Protests and brawls for the supply of free government wheat flour on Tuesday were witnessed at various places in Peshawar as the city’s police expressed their helplessness to control the situation and asked the provincial government to avail the services of the Frontier Constabulary for this purpose.
Protests broke out in different parts of the city including Ashraf Road, Khyber Colony, Yousufabad, Ittehad Colony, Zaryab Colony, Faqirabad, Ring Road, and Badhber.
Protesters blocked Kohat Road over not receiving the free flour, resulting in a massive traffic gridlock in the area.
In Hayatabad, protesters blocked Masjid-e-Zarghoni Road over the same issue.
Protesters also blocked a road in Zaryab Colony.
The protesters complained that they had to wait in long queues for the entire day and still return home empty-handed.
They claimed that flour was being distributed on the basis of nepotism, with political affiliation taken into account.
Complaints of not receiving the free government flour are increasing with each passing day.
The city's police have advised the provincial government to use the FC to keep the law and order situation under control during the process of free flour distribution.
Police officials said they had hardly come up with the manpower for the ongoing census in the city.
Apart from that, they also have to deploy police personnel for the security of bazaars and mosques during the holy month of Ramazan.
They said across the province, its southern districts in particular, a large number of women gather at the distribution points to collect free flour, making it difficult for the police to manage the situation.
The police officials said the provincial government could identify the distribution points where the problems were being faced and deploy FC personnel there as an additional force.
The provincial government would consult with the Centre to make the final decision on the deployment of the FC personnel.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while recently chairing a review meeting in Islamabad, said free flour would be provided to the underprivileged people of Punjab in the first phase under the special Ramazan package.
Later it was decided to include the deserving people of Islamabad in the scheme.
Similarly, other provincial governments also announced plans to distribute free flour bags.
However, unorganised distributions in parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa resulted in stampedes.
A man was killed in Charsadda, and several others were injured in Swabi and Kohat. Another man in Bannu died after the boundary wall of a flour mill collapsed ahead of the distribution process.
In the Hasilpur tehsil of southern Punjab, at least five women were injured in a stampede at a free flour distribution point.
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Free wheat flour: protests erupt in K-P
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Caretaker cabinet swells as CM inducts another aide
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan has added another member to the caretaker provincial cabinet.
On Tuesday, Hidayatullah Khan Afridi was appointed as advisor to the chief minister, bringing the total strength of the cabinet to 26.
Afridi is the brother of former PTI provincial minister Ziaullah Afridi.
It may be mentioned here that Hidayatullah Tori tendered his resignation recently for unspecified reasons. He had not been assigned any portfolio.
On January 26, a 15-member caretaker provincial cabinet of K-P was sworn in at a ceremony held at the Governor House in Peshawar.
K-P interim Chief Minister Azam Khan formed a 15-member provincial cabinet, which includes 12 ministers and three advisors.
Governor Ghulam Ali administered the oath to the cabinet members, felicitating them and conveying his best wishes.
The interim provincial ministers included Haji Ghafran, Khush Dil Khan, Hamid Shah, Advocate Saul Nazir, Fazal Elahi, Adnan Jalil, Taj Muhammad Afridi, Muhammad Ali Shah and Justice (Rtd) Irshad Qaiser.
Rehmat Salam Khattak, Shakir Allah and Himayatullah Khan have been appointed as advisors.
Ex-Chief Secretary Dr Shehzad Bangash, former Inspector General of Police Moazzam Jah Ansari, former Commissioner Peshawar Riaz Mehsud, heads of administrative departments, and other political and social personalities were present at the oath-taking ceremony.
The development came days after Muhammad Azam Khan took oath as the caretaker chief minister at a swearing-in ceremony at the Governor House.
Khan, who belongs to Charsadda, has previously served as K-P finance minister from October 24, 2007, to April 1, 2008.
He also remained the secretary of the ministry of petroleum and natural resources in Islamabad and the chief secretary in K-P from September 1990 to July 1993.
On March 4, Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan appointed Barrister Feroz Jamal Shah Kaka Khel as a minister and five advisors.
Governor Haji Ghulam Ali administered the oath to Kaka Khel.
Other cabinet members namely Shafiullah, Fazal Ilahi, Manzoor Afridi, Abdul Haleem Qasoria, Sanwal Nazir, Shahid Khattak and Hamid Shah were also present on this occasion.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2023.
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K-P launches monsoon contingency plan
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), under the guidance of relief, rehabilitation and settlement department, is working on monsoon contingency plan 2023 in consultation with all the stakeholders in order to identify monsoon hazards, vulnerabilities, risks and resource mapping for minimizing disaster risks and timely coordinated response.
Contingency plan results in reinforcing prevention, mitigation and response to monsoon related disasters.
