K-P - FATA News Updates and Insights

The 83rd Pakistan Day was celebrated with national enthusiasm on Thursday in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa where people vowed to work tirelessly for the progress, development and prosperity of the motherland. The main function of the day was held at Governor House where Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Haji Ghulam Ali on behalf of the President of Pakistan conferred presidential civil awards to 11 personalities for their meritorious services in their respective fields. Caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan, caretaker provincial ministers, Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat Gandapur, the administrative heads of various departments and relatives of the recipients of the presidential awards attended the ceremony. Dr Qibla Ayaz was awarded with Satara Imtiaz for his great services in research in the field of Islamic studies, Bushra Farrukh for performing arts including drama and acting, Gul Zari Wagmah for music and singing, Masoudjan for blind cricket sports, Abdulaziz Khan Tabasim for films directions. Moreover, Naseebullah Khan was awarded for bravery, Zainullah for Chitrali Sitar music and singing, Farhaj Sikandar Yar Khan and Dr Faridullah Khan for public services and Suraj Narayan allies Narayan Lal for literature. Similarly, slain journalist Muhammad Musa Khankhel was awarded the President's Medal of distinction posthumously for extraordinary services in the field of journalism. His medal was received by his brother Isa Khankhel. Meanwhile debate competitions and art exhibitions were also held in different districts highlighting importance of the day. TV channels, Radios stations and newspapers also aired and published special programs signifying importance of Pakistan Day. Distinguished figures get Pakistan Day awards in Balochistan Balochistan Governor Malik Abdul Wali Kakar on Thursday conferred Presidential and Excellence Awards on several personalities for their outstanding performance and best services on the occasion of Pakistan Day. A simple but dignified ceremony for the distribution of Presidential and Excellence Awards was held at Governor House Quetta. Amanullah Khan Nasir, Professor Ubaidullah Darwish, and Dr Muhammad Ashraf Shaheen Qaisrani were honored with Presidential Excellence Award. Martyrs of Journalism Irshad Ahmad Mastoi and Ashraf Zehri were posthumously awarded the Medal of Distinction. Later, the governor Balochistan gave provincial excellence awards to 24 personalities including Sadiq Ali, Sharaf Shaad, Dr Nasreen Gul, Asmat Durrani, Abdul Bari Asir, Rahmat Bibi alias Arzu Ziaratwala, Abdul Hayat, Nabi Baksh, Shazia Akram Shahwani, Muhammad Yasin, Rashid Hasrat and Shabana Sultan. The governor also gave away Provincial Excellence Awards 2021 to Shuaib Ali, Arif Ali, Dr Rahim Bakhsh Mehr, Dr Abdul Rauf Rafiqi, Dar Muhammad Kasi, Dr Abdul Rehman Kakar, Khudaidad, Khurshid Ali Hasan, Dr Abida Baloch, Dawood Shah Tareen, Prof Ahmed Waqas and Prof Arifa Ali. On this occasion, the provincial ministers, members of the provincial assembly, senior government officials and people belonging to different fields participated in the ceremony for national honors. Published in The Express Tribune, March 24th, 2023.

Contrary to the claims of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), gas load shedding continues in different areas of Peshawar, creating trouble for citizens at Sehr and Iftar. The SNGPL had announced that during the holy month of Ramazan, gas would be supplied during Sehr from 3am to 7am and Iftar from 4pm to 8pm. In spite of this, even during the first Sehr, due to the lack of gas in many areas, people faced many difficulties. But contrary to the claim of gas supply from 4pm to 8pm in the evening, the gas supply was closed. However, while the supply of gas to the houses was stopped, there was no difference in the supply of gas to the CNG stations. Moreover, the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) increased load shedding of electricity as well. The authorities had not issued any prior notice in this regard and no reason was given for unexplained load shedding. The people demanded of the government to take immediate notice of the situation and rectify it. Published in The Express Tribune, March 24th, 2023.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Thursday issued a detailed report on damages and losses due to the recent 6.8-magnitude earthquake that shook the northern parts of the country, leaving 11 dead and 79 injured as well as 172 houses damaged in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). The NDMA in the aftermath of the earthquake from Hindukush region of Afghanistan, issued the situation report based on its initial or preliminary assessment. However, with detailed feedback from local administrations, district disaster management authorities (DDMAs) and departments, respective provincial authorities submitted detailed reports. The summary of losses or damages and major incidents reported so far revealed that all of the 11 deaths – six males, three females and two children – occurred in K-P. Similarly, the maximum injured were also reported in K-P, including 32 females, as many males and 13 children, along with two males injured in Punjab. However, 172 houses were damaged whereas in K-P, of 169 total, some 147 were partially damaged and 22 houses completely damaged during the earthquake. A house was partially damaged in G-B while two were partially damaged in AJK. Some 19 animals were killed, of which, 17 were reported in K-P and two in AJK. It added that on the directions of NDMA chairman, ground verification was being carried out and detailed reports would be submitted by all departments and authorities to verify the reports already submitted. However, in K-P, four schools and as many other buildings were also partially damaged. Published in The Express Tribune, March 24th, 2023.

