1.44% and student enrolment has gone up by 2% each year. The increase in the annual growth rate of girls enrolment is over three times greater than that of boys.
The report also includes statistics of non-government schools in K-P, which stand at 6,743. Of these schools, 449 are for boys and 283 for girls and 6,011 offer co-education. In these schools, there are 85,325 teachers.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 11[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/988962/bright-future-ghost-schools-decrease-to-273/
PESHAWAR: The establishment of 16 new degree colleges in various districts at an estimated cost of Rs5 billion has been approved by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.
This was mentioned in a handout issued on Friday. The CM has ordered officials to raise the standard of the district headquarters level public sector institutes and convert them into modern model colleges at a meeting at the CM’s Secretariat.
Khattak reviewed proposals for 19 colleges and while calling 16 of them feasible, directed authorities to initiate construction. They will be set up in Swat, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Abbottabad, Peshawar, Chitral, Buner, Nowshera, DI Khan, Mardan, Lakki Marwat and Charsadda.
In another meeting, the CM spoke about development schemes in southern districts where gas is produced.
Khattak added priority should be given to the areas where gas is produced so long-standing demands of the population in such areas could be fulfilled.
“Sufficient funds received by the provincial government from gas royalty would be made available for these schemes.” He also directed the district administration of Kohat to form district-level committees comprising MPAs, the district nazim, deputy commissioner and representatives of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited to identify schemes by mutual consultation.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 7[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/986657/progress-schemes-16-new-degree-colleges-to-be-constructed-in-k-p/
Bright future: Ghost schools decrease to 273
PESHAWAR: At least 273 government schools are still non-functional in K-P, stated the Annual School Census Report 2014-2015 issued by the education department this month.
The statistics have been revealed at a time when the department has reportedly doled out large sums of money to promote literacy. However, the silver lining is that the number of non-functional schools is comparatively lesser than what was recorded in 2013-14.
“There have been countless improvements in government schools as compared to previous years,” K-P Elementary and Secondary Education Additional Secretary Qaiser Alam told The Express Tribune. “Last year, 40 new schools were constructed while this year buildings for 82 new schools will be completed.”
According to Alam, the recent earthquake has placed an additional burden on the department as it now has to rebuild schools destroyed or damaged by the calamity. “We are collecting data of these schools and are planning to reconstruct them as soon as possible,” he added.
Open and close
As per the report, there are 28,178 government schools across the province out of which 27,823 are functional. However, the data reveals that most of these are primary schools and not many institutes exist for students to enrol for further studies.
“There are 22,717 primary and 5,106 secondary schools which are functional,” read a copy of the report available with The Express Tribune. “Of the institutes which are non-functional, only 11 are secondary schools while the rest are primary schools.”
Lacking facilities
“There are 1,223 primary schools in urban areas and 21,494 in rural areas which are still operational,” stated the document.
However, it added basic facilities at these schools are still a luxury that students and teachers continue to long for. The report suggests out of the government schools which are functional, 16% are without boundary walls, 29% do not have adequate water supply, 36% do not have electricity while 14% have no toilets.
Number rumble
The report also reveals there are 138,033 sanctioned posts for teachers in government schools. Of these posts, 123,380 have been filled. “The teacher-to-student ratio in government primary schools is 1:42, but the ratio is better for secondary schools: 1:23,” stated the report.
According to the report, 27% of girls enrolled at primary schools are attending boys schools while at the secondary level 4% of girls enrolled are attending boys secondary schools. Similarly, 5% boys at the primary level are attending girls schools.
The number of functional schools have increased by 0.56%. Meanwhile, the recruitment of teachers has increased by 1.44% and student enrolment has gone up by 2% each year. The increase in the annual growth rate of girls enrolment is over three times greater than that of boys.
The report also includes statistics of non-government schools in K-P, which stand at 6,743. Of these schools, 449 are for boys and 283 for girls and 6,011 offer co-education. In these schools, there are 85,325 teachers.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 11[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/988962/bright-future-ghost-schools-decrease-to-273/
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
NOV 22 2015
Utilising resources : FEF colleges to be integrated with government institutes
Three institutes with low enrolment rates have already been merged PHOTO: fef.edu.pk
PESHAWAR: The Frontier Education Foundation (FEF) has decided to integrate its colleges across the province with government institutes.