In this connection a pre-planning/orientation meeting was held with representatives of provincial line departments under the chairmanship of Director Disaster Risk Management, PDMA, Muhammad Amin.
On this occasion Muhammad Amin said “We started the process of contingency planning by involving all stakeholders and these series of meetings will continue in the month of April and hopefully contingency plan will be developed by the end of May 2023. PDMA determined roles and responsibilities in monsoon plan for each department. Tools for data collection are developed and shared with all stakeholders including information regarding district, sector specific hazards and vulnerability profile, hazard impact, damages, compensation paid, resource mapping, need assessment and coordination”.
He added that natural hazards and subsequent disasters caused massive losses to life and property and planning must be done to reduce it to a minimum level.
He maintained that K-P had faced a lot of financial and human losses due to floods in 2022.
Due to the better strategy and presence of the system (Disaster Risk Management) in the provinces more than 400,000 people were shifted to safe places, he claimed.
The climate change has increased the vulnerability, as weather patterns are shifting.
The Monsoon Contingency Plan will categoize the districts vulnerability and risk assessment into very high, high, medium and low categories.
The peculiar geography, terrain and natural resources make the K-P vulnerable to a number of climate contingencies during both summers and winters.
Talking to journalists after the meeting, spokesperson PDMA, Taimur Ali said that PDMA has initiated the process of introducing proactive preparedness regime under guidelines established by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for streamlining response at provincial and district levels in coordination with all stakeholders.
Taimur Ali further said the process of contingency planning for major hazards shall enable initiation of requisite mitigation measures and to undertake a coordinated response to minimize the loss of life and property in the events of disasters.
It is stakeholders’ inclusive exercise that takes stock of what exists in terms of resources, hazards analysis to determine the likely relief caseloads as a planning assumption.
He observed that Pakistan in general and K-P in particular is vulnerable to various hazards due to adverse effects of climate change.
PDMA is an active disaster management organization at the provincial level that deals with disaster management, disaster risk reduction, preparedness and planning. PDMA has also installed flood early warning system (EWS) in the upper catchment areas of the province. This system has been installed on seven main rivers of the province to monitor the water level.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2023.
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‘No shortage of wheat flour’
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry has said that there is no shortage of flour in the province and that all eligible families will receive free wheat flour under the scheme.
He was presiding over a meeting of administrative secretaries of all departments held at the Peshawar Civil Secretariat.
Good governance initiatives and measures for public welfare were reviewed in the meeting.
The chief secretary said administrative secretaries should continue to monitor distribution of free wheat flour in their assigned districts.
He claimed that more than 1.2 million families of K-P registered with the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) had so far received the Ramazan relief package.
The scheme would cover more than 5.75 million underprivileged families. He directed that the home secretary-led committee should closely monitor prices of essential commodities across the province during the holy month.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2023.
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Man ‘commits suicide’ in police lock-up
A man arrested by the police on Tuesday morning for carrying an illegal pistol and put behind bars inside a police post reportedly committed suicide in the lock-up.
An official of the Tehkal police station told The Express Tribune that a police party tried to stop three people riding a motor bike soon after morning prayers on Chand Mari Road but they tried to escape.
They were chased down and arrested. During body search a pistol was found from one of the arrested person. They were taken to a nearby police post.
He was about to be shifted to the local police station for interrogation but the process was delayed and the young man committed suicide in the lockup.
The dead body was later handed over to the family after autopsy.
Police claimed that the deceased was a drug addict and involved in armed robberies.
The family members of the deceased claimed that he was not a criminal and that he was arrested with just a pistol and detained. They alleged that he was tortured to death by police.
They demanded of the government and police high-ups to conduct an impartial inquiry into the case and register an FIR against those responsible.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2023.
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Justice Hilali set to become PHC’s first female CJ
Justice Musarrat Hilali is set to become the first female chief justice of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on April 1, after the retirement of current Chief Justice Qaiser Rasheed on March 30.
However, the PHC's senior most judge after CJ Rasheed, Justice Rooh Ul Amin Khan, will also serve as the PHC chief Justice for one day from March 30 to March 31, according to a separate notification issued by President Dr Arif Alvi.
Justice Hilali will be the second woman to be elevated as a chief justice of a high court in the country.
Justice Tahira Safdar was the first female jurist to break the glass ceiling.
Justice Safdar served as the chief justice of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) from September 2018 to October 2019.
Also read: K-P all set to have first woman chief justice
Born in Peshawar on August 8, 1961, Justice Hilali received a law degree from Peshawar University’s Khyber Law College. She enrolled as an advocate of district courts in 1983; as an advocate of the high court in 1988, and as an advocate of the Supreme Court in 2006.