While most would expect classical educational institutions to act as torch bearers for the advancement of the nation, the deplorable state of affairs at the Islamia Colleges in the provincial capital, presents a gloomy picture. Established in the 20th century in Peshawar, the Islamia College, had historically played a key role in advancing the Independence movement in the subcontinent and had also nurtured the political ethos of various ruling elites in the early years of Pakistan. Concurrently, its daughter institution, the Jamia Usmania, known popularly as the “mother of knowledge”, was also widely revered for having produced many accomplished alumni, who dutifully served the nation. In recent times however, the two institutions have caught the public eye for all the wrong reasons. With regular student and faculty protests, frequent robberies and occasional murders, the colleges have lost their appeal to prospective students and have, in no time, turned into sites of widespread social chaos. “The good reputation of the Islamia College has long gone”, resented Izhar Ullah, a senior alumni. “Given daily protests, student clashes and crime occurrences, regular classes no longer take place. If the current situation persists, soon enough no parent would want to send their child for studying here,” he added. According to the President of the Peshawar University Teachers Association, Dr Muhammad Uzair, poor administrative structures and inadequate vigilance are paramount factors behind the worsening law and order atmosphere on the campuses. “The administration does not monitor the conduct of classes nor does it guarantee the availability of the 350 members of the teaching faculty,” said Uzair. “Nor does the vigilance invest in installing modern surveillance equipment, like security cameras, in order to keep check on student activity and curb the crime rate,” he added. Apart from this, Uzair also cited meagre salaries of the teaching faculty as being a major factor behind regular faculty-led protests. While some blame the administration for the deteriorating state of affairs, others cite nepotism in the government as being another major cause. As Shah Nawaz, a teacher at the Islamia College and member of the Islamia College Teachers Association, told The Express Tribune, “The government appoints the Vice Chancellor of the Islamia College based on its preferences and personal favorites and seldom takes into account the qualifying credentials of the appointee.” Furthermore, Nawaz, revealed that majority of the appointed administration is from far flung areas and is ill-prepared for dealing with the local realities on campus. He also highlighted the recent murders on campus as being another factor contributing to the rising notoriety of the institution. Indeed, the recent ironic murder of a professor by a security guard at the Islamia College and the murder of a security personnel at the Jamia Usmania, were moments of immense agitation among the student body and the alumni, who urged the government to take swift action against the perpetrators of the mayhem. Speaking to The Express Tribune on the matter, Khan Zaman, the President of the Islamia College Senior Alumni Association, nostalgically recalled times which were much more peaceful and prosperous, and simultaneously urged the relevant stakeholders to play their part in reinstating order. “The government, administration, faculty and students, must collectively work towards restoring the prestige and repute of these historical institutions,” concluded Zaman. Published in The Express Tribune, March 25th, 2023.