FEF Managing Director Hafizur Rehman told The Express Tribune the decision has been taken because most of these institutes have low enrolment rates.
“So far, three FEF colleges have been merged with government colleges,” he added.
Earlier, on November 14, ANP K-P General Secretary Sardar Hussain Babak announced the provincial government has closed down 15 girls colleges run by FEF. He said the closure of these institutes will leave thousands of students in the lurch and render hundreds of teachers jobless.
However, Rehman said not a single college had been closed down.
“On the contrary, FEF colleges are being merged with government-run colleges,” he added.
A matter of integration
According to the managing director, there are 16 FEF colleges for girls across the province and currently 2,500 students are enrolled in them.
“However, the government has established girls colleges as well,” he said. “This has led students to opt for government colleges.”
Rehman said they have only merged FEF colleges with other institutes in areas where government colleges have been established.
“This was done because the number of students at FEF colleges had decreased,” he said. “Meanwhile, in Swabi district we have closed down a girls college as it had a limited number of students. The college has been merged with a government college nearby. Employees of the college have been given jobs in other educational institutes.”
Rehman said an FEF college in Haripur had also faced challenges in enrolment.
“The institute’s building had 37 rooms but few students,” he said. “In order to make effective use of the excess space, the government decided to establish a college in its place. Similarly, in Nothia, Peshawar, a FEF college was closed down and its students and employees were adjusted at a government college.”
However, Rehman said there is an FEF college in Chakdara which has a large number of students.
“We will never close the institute,” he said. “Other FEF colleges which have a high enrolment rate will not be merged.”
According to the managing director, tuition fees at FEF colleges are higher than that of government colleges.
“This is also a reason why few students enrol at these colleges,” he added.
The other view
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Babak maintained his stance on the closure of colleges.
“The rate of female education in the province is very low,” he said. “The government should establish more schools and colleges.”
FEF was established as a corporate body in 1992 under a legislation passed by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
The foundation’s basic function was to promote education in the private sector across the province. All the administrative and management powers of FEF lie with the board of directors.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 20[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/994944/...-to-be-integrated-with-government-institutes/
Zamung Kor: A home for street children inaugurated in Peshawar
Initiative aims to rehabilitate street children, create child sensitive society . PHOTO: NNI
PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has inaugurated Zamung Kor, a home for street children in the city.
This was stated in a handout issued on Friday. According to the document, the home established in 216 abandoned flats in Nassapa was opened for children to mark Universal Children’s Day. The initiative aims to rehabilitate street children.
K-P govt names Reham Khan official ambassador for street children
According to the document, a street child admitted to Zamung Kor inaugurated the modern institute. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak were also present on the occasion.
The handout stated the Rs447 million project will accommodate 1,000 children who will be provided facilities such as education, health, recreation, sports, boarding, food, career and psychological counselling.
“All expenditures will be borne by the K-P government which will also acquire an additional piece of land measuring 100 kanals to construct a sports ground, an auditorium and a cricket academy,” stated the document.
Education for all: Govt to set up school for street children
“Setting up a home to rehabilitate street children in a dignified manner was a unique project undertaken by the provincial government,” the handout quoted Khattak as saying. He lauded the efforts of the government in achieving the goal in a short span of time.
“Given the facilities Zamung Kor will provide, these children will undoubtedly become responsible and valued citizens,” the CM added. He said the government was committed to investing in the youth of the province and was willing to provide all the necessary resources and opportunities.
According to the handout, the chief minister said intensified efforts to get all children enrolled into schools and eradicate polio from the region were under way. “Zamung Kor project aims to create a society where children can enjoy their rights without any discrimination and deprivation,” the document quoted Khattak as saying.
Pakistan’s children are unsheltered, uneducated and uncared for
The chief minister also said children groomed at Zamung Kor under the guardianship of the provincial government be called ‘state children’ instead of ‘street children’. He added a welfare package will also be launched for children in prisons very soon.