She was the first woman to be elected as the secretary of the Peshawar Bar Association in 1988; the vice president of the bar twice from 1992 to 1994 and the general secretary of the bar from 1997 to 1998.
She has the honor to be the first woman to be elected twice as an executive member of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) respectively from 2007-2008 and 2008-2009.
Justice Hilali was also the first female additional advocate general of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from November 2001 to March 2004 and was later appointed as the first female chairperson of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Tribunal.
She also served as the first female ombudsperson for the Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace.
She was elevated to the bench as an additional judge on March 26, 2013, and confirmed as a permanent judge of the PHC on March 13, 2014.
Last year in January, Justice Ayesha Malik made history after being sworn in as the first female judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
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DSP among four cops martyred in Lakki Marwat terror attack
A terrorist attack on a police station in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's (K-P) Lakki Marwat in the wee hours of Thursday resulted in the death of at least four policemen, including DSP Iqbal Momand.
At around 1 am, the terrorists attacked Saddar police station with modern and heavy weapons. The police personnel, who were already on alert, responded with retaliatory fire due to which the terrorists escaped in the darkness of the night.
At least five police personnel including Head Constable Farooq Shah and Constables Amanatullah, Azghar Ali, Gul Tiaz and Arif were injured in the firing incident.
As soon as the information about the incident was received, a team led by DSP Iqbal Momand made its way to the police station. On their way, an IED exploded on the road near Pirwala Mor, near the APC vehicle of DSP Momand.
Read Five terror suspects held in operation
DSP Momand, Constable Waqar, Constable Ali Marjan and Constable Karamatullah were martyred in the roadside bomb explosion.
The injured police officers were taken to Lakki City Hospital for immediate medical assistance. Funeral prayers for the martyrs were held in the morning.
The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack.
PM expresses grief
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the martyrdom of the four policemen.
In a tweet, he said: "Heart saddened by the martyrdom of 4 police personnel including DSP as a result of a militant attack in Lakki Marwat."
لکی مروت میں عسکریت پسندوں کے حملے کے نتیجے میں ڈی ایس پی سمیت 4 پولیس اہلکاروں کی شہادت پر دل دکھی اور رنجیدہ ہے۔ دہشت گردی کے خلاف جنگ میں ہمارے پولیس افسران/جوانوں کی قربانیاں ناقابل فراموش ہیں۔اللہ تعالی شہداء کو اپنے جوار رحمت میں جگہ دے اور زخمیوں کو جلد صحت یابی عطا کرے۔
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) March 30, 2023
"The sacrifices of our police officers/men in the war against terrorism are unforgettable. May Allah grant the martyrs a place in His mercy and speedy recovery to the injured," he added.
Earlier this month, tens of thousands of local residents had once again taken to the streets in the Lakki Marwat district to protest against the ongoing wave of terrorism.
Read More Bilawal seeks trial of PTI leaders
They had demanded of the government to change its policy of appeasement and crackdown against the terrorists with its full might to eliminate the curse and bring peace to the province.
It may be mentioned here that Lakki Marwat is one of the most volatile districts of K-P where terrorists have managed to stage deadly attacks on police in recent months.
Police stations are regularly attacked and police parties are ambushed with deadly effectiveness. Security forces and police have also killed dozens of terrorists in large-scale operations.
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JI protests against shortage of flour, power outages
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) staged protest demonstrations against the flour shortage and mismanagement in free flour distribution in the province in Peshawar and Bajaur tribal district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
In Peshawar the protest was led by JI district Amir Sirajudin Querishi and others.
He said that during the holy month of Ramazan prolonged hours of unannounced power load shedding, gas load shedding and mismanaged free flour distribution has made the lives of the general public miserable.
He added that the government machinery has failed to perform its duty and if the problems are not solved then they would march on the deputy commissioner office in Peshawar.
On the other hand, JI Bajaur also staged a protest demonstration in Tangi, Charmang area of Bajaur district.
Speakers on this occasion said that inflation had hit hard the lower segments of society without inviting any attention from the quarters concerned and this situation was completely unacceptable.
“There is widespread mismanagement in the supply of flour to the registered families resulting in the loss of precious human lives,” they said.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th, 2023.
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K-P to establish flour supply points at UC level
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) caretaker Information Minister Barrister Feroz Jamal Shah Kaka Khel has said that free flour distribution points are being established in union councils so as to overcome the problem of overcrowding.
Addressing a press conference in Peshawar, Kaka Khel said that 1.27 million registered families have been provided with free flour so far and extending the distribution points to UCs would solve the problem of mismanagement and violent stampedes.
“The provincial government is determined to serve and facilitate the general public as much as possible,” he said, adding that providing the deserving families with free flour was going on non-stop.