The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Peshawar have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in a bid to further improve industry-academia linkages. According to a statement issued here on Friday, a signing ceremony was held at the chamber’s house in which SCCI President Muhammad Ishaq and Director Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (ORIC) UET Peshawar Dr Nasru Minallah inked the MoU. Senior SCCI Advisory Committee member Dr Khalid Khan, Manager University Industry Linkage, UET Dr Tariq Khalil, Office Manager Dr Jawad Ali Shah and others were present. Ishaq termed the signing of the MoU with UET a milestone step towards strengthening industry-academia linkages, saying the SCCI started a series of MoUs with public and private sector universities. He elaborated that the MoU aimed at equipping graduates and young students with technical skills besides the completion of their academic pursuits so that it would enable them to get instant employment opportunities. The SCCI president apprised the meeting that the chamber had recently inked a memorandum of corporation (MoC) with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (Tevta) under German Organisation (GIZ) Tevta Support Programme. Under the GIZ Tevta Support Programme, he said, the SCCI and Tevta would jointly conduct capacity building and job training sessions to bring improvement in youths/graduates skills and ensure their job placement in various trade organisations and industries. Talking about the SCCI 2.0 programme, Ishaq informed that the chamber was going to launch this programme very shortly, which was the first-ever initiative taken by the SCCI in Pakistan under which the chamber would be developed on modern lines by equipping it with complete digitisation and bringing it up to modern standards. The SCCI chief said there was a lack of entrepreneurship in the province, saying: “Our youth is highly skillful and capable to excel in every field.” He, however, said there was a need to provide youth with a proper platform to utilise their abilities efficiently and continue playing a role in the country’s economic prosperity and progress. On the current state of Pakistan’s economy, Ishaq said the industries and businesses were in severe crisis owing to multiple reasons and inconsistent policies. The SCCI president informed that currently industries were working 10 to 20 per cent of their installed capacity under the prevailing circumstances. Ishaq remarked immense natural and mineral reserves existed in K-P, in which gemstone, mining, and marble were at the top. He added that the SCCI had taken initiatives for promotion of the gemstone sector. The SCCI chief called for tapping natural reserves and resources in an efficient manner to bring economic stability and improvement. Earlier, ORIC UET Peshawar Director Minallah and Manager University Industry Linkage, UET Peshawar Khalil briefed the chamber president regarding various projects that were initiated by their department. Published in The Express Tribune, March 25th, 2023.

The construction of the Koto Power Plant in Lower Dir district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) has entered the final stages of completion. After successful completion at the end of this year, the project will start producing 40.8 megawatts of cheap electricity, which will bring more than Rs2 billion to the provincial exchequer annually and create new employment opportunities in the province. It will help overcome the energy crisis too in the province. This was stated by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO) Engr Naeem Khan during his surprise visit to the project site on Friday. He was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Lower Dir Iftikhar Khan Marwat. He reviewed progress of work on the dam and various parts of the project. About the ongoing construction work, Deputy Director Engineer Muqeemuddin said that due to security reasons, several workers of the team of Chinese engineers working on the project had left their work and went back to their home country, while during the Covid-19 emergency, it proved very difficult to bring machinery for the project as there was a global lockdown. Due to these reasons, the project work was slightly delayed but they were trying their level best to catch up. “After the security situation improved, now the Chinese staff is back and work has been once again in progress with full pace and the required heavy machinery had also been brought to the site,” he maintained, adding that there were some difficulties in acquiring land for the project and it was another cause of delay, on which Deputy Commissioner Iftikhar Khan assured the project officials that discussions were in progress with the local people regarding the purchase of land and payments to the landowners would be made soon. Eng Naeem Khan, while expressing satisfaction over the pace of work on the project, directed the field staff that the pace of work on the project should be increased so that the people can benefit from the project soon. It is worth mentioning here that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to restart construction work on the Lawi Hydropower Project in Chitral district that had been stopped due to some security and financial issues. A financial package has also been announced and security issues have been resolved to ensure speedy work on the project. Similarly, the World Bank (WB) will fund two hydropower projects of 245 megawatts in Swat this year, the completion of which will bring an annual income of more than Rs13 billion to the province. The WB will lend money to the K-P government for this purpose. In October last year, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of Secretary Energy and Power Nisar Ahmad Khan, with the project directors of WB regarding progress on both the projects. The WB will fund the projects as part of the development energy sector including the 157 MW Madyan Hydropower Project and 88 MW Gabral Kalam Hydropower Project. In this regard, a $450 million agreement has been signed between the WB and the provincial government. Published in The Express Tribune, March 25th, 2023.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Governor Haji Ghulam Ali on Friday proposed elections of the provincial assembly on Oct 8, the same date the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) had set for the voting in Punjab. Governor Ali wrote a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, fixing the election date for the K-P Assembly election. The governor also mentioned a deteriorating law and order situation in the province. “Since the ECP has postponed the election date for the general elections of Punjab province to Oct 8, 2023, therefore, it is also suggested that same Oct 8, 2023 be proposed/appointed as election date for General Elections of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the best public interest as well as in the interest of the state,” the letter stated. The announcement of the date came after a series of consultations held between the governor and the ECP on the order of the Supreme Court in its judgment in the suo motu case about the election date earlier this month. The general elections of the Punjab and K-P assemblies were due after the two houses were dissolved by their respective chief ministers in January. However, in the absence of the announcement of the election date, the apex court took the suo motu notice. The Supreme Court then ordered the president to appoint the date for election of the Punjab Assembly and the K-P governor for his province in consultation with the ECP. Subsequently, the president gave the date of April 30. On Wednesday, however, the ECP postponed the election in Punjab until Oct 8, citing lack of funds and other security issues related to holding peaceful and transparent election. In the letter to CEC Raja, the K-P governor also pointed out that the province was in the grip of a “fresh wave of terrorist activities” on a daily basis. “Major terrorist activities include cross-border fire in North Waziristan, IED (improvised explosive device) blast on army vehicle in Kohat, [and] heavy exchange of fire with terrorists in South Waziristan on March 15,” he said. “Unidentified terrorists [opened] fire at Bara police station in Khyber district on March 19 and terrorists attacked a police station in DI Khan[, which was] followed by a search operation by the army resulting in [the] martyrdom of three soldiers on [the] night of March 21-22, 2023,” he added. “On March 21, 2023, a convoy was ambushed in South Waziristan, resulting in [the] martyrdom of Brigadier Mustafa Kamal Burki from ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) and injuring seven other ranks wherein two are critically injured.” On the governor’s decision, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Senator Waleed Iqbal said that the date of Oct 8 was a deviation from the Constitution, which stipulated elections within 90 days of the dissolution of the assembly. “According to the Constitution, elections must be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the assembly,” the PTI senator told The Express Tribune. “Currently, the country is under a civilian martial law.” On the other hand, Prime Minister’s Adviser Qamar Zaman Kaira said that though the Constitution mandated the election within 90 days of the dissolution of the assembly, ground realities must be taken into consideration. “We must see what the ground realities are,” Kaira, who is also a senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, said. “The process of census is also ongoing in the country. In such a situation, the holding of elections can be controversial.”