K-P Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, MPA Meraj Hamayun Khan, provincial ministers Muhammad Atif Khan, Shah Farman, Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, special assistants to CM Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, Dr Mehar Taj Roghani, Chief Secretary Amjad Ali Khan, Additional Chief Dr Hammad Owais Agha, members of K-P Assembly, social welfare secretary and many other related officials and social welfare organisations’ representatives attended the function.
Monitoring function
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Imran said he was monitoring the implementation of the plan himself. “A lot needs to be done, particularly regarding the supply of clean drinking water,” he added. The PTI chief said Zamung Kor will be converted into a model centre for street children and the K-P government will be replicating this modern centre in other districts too.
Minister suggests separate dept for street children
Imran also said a board of governors will run the centre which will not only educate children but will also provide them with recreational facilities. He urged the government to utilise the abandoned Auqaf land for a sports ground. “The sports ground that will be constructed adjacent to the centre will be accessible not only to the street children but to everyone else as well,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 21[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/995625/sheltered-zamung-kor-inaugurated-in-city-on-childrens-day/
A winter frolic: Children to have 33 new playgrounds by year end
PESHAWAR: Children of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have reason to celebrate as the provincial government plans to accelerate construction work on as many as 33 playgrounds.
According to documents available with The Express Tribune, the grounds will be ready by December.
A little something for children
“The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs initially approved 47 playgrounds and allocated Rs705 million,” stated the documents. “The number of such facilities was later increased to 62 and an additional Rs225 million were allocated for them.”
As per the documents, each ground would cost around Rs15 million and work was in full swing to complete 33 of them on an “emergency basis”. “However, 13 sites were disputed territory and the government has filed cases in this regard to the high court,” the documents added.
Meanwhile, another playground had its tender cancelled on three occasions and is yet to be handed over to a contractor by the communication and works department to begin construction.
At least Rs200 million has been released this year to construct playgrounds while the remaining amount would be made available in 2016.
“Playgrounds will be built in DI Khan, Karak, Lower Dir, Chitral, Hangu and Charsadda,” stated the documents. “Tank, Shangla, Swat, Kohat and Haripur districts will also see new playgrounds. Upper Dir would also be home to new grounds in the same way as Swabi, Battagram, Mardan, Buner, Kohistan, Nowshera, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Malakand and Peshawar.”
Speaking to The Express Tribune, K-P Sports and Youth Affairs Development Director Niamatullah Khan said 33 playgrounds were being built on an emergency basis. He confirmed they would be completed by the end of December.
The changing scenario of childcare in Pakistan
“A memorandum of understanding had been signed by the relevant education and sporting authorities to establish playgrounds at schools and colleges,” the director said.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 23[SUP]rd[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/996447/a-winter-frolic-children-to-have-33-new-playgrounds-by-year-end/
Utilising resources : FEF colleges to be integrated with government institutes
Three institutes with low enrolment rates have already been merged PHOTO: fef.edu.pk
PESHAWAR: The Frontier Education Foundation (FEF) has decided to integrate its colleges across the province with government institutes.
FEF Managing Director Hafizur Rehman told The Express Tribune the decision has been taken because most of these institutes have low enrolment rates.
“So far, three FEF colleges have been merged with government colleges,” he added.
Earlier, on November 14, ANP K-P General Secretary Sardar Hussain Babak announced the provincial government has closed down 15 girls colleges run by FEF. He said the closure of these institutes will leave thousands of students in the lurch and render hundreds of teachers jobless.
However, Rehman said not a single college had been closed down.
“On the contrary, FEF colleges are being merged with government-run colleges,” he added.
A matter of integration
According to the managing director, there are 16 FEF colleges for girls across the province and currently 2,500 students are enrolled in them.
“However, the government has established girls colleges as well,” he said. “This has led students to opt for government colleges.”
Rehman said they have only merged FEF colleges with other institutes in areas where government colleges have been established.
“This was done because the number of students at FEF colleges had decreased,” he said. “Meanwhile, in Swabi district we have closed down a girls college as it had a limited number of students. The college has been merged with a government college nearby. Employees of the college have been given jobs in other educational institutes.”
Rehman said an FEF college in Haripur had also faced challenges in enrolment.