“So far 22 per cent of the targeted population has been provided with free flour in the province and to avoid the mismanagement the number of distribution points has been increased,” he maintained, adding that now each UC will have its own distribution point.
There is much space for improvement in the atta distribution system and steps have been taken to overcome the mismanagement issues. As a result for the past two days there was much improvement compared to the past, he noted.
“So far 7.78 million bags of free atta have been distributed. There were reports that the food deparment’s application about online complaints was down which is being fixed,” he shared, adding that a committee has been formed of administrative secretaries to monitor the atta distribution and improve the entire process.
“Each administrative secretary has been given two districts where they are responsible for the monitoring of the supply process,” explained the minister.
Furthermore, district administration has been directed to ensure its presence at the supply points.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th, 2023.
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Team from Punjab visits Paraplegic Centre
A team of experts from Punjab visited the Paraplegic Centre Peshawar (PPC) on Thursday as the Punjab government has decided to establish a similar centre in the province.
The Punjab government has chalked out a program to establish a modern paraplegic hospital in Lahore on the pattern of PPC.
In this regard, Additional Secretary Punjab HealthCare Department Dr Muhammad Younis visited the PPC in Hayatabad along with a team of medical experts and senior officials of Punjab Health Care on Thursday to inspect the facilities.
Ziaur Rehman, Chairman PPC and Dr Syed Muhammad Ilyas, Chief Executive PPC, briefed the team on the background and performance of the centre and apprised them of the medical services, procedures, various sections and the technology employed by PPC.
The delegation also visited various PPC departments including medical, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, clubfoot home, speech language pathology and orthopedic workshop established in Hayatabad Industrial Estate.
It may be noted that PPC is the largest and most modern institution for the treatment and rehabilitation of handicapped patients with spinal cord injuries and polio in Pakistan.
Here not only the comprehensive physical rehabilitation of people affected by spinal cord injury and polio is done free of cost, but all the artificial supports and equipment are also provided to the patients free of cost.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2023.
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New buses for girls’ college announced
Peshawar Mayor Zubair Ali on Thursday announced solar panels, pick and drop facility for lecturers, new buses for college students, new furniture for the hall and promotions for the lecturers and teachers of City District Government College for Girls, working under the Capital Metropolitan Government.
He said the long-awaited demands of the college have been fulfilled to some extent today, adding that in the next year’s budget of Capital Metropolitan, a record amount would be allocated for the promotion of education. He said students and teachers, showing distinctive results will be highly encouraged and rewarded.
Addressing the annual day function at City District Government College for Girls here as chief guest, the mayor congratulated the position holder students and best performing professors and teachers. He also appreciated the work of other staff of the college as well as class four employees and presented them prizes.
On the demand of college administration, the mayor announced modern solar panels, pick and drop facility for teaching staff, new buses for students and furniture for the college hall. He also announced Rs100,000 on holding a successful exhibition by the Science and Home Economics Department of the college.
On the occasion Mayor Zubair Ali also fulfilled the long-standing demand of teachers and professors and announced promotions for them. During the function the college students also presented tableaus and national songs with regard to the Pakistan Day.
The mayor said that promotion was education is the top priority of his district government and no compromise would be made on it despite financial difficulties.
He said that the previous PTI provincial government didn’t release funds for the local governments across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) as a result they were faced with a lot many problems but every effort would be made to compensate the delay.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2023.
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Dam to supply potable water to Peshawar
Advisor to the Caretaker Chief Minister Malik Mehar Ilahi on Thursday called on Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan and discussed with him the important greater water supply scheme for Peshawar city as the chief minister assured his all-out support for the project.
The chief minister was informed that the project has been in limbo for over two decades despite the importance of this mega project to provide clean drinking water to the households in the city and its suburbs.
He was informed that clean drinking water will be provided to the district from the under construction Mohmand Dam.
A one kilometer tunnel is required to provide the water to a treatment plant where it would be purified and filtered and then supplied to Peshawar district.
“If materialized, the scheme would provide 294 million gallons water per day,” said the advisor, adding that the construction of the tunnel is part of the Mohmand Dam which will be constructed by WAPDA.
“If this important water supply project is completed then it will solve the water scarcity problems for the growing district population for a long time,” he maintained, adding that the underground water level in Peshawar was going down with each passing day and it has already touched a dangerous level.
The CM on this occasion assured that every effort would be made to start and complete the project on priority.
It is worth mentioning here that the provincial government proposed clean drinking water supply project for Peshawar from the under construction Mohmand Dam back in 2021.
However, the project will cost Rs107 billion, therefore, the provincial government asked the centre for financial support.
According to K-P Local Government Department sources, a plan to supply clean water from Mohmand Dam to Peshawar has been sent to Islamabad stating that the estimated cost of the project is Rs107.55 billion which the province cannot afford on its own.