An anti-terrorism court in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has convicted and sentenced a man to death after he was accused of posting blasphemous content in a WhatsApp group. Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where even unproven allegations can stir mobs and violence. Syed Muhammad Zeeshan was convicted under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and Anti-Terrorist Act by the court in Peshawar on Friday. "Accused Syed Muhammad Zeeshan, son of Syed Zakaullah in custody has been convicted and sentenced after being found guilty", the court order said, a copy of which was obtained by AFP. Read more: Mob lynches man over blasphemy allegations in Nankana Sahib Zeeshan, who is a resident of Mardan, was also fined 1.2 million rupees ($4,300) and handed a total of 23 years imprisonment. He has the right to appeal. The case arose after Muhammad Saeed, a resident of Talagang in Punjab province filed an application with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) two years ago, accusing Zeeshan of posting blasphemous content in a WhatsApp group, Saeed's counsel Ibrar Hussain told AFP. The "FIA had confiscated Zeeshan's cell phone and its forensic examination proved him guilty", he said. While Pakistan's laws prohibiting blasphemy can carry a potential death sentence, so far it has never been enforced for the crime. Although many cases involve Muslims accusing fellow Muslims, rights activists have warned that religious minorities -- particularly Christians -- are often caught in the crossfire, with blasphemy charges used to settle personal scores. According to the National Commission of Justice and Peace, a human rights and legal aid group in Pakistan, 774 Muslims and 760 members of various minority religious groups were accused of blasphemy in the last 20 years.