“The institute’s building had 37 rooms but few students,” he said. “In order to make effective use of the excess space, the government decided to establish a college in its place. Similarly, in Nothia, Peshawar, a FEF college was closed down and its students and employees were adjusted at a government college.”
However, Rehman said there is an FEF college in Chakdara which has a large number of students.
“We will never close the institute,” he said. “Other FEF colleges which have a high enrolment rate will not be merged.”
According to the managing director, tuition fees at FEF colleges are higher than that of government colleges.
“This is also a reason why few students enrol at these colleges,” he added.
The other view
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Babak maintained his stance on the closure of colleges.
“The rate of female education in the province is very low,” he said. “The government should establish more schools and colleges.”
FEF was established as a corporate body in 1992 under a legislation passed by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
The foundation’s basic function was to promote education in the private sector across the province. All the administrative and management powers of FEF lie with the board of directors.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 20[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/994944/...-to-be-integrated-with-government-institutes/
Zamung Kor: A home for street children inaugurated in Peshawar
Initiative aims to rehabilitate street children, create child sensitive society . PHOTO: NNI
PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has inaugurated Zamung Kor, a home for street children in the city.
This was stated in a handout issued on Friday. According to the document, the home established in 216 abandoned flats in Nassapa was opened for children to mark Universal Children’s Day. The initiative aims to rehabilitate street children.
K-P govt names Reham Khan official ambassador for street children
According to the document, a street child admitted to Zamung Kor inaugurated the modern institute. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak were also present on the occasion.
The handout stated the Rs447 million project will accommodate 1,000 children who will be provided facilities such as education, health, recreation, sports, boarding, food, career and psychological counselling.
“All expenditures will be borne by the K-P government which will also acquire an additional piece of land measuring 100 kanals to construct a sports ground, an auditorium and a cricket academy,” stated the document.
Education for all: Govt to set up school for street children
“Setting up a home to rehabilitate street children in a dignified manner was a unique project undertaken by the provincial government,” the handout quoted Khattak as saying. He lauded the efforts of the government in achieving the goal in a short span of time.
“Given the facilities Zamung Kor will provide, these children will undoubtedly become responsible and valued citizens,” the CM added. He said the government was committed to investing in the youth of the province and was willing to provide all the necessary resources and opportunities.
According to the handout, the chief minister said intensified efforts to get all children enrolled into schools and eradicate polio from the region were under way. “Zamung Kor project aims to create a society where children can enjoy their rights without any discrimination and deprivation,” the document quoted Khattak as saying.
Pakistan’s children are unsheltered, uneducated and uncared for
The chief minister also said children groomed at Zamung Kor under the guardianship of the provincial government be called ‘state children’ instead of ‘street children’. He added a welfare package will also be launched for children in prisons very soon.
K-P Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, MPA Meraj Hamayun Khan, provincial ministers Muhammad Atif Khan, Shah Farman, Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, special assistants to CM Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, Dr Mehar Taj Roghani, Chief Secretary Amjad Ali Khan, Additional Chief Dr Hammad Owais Agha, members of K-P Assembly, social welfare secretary and many other related officials and social welfare organisations’ representatives attended the function.
Monitoring function
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Imran said he was monitoring the implementation of the plan himself. “A lot needs to be done, particularly regarding the supply of clean drinking water,” he added. The PTI chief said Zamung Kor will be converted into a model centre for street children and the K-P government will be replicating this modern centre in other districts too.
Minister suggests separate dept for street children
Imran also said a board of governors will run the centre which will not only educate children but will also provide them with recreational facilities. He urged the government to utilise the abandoned Auqaf land for a sports ground. “The sports ground that will be constructed adjacent to the centre will be accessible not only to the street children but to everyone else as well,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 21[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/995625/sheltered-zamung-kor-inaugurated-in-city-on-childrens-day/
A winter frolic: Children to have 33 new playgrounds by year end
PESHAWAR: Children of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have reason to celebrate as the provincial government plans to accelerate construction work on as many as 33 playgrounds.
According to documents available with The Express Tribune, the grounds will be ready by December.
A little something for children
“The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs initially approved 47 playgrounds and allocated Rs705 million,” stated the documents. “The number of such facilities was later increased to 62 and an additional Rs225 million were allocated for them.”