It has been requested to include the project in the proposed Public Sector Development Program of the Fiscal Year 2022-23, i.e. the development program of the federal government so that all the expenses to be incurred on it are borne by the Centre or the provincial and federal governments together.
Another plan has also been proposed to supply water from Jabba Dam to Hayatabad and Khyber tribal district while for the rest of Peshawar, clean water will be provided from the under construction Mohmand Dam.
In the past when Haji Ghulam Ali was the district nazim of Pehawar, he proposed a gravity water supply scheme from Warsak Dam to Peshawar but it didn’t materialize due to lack of funds as well as support from the provincial government as the government refused to fund this vital water supply scheme.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2023.
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Soldier martyred in North Waziristan skirmish with terrorists
A Pakistan Army sepoy was martyred on Friday during an exchange of fire with terrorists in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali area, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated.
“Own troops fought bravely and effectively engaged the terrorists’ location,” said the press release by the ISPR.
“However, during an intense exchange of fire, Sepoy Irshad Ullah, age 29 years, resident of District Karak, having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat,” the military’s media wing added.
The ISPR furthered that sanitisation of the area is being carried out to eliminate any terrorists found in the area.
Also read: Egypt lauds Pakistan Army achievements against terrorism
“Pakistan’s Security Forces are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” stated the ISPR.
Earlier this month, at least eight terrorists were killed, and two Pakistan Army soldiers were injured when security forces carried out an operation in South Waziristan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the military's media wing said.
According to a press release from the Inter-Services Public relations (ISPR), security forces carried out the operation after receiving information of the presence of terrorists in the Zinghara area of South Waziristan.
"During intense exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists including mortar fire, eight terrorists have been killed, whereas two soldiers are injured," the ISPR said in the statement.
"Unfortunately, two children embraced martyrdom during exchange of fire," it added
Terrorist killed in Sibi IBO
In a separate development, a terrorist was killed and two others were injured in an exchange of fire with security forces during an intelligence based operation (IBO) in Balochistan’s Sibi, the ISPR stated.
The ISPR furthered that “based on credible information, multiple ambushes had been laid along different routes in the area frequented by terrorists for last two days”.
Read Cop martyred in K-P check post attack
The military’s media wing added that the “three terrorists were intercepted while moving towards their hideout and on being blocked, they opened fire onto the security forces”.
It also stated that a cache of arms and ammunition has also been recovered.
“Pakistan Army, in step with the nation, remains determined to thwart attempts at sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan,” it added.
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Chief justice for a day
Justice Roohul Amin Khan on Friday became the chief justice of Peshawar High Court (PHC) for one day as he took oath on Friday as acting chief justice and surprisingly retired the same day.
In this connection, a full court reference was held in his honour in which Senior Judge Justice Musarrat Hilali, advocate general, additional attorney general, bar presidents and senior lawyers participated.
Addressing the full court reference, Roohul Amin Khan said as a judge, he tried his best to deliver justice.
“I am grateful to the lawyers who showed me respect during my service,” he said, adding that the role of lawyers in the restoration of the judiciary was prominent and that a strong judiciary requires a strong bar. Equipping the judiciary with modern facilities was the need of the hour, he stressed.
“I have tried to provide basic facilities to the prisoners, including virtual courts,” he noted, adding that he had provided biometric and other basic facilities for inmates in different jails.
The prisoners were connected to the courts through video link, he added.
The acting chief justice said the law was a vast discipline and emphasised that legal education was very important in this connection.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 1st, 2023.
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Sikh trader shot dead in Peshawar
A Sikh shopkeeper was shot dead in what appears to be yet another targeted attack on the outskirts of Peshawar on Friday.
Police told The Express Tribune that Diyal Singh, who had a general store in Ghari Atta Muhammad, Dir Colony Road on the outskirts of Peshawar was shot dead by unidentified bike riders who managed to escape after committing the crime.
Police reached the site of the attack and inspected the crime scene. Empty shells of TT pistols have been found from the site of the attack and CCTV footage of the incident is also being obtained, said a police official.
The attack at the Sikh trader caused widespread panic among the locals and Sikh community as in the recent past, many Sikh shopkeepers have been killed in Peshawar, Charsadda, Khyber and other districts by terrorists.
In May last year two Sikh traders Kanwaljeet and Ranjit were gunned down on Bara Road on the outskirts of Peshawar.
An AK-47 rifle had been used in the daring attack.
They were resident of Jogan Shah Mohalla – a Sikh neighbourhood in Peshawar where their families had moved in 2009 after fleeing unrest in the Tirah Valley of Khyber tribal district.
In September 2021, a Sikh herbalist Satnam Singh was shot dead on Charsadda Road in the provincial capital.