The number of Covid-19 has jumped up once again in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) including Peshawar, an official of the Health Department said here Saturday. He observed that despite the end of harsh winter in the province, Covid-19 was once again spreading and experts feared that it was the start of yet another wave in the country which has already seen several waves of the infection. The official maintained that seven cases of Covid-19 have been reported across the province during the last 24 hours. He said that so far over around 6,376 people lost their lives to the Covid-19 infection since the start of the epidemic in Pakistan. The total number of cases reported since the start of the pandemic in K-P has touched 225,261 mark, the official said. He added one person has also recovered from Covid in the past 24 hours as the total number recovered patients has hit 218,739 mark. He said over all 3,153 people have died of Covid in the past few years due to this infection amounting to almost 50 per cent of the total fatalities in the province and five new cases have been reported in in the district in one day. Published in The Express Tribune, March 26th, 2023.

At least four people were killed and 17 sustained injuries in rain-related incidents across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Saturday. As per the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) heavy downpour was recorded in various parts of the province which inflicted considerable damage. Met office has already forecast more rains in the coming days which could result in flash floods and low laying areas could be submerged as a result. In Peshawar 12 mm rainfall has been recorded. An official of PDMA told The Express Tribune that two children were killed in roof collapse incidents in Mardan district of K-P while one death each occurred in Peshawar and South Waziristan tribal district each. “Four people have been killed in total including two children, one man and one woman,” he said, adding that 17 people were injured including nine children, two women and six men in separate incidents. In roof collapse three cattle were killed in Mardan and three others in South Waziristan, inflicting huge financial losses on the local farmers. Across the province six houses have been left damaged in torrential downpour. In Swabi A causeway in Turlandi village was washed away by the floodwater on Saturday, causing a lot many difficulties for the general public. The widening of Turlandi-Kalodher Road and construction a bridge on Turlandi Badrinullah was part of the development project but the contractor only made a causeway and left the project incomplete as a result the floods washed away the incomplete structure, said the sources in Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA), Chota Lahor. The causeway bridge links various villages and provides an easy route to the students of Government Higher Secondary School Turlandi and farmers to reach their fields. Local residents said that they had asked the contractor not to demolish the old bridge till construction of new one is completed but he paid no heed as a result they have been left completely cut-off. When contacted Zeenat Bibi advocate, former MPA of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said that the bridge and the road was being constructed under the district development plan at a cost was Rs87 million. Published in The Express Tribune, March 26th, 2023.

The Sikh community in Peshawar continues its tradition of arranging iftari for the needy and poor. Feeding the poor is considered an obligation in the Sikh religion and the community living in Peshawar often distributes free food but during the holy month of Ramazan special arrangements are made for iftari. Different Sikh families living in the Mohalla Jogan Shah area of the walled city take turns to arrange it as a result these ‘distarkhwans’ work round the month. Sikh traders are also known for announcing special discounts in their shops during Ramazan besides donating money to the needy. For ordinary folks, gathering of Sikhs around long plastic mats spread to serve food to fasting locals in places like Bolton Block of Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) is strange yet pleasant experience. “This year within four days of Ramazan, we have distributed food items among 100 deserving (Muslim) families,” informs Jatinder Singh, Chairman Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of National Peace Council for Interfaith Harmony. We are now arranging iftari for which Sikh youth have volunteered in addition to providing food packets, Jatinder told APP. Each of the ration pack consists of essential items including cooking oil, rice, pulses, chick pea, beans, sugar and tea, he added. Published in The Express Tribune, March 27th, 2023.

Chairperson of the Art & Design Department, University of Peshawar (UoP), Dr Zile Huma held a meeting with zone manager, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development & Management Company (K-P-EZDMC), the other day, said a press statement issued here on Sunday. During the meeting, she agreed that art department will support the EZDMC in promoting and enhancing the beautification of the Peshawar Economic Zone. They agreed to initiate their work from Road No1 through the installation of signboards on visible spots in the economic zone. The team of PEZ and the Art & Design Department showed their willingness to work together with their mutual interest and they will support KPEZDMC-PEZ to continue the beautification in the zone. The department will be in close liaison with the management of PEZ for the said purpose. This beautification will not only make PEZ a model zone but rather will also definitely attract other entrepreneurs to invest in Peshawar Economic Zone and will play their role in industrialization in the province. Published in The Express Tribune, March 27th, 2023.