As per the documents, each ground would cost around Rs15 million and work was in full swing to complete 33 of them on an “emergency basis”. “However, 13 sites were disputed territory and the government has filed cases in this regard to the high court,” the documents added.
Meanwhile, another playground had its tender cancelled on three occasions and is yet to be handed over to a contractor by the communication and works department to begin construction.
At least Rs200 million has been released this year to construct playgrounds while the remaining amount would be made available in 2016.
“Playgrounds will be built in DI Khan, Karak, Lower Dir, Chitral, Hangu and Charsadda,” stated the documents. “Tank, Shangla, Swat, Kohat and Haripur districts will also see new playgrounds. Upper Dir would also be home to new grounds in the same way as Swabi, Battagram, Mardan, Buner, Kohistan, Nowshera, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Malakand and Peshawar.”
Speaking to The Express Tribune, K-P Sports and Youth Affairs Development Director Niamatullah Khan said 33 playgrounds were being built on an emergency basis. He confirmed they would be completed by the end of December.
The changing scenario of childcare in Pakistan
“A memorandum of understanding had been signed by the relevant education and sporting authorities to establish playgrounds at schools and colleges,” the director said.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 23[SUP]rd[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/996447/a-winter-frolic-children-to-have-33-new-playgrounds-by-year-end/
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
[h=1]Stand united: District nazims join hands to fight for devolution of powers
[/h]MARDAN: Nazims from various districts have decided to launch a joint struggle for their due rights and powers.
As mentioned in a press release, the decision was announced in a meeting held on Tuesday with Mardan nazim Himayatullah Mayar in the chair at Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa House. Chitral nazim Haji Maghfirat Shah, Malakand nazim Syed Ahmad Ali Shah, Kohat nazim Maulana Obaidullah, and Sher Bahadur nazim and Mardan naib nazim Asad Ali Shah attended the meeting. All participants in attendance were associated with political parties.
This is the second initiative, on behalf of district nazims, to obtain rights and powers for local government bodies in accordance with the Constitution. Earlier, councillors from various parties established a body with Jamaat-e-Islami’s Israrullah Khan as its chairperson.
At Tuesday’s meeting, participants discussed shortfalls and flaws in the Local Government Act 2013 in depth and displayed reservations on certain clauses. According to the press release, participants observed flaws and anomalies in the legislation are fuelling problems for the public on a daily basis.
District nazims collectively determined they would restore LG institutions, rights and powers according to the 1973 Constitution and K-P LG Act 2013.
Two-step process
In the first phase, nazims decided to hold meetings with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairperson Imran Khan, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and Minister for LG Inayatullah Khan to sort out issues through mutual understanding.
Participants also decided to establish contacts with their counterparts from the remaining districts. The next meeting will be held in Peshawar. While speaking to The Express Tribune, Maghfirat said, “We support Imran in giving maximum power and authority to LG institutions.
But there are still some problems in the system.” Maghfirat, elected to the office of district nazim for a second time said, “Goals of devolution cannot be achieved unless we ensure due power and authority is transferred to the local government.” He added district nazims have taken it upon themselves to help officials implement Imran’s agenda in transferring power to grass-roots level.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 25[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015
http://tribune.com.pk/story/997713/...join-hands-to-fight-for-devolution-of-powers/
[h=1]PTI investigating 7,500 teachers for ineffective teaching habits: Atif
[/h]PESHAWAR: Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Muhammad Atif Khan said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf plans to strengthen educational institutions. Part of this exercise will involve taking action against teachers who were not performing well.
This was stated in a handout issued on Tuesday. He said this during a live talk show on Pakhtunkhwa Radio in Peshawar on Tuesday.
“Education is one of the most valuable gifts one can give to a nation,” he said, adding the PTI-led provincial government had been allocating “unprecedented” funds to the education sector. “We do not believe in lip service. Our commitment is visible in the form of our concrete steps,” he said.
Teachers
The minister for education said 23,000 teachers were trained last year whereas 23,000 more were under training this year. He added 12,000 teachers had been recruited on merit whereas 10,000 more will be appointed in coming months. “This is an example of our commitment to improve education in the region,” the minister said.