Banned militant outfit Islamic State group’s Khorasan chapter (IS-K) had claimed responsibility for the attack. The police claimed in Dec last year to have killed three IS-K commanders in the city insisting the militants were involved in the murder of the Sikh hakeem and other attacks.
On the other hand, a prayer leader in Mardan district of K-P was killed when a team of Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) tried to arrest him and he opened fire on a CTD constable, killing him on the spot. In the subsequent fire, he himself was killed.
Police said that a CTD team raided a mosque on a tip-off to arrest the accused Maulvi Fawad who was sleeping in his room on the first floor of the mosque in the Jehangirabad area of Takhatbai, Mardan.
“When Qari Fawad saw police, he opened fire, killing Constable Osman Khan on the spot and tried to run away but was killed in the return fire by police,” said an official.
“Qari Fawad was wanted to police in many terrorism cases and he was linked with ISIS-Khurasan,” he said, adding that basically Fawad was a resident of Bakhshali Mardan but he worked as prayer leader in Jehangirabad.
“In the past he was arrested several times but later released,” he added.
Attacks at police have intensified since the fall of Kabul to Taliban in 2021 after the US withdrawal from the war-torn country.
On Saturday, four policemen including a DSP of Lakki Marwat police were martyred when their vehicle was blown in a roadside bomb blast by terrorists.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 1st, 2023.
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Covid-19 cases on the rise in K-P again
The number of Covid-19 cases have been on the rise in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) once again as 12 new cases have been reported in the last 24 hours, an official of the health department told The Express Tribune on Friday.
He said that the infection caused thousands of death since it appeared in the province as a total 6,376 people have been killed in the pandemic, adding that Peshawar remained on top of the casualty list with almost 50 per cent deaths. He noted, the total number of Covid cases recorded so far has reached 225,231.
“Nine people have recovered from Covid-19 in K-P in the 24 hours and with this the total number of recovered persons reached 218,781. The number of people who died due to corona virus in Peshawar is 3,153,” he maintained.
He said two fresh cases have been reported in Peshawar and with this the total number of cases has jumped up to 85,481 in the district.
He said a total of 109 Corona tests were conducted in K- Pduring the last 24 hours, however, the number of active cases in the province stands at 166.
After the pandemic swept across the country, the federal government launched a mass vaccination campaign with the help of foreign donors but rural Peshawar remained among those areas where severe resistance to vaccination was witnessed despite all out government efforts.
Background
In February 2022, then K-P Chief Secretary Dr Shehzad Khan Bangash expressed dissatisfaction over the slow Covid-19 vaccination in the province and directed the deputy commissioners to increase the pace to achieve the vaccination target set by National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) and the provincial government.
A high-level meeting regarding vaccination and spread of Omicron variant was held under the chairmanship of the chief secretary via video link.
Secretary health, secretary home, secretary transport, secretary elementary and secondary education, secretary higher education, all divisional commissioners, focal person NCOC, coordinator EOC, director general health and deputy commissioners of all districts attended the meeting.
The chief secretary said the ongoing door-to-door vaccination campaign should be made a success by using all available resources.
He added that there would be no compromise on the success of the vaccination campaign.
He further stated that the eradication of this pandemic will be possible only when entire population is vaccinated. On the occasion, health secretary said that steps are being taken to achieve the assigned targets of vaccination and in this regard the K-P Health Department is in close liaison with all the divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners.
Health secretary informed the meeting that in 19 districts 70 per cent target of first dose has been achieved however in 17 districts 70 per cent target of second dose of vaccine has been achieved which is less than the set target. Chief secretary expressed his dissatisfaction over the pace of vaccination.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 1st, 2023.
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Justice Musarrat Hilali takes oath as acting chief justice of PHC
The first woman chief justice of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Justice Musarrat Hilali took the oath of office on Saturday as the acting chief justice of the Peshawar High Court (PHC).
Governor K-P Haji Ghulam Ali administered the oath to Justice Hilali. The caretaker chief minister, ministers, judges and lawyers of the PHC were also present on this occasion.
Justice Hilali was also the first woman additional advocate general of K-P from November 2001 to March 2004 and was later appointed as the first woman chairperson of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Tribunal.
Justice Hilali also served as the first female ombudsperson for the Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace.
Read Justice Ayesha Malik notified as first female judge of Supreme Court
Born in Peshawar on August 8, 1961, Justice Hilali received a law degree from Peshawar University’s Khyber Law College. She enrolled as an advocate of district courts in 1983; as an advocate of the high court in 1988, and as an advocate of the Supreme Court in 2006.
She was the first woman to be elected as the secretary of the Peshawar Bar Association in 1988; the vice president of the bar twice from 1992 and 1994 and the general secretary of the bar from 1997 to 1998.