The distribution of free wheat flour remains far from orderly across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) despite the assignment of each district to a secretary as on Sunday dozens of people were injured as a result of a stampede during the distribution in Mardan district. Local residents told The Express Tribune that the distribution of flour started in the morning in Mardan Sports Complex but soon the slow pace of distribution resulted in a stampede when police used baton to keep people in proper order. “Dozen have been injured during the stampede when the authorities and police failed to control the crowd,” said a local resident, adding that the stampede started when police fired shots in the air to control the mob which surrounded the flour trucks. As a result local residents blocked the main Nowshera-Mardan Road to protest the police high-handedness. They also attacked the main gate of the sports complex with stones. On the other hand in Tank district of K-P, dozens of women staged a protest against what they called clear-cut favouritism on the part of district administration in the flour distribution. Five people have been killed in the province in similar incidents since the start of Ramazn across K-P. One person was killed and eight others were injured during a stampede for free flour in Charsadda on the first day of the holy month of Ramazan. The prices of basic food items have rocketed in recent months, with inflation at a near 50-year high as the country grapples with a balance of payments crisis that has seen it forced back into negotiations with the International Monetary Fund. “Nine people were trampled and were taken to hospital where one person died,” said Muhammad Arif, police chief for Charsadda. Arif said that hundreds of people gathered at the local market for the handouts, one of hundreds of distribution points set up by the government during Ramazan. Millions of low-income families across the country are registered under the scheme. In a nearby district, a man died and four others were injured when a wall they were sitting on collapsed as crowds amassed for free flour. The provincial government has assigned monitoring tasks of free flour distribution to all administrative secretaries and directed them to ensure the availability of food items on the notified public rates. On the directives of caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan the administrative secretaries will monitor rates and availability of flour and other edibles in local markets generally, during the holy month of Ramazan in their respective districts, said a notification issued here on Saturday. The secretary of food department will monitor Peshawar, secretary C&W Mardan, secretary excise and taxation Kohat and Karak, secretary irrigation Nowshera and Charsadda, secretary auqaf Khyber and Mohmand. Published in The Express Tribune, March 27th, 2023.

The death toll in rain-related incidents has reached six as more than 25 people also sustained injuries in torrential rains across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). Most of the districts in the province recorded rainfall starting from Monday and well into Saturday night which increased the element of chill in the air and made the weather pleasant but the showers also resulted in incidents of roof collapses. “Rainfall was recorded in Peshawar, Khyber tribal district, Shergarh, Mardan, South Waziristan, Bannu, Tank and other districts,” said an official of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). The downpour resulted in the flooding of nullahs and streams and damaged standing crops. The rainwater submerged low-lying areas in most urban suburbs, entering homes and disturbing traffic. In Peshawar 12 mm rainfall has been recorded. Two children were killed in roof collapse incidents in Mardan district while one death each was reported in Peshawar and South Waziristan. A woman was killed in the Tirah valley of Khyber tribal district in a roof collapse episode. Local residents said that the roof of a room in the house of Faqir Khan suddenly caved in after heavy rains in the Malikdin Khel area of Tirah and his wife was buried under the debris. “Local residents tried to rescue her and she was taken out of the debris but she was already dead,” they said. Similarly, one man was injured in a separate roof collapse incident in the Nala area of Bara. In yet another roof collapse incident three heads of cattle were killed in Mardan and three others in South Waziristan, inflicting financial losses on local farmers. Across the province six houses have been left damaged in torrential downpour. The rainfall in Tank district resulted in high flooding in streams. As a result several villages were left completely cut off from the rest of the district. Published in The Express Tribune, March 27th, 2023.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province is expected to have its first woman chief justice as two senior judges of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) are scheduled to retire this week. PHC Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid, who is also a member of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), is retiring on March 30 and Senior Puisne Judge Roohul Amin Khan on March 31. After their retirement, Justice Musarrat Hilali is the senior-most in the PHC judges’ seniority list. Therefore, she will be the first woman PHC chief justice until her retirement on August 7. Interestingly, Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial has yet to summon a meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) to consider the nomination of the new PHC CJ. It is expected that Justice Musarrat will be appointed as an acting CJ first. Later, she may be recommended as a permanent PHC CJ. Former K-P advocate general Shumail Butt said, “Iit is a proud moment for the K-P province.” A province otherwise portrayed as a hardliner archaic hub of patriarchal mindset was going to appoint the first lady chief justice of the high court. “This is going to present a very soft image of Pashtuns to the world," Sarwar Muzaffar Shah Advocate, who is doing practice at the PHC, said. “Justice Musarrat’s appointment as the first woman chief justice of K-P is a positive development in many aspects- she is a judge who demonstrates a lot of judicial courage on the bench which even some men judges lack it." Though she will be the chief justice of the PHC for a few months, symbolically it will have far-reaching effects especially for the women of the province. Advocate Sarwar stated that many young girls, especially law students and lawyers, would be encouraged because a very high glass ceiling would be shattered by her appointment as the K-P chief justice. "Her most celebrated characteristic as a judge is that she is an independent-minded judge who takes decisions without fear or favour," he added. Another lawyer Umer Gilani said that as the first-ever woman chief justice of a high court, the elevation of Justice Musarrat would be a milestone in judicial history. "In almost one decade of judicial service, Justice Musarrat has established herself as a judge of unimpeachable integrity. She carries out her court in a commanding yet courteous manner. Pakistan can rightfully be proud of the accomplishment of such a person,” he added. Meanwhile, K-P lawyers were upset for not considering PHC judges’ elevation to the Supreme Court. Pakistan Bar Council member Amjad Shah expressed disappointment for ignoring two senior-most PHC judges regarding their elevation to the SC and now they were retiring this week. He wondered why the PHC judges were being subjected to discrimination. He said that after the merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas, the population of the K-P province had increased. “At least the two PHC judges should be elevated to the SC,” he added. Interestingly, CJP Bandial had recommended the elevation of incumbent PHC CJ Qaiser Rashid last year but majority of the JCP members were in favour to defer his nomination. Later, he was not recommended for elevation to the SC. Strong voices were being raised from the bench and the bar over what was being seen as an “improper” representation in the superior court. Last year, a delegation of four PHC judges met with CJP Bandial to convey their concerns over the non-nomination of a judge of the PHC for elevation to the apex court.