Addressing the issue of teachers with unproductive teaching habits, Muhammad Atif said the issue is currently being addressed through the independent monitoring system. Muhammad Atif added teachers who are performing well on their duties were being awarded cash prizes and tablets.
However, 7,500 teachers who are not performing well are under investigation.
Schools
When asked about the government’s response to repair schools damaged by the earthquake, the minister said hundreds of schools were destroyed and over 1,000 schools had been damaged.
“We have merged various schools to accommodate students from the schools that were damaged,” he said. “In some areas, we have shifted students to makeshift schools in rented buildings until the school premises are rebuilt.”
http://tribune.com.pk/story/998118/pti-investigating-7500-teachers-ineffective-teaching-habits-atif/
[/h]MARDAN: Nazims from various districts have decided to launch a joint struggle for their due rights and powers.
As mentioned in a press release, the decision was announced in a meeting held on Tuesday with Mardan nazim Himayatullah Mayar in the chair at Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa House. Chitral nazim Haji Maghfirat Shah, Malakand nazim Syed Ahmad Ali Shah, Kohat nazim Maulana Obaidullah, and Sher Bahadur nazim and Mardan naib nazim Asad Ali Shah attended the meeting. All participants in attendance were associated with political parties.
This is the second initiative, on behalf of district nazims, to obtain rights and powers for local government bodies in accordance with the Constitution. Earlier, councillors from various parties established a body with Jamaat-e-Islami’s Israrullah Khan as its chairperson.
At Tuesday’s meeting, participants discussed shortfalls and flaws in the Local Government Act 2013 in depth and displayed reservations on certain clauses. According to the press release, participants observed flaws and anomalies in the legislation are fuelling problems for the public on a daily basis.
District nazims collectively determined they would restore LG institutions, rights and powers according to the 1973 Constitution and K-P LG Act 2013.
Two-step process
In the first phase, nazims decided to hold meetings with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairperson Imran Khan, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and Minister for LG Inayatullah Khan to sort out issues through mutual understanding.
Participants also decided to establish contacts with their counterparts from the remaining districts. The next meeting will be held in Peshawar. While speaking to The Express Tribune, Maghfirat said, “We support Imran in giving maximum power and authority to LG institutions.
But there are still some problems in the system.” Maghfirat, elected to the office of district nazim for a second time said, “Goals of devolution cannot be achieved unless we ensure due power and authority is transferred to the local government.” He added district nazims have taken it upon themselves to help officials implement Imran’s agenda in transferring power to grass-roots level.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 25[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015
http://tribune.com.pk/story/997713/...join-hands-to-fight-for-devolution-of-powers/
[h=1]PTI investigating 7,500 teachers for ineffective teaching habits: Atif
[/h]PESHAWAR: Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Muhammad Atif Khan said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf plans to strengthen educational institutions. Part of this exercise will involve taking action against teachers who were not performing well.
This was stated in a handout issued on Tuesday. He said this during a live talk show on Pakhtunkhwa Radio in Peshawar on Tuesday.
“Education is one of the most valuable gifts one can give to a nation,” he said, adding the PTI-led provincial government had been allocating “unprecedented” funds to the education sector. “We do not believe in lip service. Our commitment is visible in the form of our concrete steps,” he said.
Teachers
The minister for education said 23,000 teachers were trained last year whereas 23,000 more were under training this year. He added 12,000 teachers had been recruited on merit whereas 10,000 more will be appointed in coming months. “This is an example of our commitment to improve education in the region,” the minister said.
Addressing the issue of teachers with unproductive teaching habits, Muhammad Atif said the issue is currently being addressed through the independent monitoring system. Muhammad Atif added teachers who are performing well on their duties were being awarded cash prizes and tablets.
However, 7,500 teachers who are not performing well are under investigation.
Schools
When asked about the government’s response to repair schools damaged by the earthquake, the minister said hundreds of schools were destroyed and over 1,000 schools had been damaged.
“We have merged various schools to accommodate students from the schools that were damaged,” he said. “In some areas, we have shifted students to makeshift schools in rented buildings until the school premises are rebuilt.”
http://tribune.com.pk/story/998118/pti-investigating-7500-teachers-ineffective-teaching-habits-atif/
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
NOV 22 2015