Justice Hilali has the honor to be the first woman to be elected twice as an executive member of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) respectively from 2007-2008 and 2008-2009.
She was elevated to the bench as an additional judge on March 26, 2013, and confirmed as a permanent judge of the PHC on March 13, 2014.
According to the seniority list of the high court, Justice Hilali will retire on August 7, 2023.
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Abbottabad’s abandoned colonial reminder
Nestled in the lap of mountains, the 165-years old colonial building of Bakote police station in Abbottabad district still stands its ground against the vagaries of weather and time. However, abandoned after being hit by the 2005 earthquake, it is in dilapidated condition, awaiting conservation efforts.
The historic Bakote village lies at the base of Miranjani peak in the Galiyat region, some 45 kilometres north of Murree city. Located at the border of the Abbottabad and Muzaffarabad districts, this region served as a crossroads for the last 3,000 years.
I had a chance to visit the Bakote police station, which the locals informed me, dates back to 1861. It was established here by the British Raj due to the topographic position of Kohala valley; Bakote was given prime importance by the British as it bordered the village between British India and the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The building is a prominent reminder of colonial rule in the subcontinent. Consisting of 20 rooms and a vast veranda, the police station has been built on an area of 19 kanals, and is a perfect example of Victorian architecture. The stone used in the building’s construction is still intact and clean. As neglected as it is, history still echoes within its crumbling walls.
Sub Inspector Malik Naseer, a station house officer (SHO) of Bakote police station talks about its construction design. In its original plan, it had a large and strong wooden door at the main entrance, two separate lockup rooms on either side of the main gate, a mohrar’s (registrar) office, an office for the station house officer (SHO), investigation officers and some eight residential barracks while a spacious veranda opened up to a courtyard. "Sometimes I feel disappointed and rather guilty being witness to such heartless treatment of our heritage," Naseer laments. "What was once the dwelling place of the imperial police is now being used by stray animals.”
Professor Munir Ahmed Sawati is an associate professor of history at the Higher Education Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He says that after the 1857 War of Independence, when the administrative command of the government in the subcontinent was handed over to the British by the East India Company, they created a regular police bureaucracy in India, under the Indian Councils Act of 1861. Under this act, like other districts, Hazara was also controlled by a district superintendent who performed his duties under the general direction of the deputy commissioner of Hazara stationed at Abbottabad.
Munir adds that six police stations built in the British era are in service today in the Abbottabad district: in Bakote, Sherwan, Narra, Cantt, Lora and Dunga Gali. “Perhaps, the police station in Bakote village, built on a hilly patch, is the most scenic of them, with the Jhelum River flowing quietly at its foothills,” he comments.
According to Professor Munir, historically Bakote enjoyed a particular geographic and strategic significance owing to the broader dynamics of the region. Today, it is situated on the border of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab and remains part of the ancient route for Buddhist and Hindu pilgrims. “Much of Bakote’s ancient past still needs to be researched and the hidden facts brought to light," he opines. "For this, it is necessary for academic, historical and literary institutions and figures to unite in their efforts.”
Amna Sardar, a former provincial assembly member of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from the Galiyat says Abbottabad was once a centre of tourist activities and housed foreign dignataries owing to its favourable temperature and cultural heritage. However, over the passage of time, it fell to decay and became a haven for drug addicts.
Abbottabad's heritage seems to be at stake, she says. Unauthorised demolition and illegal construction works of colonial buildings continue mainly due to alleged neglect of the Archaeology Department. “The historical building of this police station should be protected and preserved," Sardar says. "Across the world, governments preserve such buildings to promote tourism but, unfortunately, here we are bent upon destroying them.”
During my visit, I discovered that the Bakote police station still preserves the first information reports (FIRs) and registers from 1900s in their original condition. As per record available with Tribune Magazine, the FIRs and records date back to 1912. Officials say that the records from 1861 to 1910 were handed over to the Punjab Archives in 1901 because the erstwhile North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) was carved out of the Punjab province and this police station came under the jurisdiction of the commissionerate province of NWFP. The officers from the police, administration and Archaeology Departments often visited the historic police station. The visitor’s book placed there contains comments by many higher-up officials including the last Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Hazara Mirvais Niaz.
The former DIG personally visited the historic police station, along with the representatives from the district administration and archeloeogy department, during his posting in Hazara. Niaz (who was transferred recently). He shared that the police station has been lying abandoned for some 12 years now. Included in the heritage list of the Archaeological Survey report of 2006, it is an example of the preserved colonial history of policing. According to Niaz, the wooden entry gate, windows and other interior work in the police station are as old as its construction. “The old registers and century-old FIRs in this police station are a valuable asset in the history of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police formerly known as Frontier Police,” he maintains.