Peshawar City Mayor Haji Zubair Ali has directed Water Supply & Sanitation Company (WSSP) Peshawar to launch a special cleansing campaign to clear streams and drains before the new spell of rains beginning from March 29 (Wednesday). He issued these directives on Monday to ensure the smooth flow of water in streams and nullahs in case of heavy rains in the city so that the people may not face situations like in the past. The city mayor also expressed satisfaction over the special cleansing operation carried out in the streams and nullahs by the WSSP to improve the water flow during the last three days in Gulbahar, Nishtarabad, Phandu Road and other localities of the city. Haji Zubair claimed that the PTI-led provincial government had taken no concrete steps for bringing improvement in the drainage system of the city. He assured that the Capital Metropolitan Government would take priority-based measures for the resolution of the drainage and sanitation-related problems of the city to bring it at par with the requirements of the modern era. Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2023.

Caretaker Minister for Transport Shahid Khan Khattak has said that Bus Rapid Project (BRT), Billion Trees Afforestation Project (BTAP), Malam Jabba and other cases against the PTI government were being reopened. He hinted that caretaker chief minister Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) would soon write a letter to the relevant investigation agencies to probe alleged corruption in the pavement of banks of river Kabul in Nowshera and small dams in the province. Addressing an open katcheri held at the office of the deputy commissioner Nowshera Kabir Afridi, the minister claimed that the PTI government has ruined the economy during its nearly 10-year rule that resulted in an increase in inflation and price hike in the country, especially K-P. He claimed that there were still PTI’s remnants in bureaucracy, which were creating hurdles in the way of the provincial government, adding that politics on free flour should be avoided and all poor households should be given free flour bags in a dignified manner. The minister said the PTI government during its tenure has recruited about 5,000 media influencers for its personal projection and paid salaries through taxpayer money while sitting in homes. He said that time would be required to clear the mess created by the PTI’s incompetent rulers in K-P. Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2023.

The incidents of killing of the endangered common leopard have been on the rise across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). In Khyber tribal district alone, three leopard cubs have been killed as two cubs were poisoned to death or shot on February 15 in the far-flung area of Tirah valley and another one was hunted down in the Shalman area of Landi Kotal. Last year too, two adult leopards were killed when they attacked livestock in the mountains of Hassan Khel and Darra Adam Khel. These deaths have forced local residents to start a campaign for the protection of leopards on social media and the government is being criticized for its inaction. In 2020 a common leopard was killed when it entered a village in the Matta tehsil of Swat. Talking to The Express Tribune, DFO Wildlife Khyber, Abdul Halim Marwat said that the local population migrated to other districts due to militancy and as a result the population of common leopard multiplied rapidly in the forests but after their return human-leopard contacts were on the rise. “Local resident rear livestock and when these leopards attack them, farmers often kill them. The wildlife department could not intervene due to the prevailing law and order situation,” he said. He maintained that for the past one year, Wildlife Department has been expanded to the tribal districts but they are still faced with shortage of staff, buildings and financial resources so the field work is very limited. “The man who killed two leopard cubs has been arrested and fined while the most recent incident in Landi Kotal is being investigated,” he said. No scientific survey has been conducted in the tribal districts to ascertain the total number of common leopards and a plan to do so has been gathering dust for the past two years in the offices. Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2023.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has declined the Federal government's proposal to take over the financial and administrative responsibilities of the Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (PESCO) and urged the federation to take steps for provincialization of DISCOs. In a letter written to Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif by the Chief Minister KP and available with APP, it was pointed out that PESCO was currently facing a huge shortfall of approximately Rs200 billion per annum along with Rs30 billion per annum in receivables. At present, PESCO was enjoying a uniform national tariff due to the tariff differential subsidy which could be at risk if the existing structure of the power sector was altered, it said, adding that the KP province was under severe stress due to current law and order situation and militancy coupled with low economic and social indicators and could not take over PESCO. The CM said that the proposal could be considered if power generation was handed over to KP along with the income from electricity generation which would entail handing over of all federally owned hydropower stations to the province. The CM referring to a report of the "Out of box solution committee" headed by the Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, said that its report should be placed before the Council of Common Interest (CCI) in the next meeting for consideration. He further proposed that a ministerial-level committee should be set up to deliberate upon the "Provincialization of DISCOs" for accommodating the viewpoints of the provinces. The letter mentioned the poor financial and administrative conditions of the DISCOs. Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2023.

At a time when provision of free wheat flour has provided a much-needed relief to the inflation-hit people across the country despite widespread mismanagement and fatal stampedes, a Jirga of Shalobar sub-clan of Afridi tribe has banned the visits of women to the distribution points in Khyber tribal district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). A local Jirga, headed by Shalobar Qaumi Council chairman Syed Shah Afridi, announced on Sunday that only men would be allowed at the distribution centres. The decision was taken after rumours spread that all women are provided free flour and thousands of women rushed to the distribution points despite the fact that only women registered under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) are eligible. When the women didn’t get free flour as rumoured, they staged a protest demonstration against the district administration by blocking the Pak-Afghan Highway. “A Jirga was held in Bara in which the tribal elders decided that women would not go to the distribution points. They also announced distribution points for each locality and it was decided that people would go to their local points,” said a local resident while talking to The Express Tribune. “It has been decided by the Jirga that women would not be allowed at the distribution points and only men of families which are registered with BISP could come to fetch flour,” he said, adding that the treatment of women at these points is viewed as a great dishonor. All the women were asked to hand over their CNICs to their menfolk who would come and get the flour for them. On the other hand, K-P Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry ordered deputy commissioners to make separate queues and counters for disabled persons, women and senior citizens across the province so that they could get flour with ease. He said that establishment of new free flour distribution centers would facilitate locals to get Ramazan package with ease and would also help in crowd management at the points. To provide relief to the people, the chief secretary said he had been continuously visiting distribution centres for the fourth consecutive day. He reviewed the facilities at distribution points established at PDA Hazar Khawani Park and Hayatabad Sports Complex. He kicked off distribution of free flour from both the centers by giving away relief package to deserving people. On this occasion, the chief secretary met with people and inquired about problems they faced in getting flour. He appealed to the public to cooperate with district administration and avoid chaos and stampede in case of technical failure in the system. The chief secretary instructed administrative officers to personally monitor process of flour distribution to poor families, adding that difficulties in getting flour should be removed and adequate facilities should be ensured at distribution points for the people. It may be mentioned here that dozens of people have been injured across the province in stampedes at distribution centres while five people lost their lives as result of these violent mobs across the province. Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2023.

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Jirga bans women from flour distribution points