Located on the border of the then princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, Niaz says this was the only police station for controlling crime in the locality in the British era. Nowadays, under its jurisdiction there are more than 50 villages. Due to its vast administrative jurisdiction, the police station has established two sub police stations in order to facilitate inhabitants of far-flung villages of the hilly terrain to register their cases at nearby stations.
Niaz recommends that a museum be set up in the old building of Bakote police station, in which antiquities related to police and pictures of martyrs could be displayed to create awareness about the sacrifices of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, adding that he has written to the relevant authorities in this regard.
According to Niaz, establishing a museum to bridge the gap between the people and the police, will create awareness about the force’s history. “It will be very helpful for researchers and historians. Paperwork on it has begun and soon it will be renovated to preserve our cultural heritage,” he says.
An officer from the Directorate of Archaeology and Museum Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on the condition of anonymity, said that the department will soon begin work on Niaz’s recommendation. Old registers, vintage rifles, antiquated equipment and outdated instruments will be collected from all of the old police stations for the establishment of the police museum.
Naveed Akram Abbasi, a journalist and former secretary general of Abbottabad Press Club hails from Bakote. “I was born here at Bakote village,” he says. “I am in my 50s. When I was a child, the walls and the structure [of the police station] were still in redeemable condition. Sadly, most of the things have been ruined as little has been done to restore this fortress,” he says
He says there is great potential for domestic tourism in this area as it serves as a gateway to Azad Kashmir. “The Archaeology Department, Galiyat Development Authority and Abbottabad administration should take immediate steps to save such historical buildings, which can be used to promote tourism in the country” he says.
Bilal Baseer Abbasi is a student of history and a freelance journalist interested in writing on gender equality, social issues and cultural heritage. All facts and information are the sole responsibility of the writer.
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Pak-Afghan liaison committee discusses hurdles in trade
A meeting of the Pak-Afghan liaison committee was held in Peshawar to discuss different issues causing impediments in smooth sailing of bilateral trade and promotion of commercial activities in the region.
The meeting was held at Model Custom Collectorate Peshawar with Director Directorate of Transit Trade, Arbab Qaiser Hameed in chair.
According to a statement issued here on Saturday, the meeting was attended by members of Pak-Afghan Liaison Committee, including Director Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce (PAJCCI) Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, former Sarhad Chamber SVP Engr Manzoor Elahi, Khyber Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Syed Jawad Hussain Kazmi, Frontier Custom Agents Association VP Imtiaz Ahmad Ali, Afghan Consulate Commercial Attache Waheedullah Himmat and Deputy Attache Hameed Fazil Khel.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 2nd, 2023.
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Varsity imposes ban on wearing jeans, tights
The Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University (SBBWU), Peshawar has introduced a new “modest” dress code for its students by banning the use of jeans and tights on the campus.
The university’s registrar office issued a formal notification in this regard in which students have been asked to strictly adhere to the new dress code.
“Students have to wear knee-length kurtas, shalwars, and white dupattas, which has been made compulsory for them as per the new dress code,” the notification read.
The university directed the students to wear their student cards on the university premises, warning them that the new code had been introduced after approval from the registrar office and violators would be imposed a fine of Rs1,000.
The issue of introducing a new dress code was not new as the former governor Shah Farman directed all the public universities to change its open dress code policy after he received complaints that the incidents of sexual harassment were on the rise in the varsities across K-P.
It seemed that K-P Governor Haji Ghulam Ali had been following in the footsteps of his predecessor as he himself hailed from the highly conservative JUI-F.
Earlier, the Hazara University Abbotabad, the Bacha Khan University Charsadda, and the University of Peshawar introduced these dress codes which invited widespread criticism.
In March 2021, the Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST) also introduced a dress code, asking girl students to wear abaya.
In a notification issued on March 9, the KUST administration directed its boy students to either wear white shalwar kameez or grey dress pants with black shoes.
The girl students had been asked to wear white shalwar with any kameez of full sleeves, scarf, dupata, chaddar, black abaya and black shoes. In the winters, they had to wear black sweaters, coats or plain jackets with black abayas.
Furthermore, the faculty members were also directed to wear a formal dress with black gown in the classes.
This policy was implemented from the spring semester (March 15, 2021).
Earlier, the University of Hazara banned skin tight jeans, shorts, earrings and make-up which invited widespread criticism on social media. Similarly, the BKU Charsadda even asked its staffers not to wear jeans. After the criticism, the UoP issued a clever notification regarding the dress code. It simply asked the girl students to wear shalwar kameez instead of mentioning jeans, tights or shorts. This pattern was also followed by KUST in order to avoid criticism.
The KUST official said that the governor wanted a conservative dress code for the university students and universities were just obeying the instruction.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 2nd, 2023.
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