Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
JAN 05 2015
JAN 05 2015
KPK Updates
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Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
Looking ahead: Without foresight, IDPs will only move in circles
magine a sea of people converging at a single point. That was Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa following the Soviet war. Now, over 30 years later, the province is still stretching the limits of its hospitality. Hundreds of thousands of families from the tribal belt are fleeing military offensives as they precariously slip through the clutches of militants or ammo-loaded gunship helicopters hovering above them.
According to the FATA Return and Rehabilitation (RR) strategy outlined by the government, the figure for internally displaced persons (IDP) stands at 274,726 families from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and the Frontier Regions (FR).
The largest number of families displaced is from Khyber Agency: 109,788. It is followed by 72,879 families from North Waziristan, 36,767 from South Waziristan, 29,051 from Orakzai, 25,865 from Kurram and 376 from FR Tank.
Peshawar, of course, is where most displaced families come to seek refuge. A total of 72,145 families sought refuge in Peshawar, 58,683 in Bannu, 29,788 in DI Khan, 21,845 in Kohat, 12,651 in Tank, 9,797 in Kurram, 8,997 in Nowshera, 1,853 in Khyber and 1,107 in Hangu.
Not all of these families are still away from home. The data states a total of 162,338 registered displaced families have returned to different parts of the tribal belt. Of these, 72,895 families have returned to Bajaur, 36,759 to Mohmand, 21,937 to Kurram, 11,260 to Khyber, 9,224 to Orakzai, 8,411 to South Waziristan and 1,852 families to FR Tank.
A comparison of the security outlook of 2014 with 2008 shows Swat, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber and most parts of Orakzai, Kurram, South and North Waziristan are under the control of militants. On the other hand, Dir, Shangla, Buner, FR Tank, Darra Adam Khel, Hangu and Malakand are contested by the government and militants. This year, most of the militants territorial gains have been reversed. However, the Mehsud area of South Waziristan is still unstable with the presence of militants.
While military operation Zarb-e-Azb continues in North Waziristan Agency, the data shows Lower Orakzai has been cleared while security forces are still present in Upper Orakzai. Mohmand and Bajaur, on the other hand, are still rumbling from IED explosions and cross-border firing.
In Khyber, which has a complex history of militancy, Bara has been said to be cleared while security forces are still carrying out operations in Tirah.
Where the people go, the money follows
The influx of people means massive resources are needed to help the displaced.
The FATA Return and Rehabilitation (RR) strategy shows $802 million has been earmarked for the rehabilitation of the displaced population and the war-torn region.
A presentation of the proposed RR strategy states the plan will be executed in three phases. Rehabilitation is to be completed within 24 months, while medium-term development will take a period of two to five years. Similarly, long-term goals will be achieved over five years and beyond.
The initial budget indicates return of the displaced population will cost $82 million. The money will be utilized as cash grants to hire transport.
This component will begin as soon as their return is possible.
Rehabilitation, starting with January 15, 2015, will cost $100 million while housing compensation will cost $320 million. The long-term component will cost $300 million.
In addition to this, the proposed strategy also offers suggestions for reinforcement of law and order, expansion of government service delivery, reactivation and strengthening of local economy, strengthening social cohesion and peace building.
Chucking money without keen deliberation will serve no end. Constitutional and legal reforms, citizens charter for the people of Fata, local government elections, de-radicalisation are just come of the things the government will have to look into comprehensively.
Providing food and rebuilding houses will clearly not solve the problem on its own.
Providing opportunities, education and health facilities, getting rid of draconian laws, and mainstreaming the tribal belt seem to be the only ways the tribal areas will seize to be just a swathe of land to keep our western neighbour at an arms length.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 1[SUP]st[/SUP], 2014.
Looking ahead: Without foresight, IDPs will only move in circles
magine a sea of people converging at a single point. That was Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa following the Soviet war. Now, over 30 years later, the province is still stretching the limits of its hospitality. Hundreds of thousands of families from the tribal belt are fleeing military offensives as they precariously slip through the clutches of militants or ammo-loaded gunship helicopters hovering above them.
According to the FATA Return and Rehabilitation (RR) strategy outlined by the government, the figure for internally displaced persons (IDP) stands at 274,726 families from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and the Frontier Regions (FR).
The largest number of families displaced is from Khyber Agency: 109,788. It is followed by 72,879 families from North Waziristan, 36,767 from South Waziristan, 29,051 from Orakzai, 25,865 from Kurram and 376 from FR Tank.
Peshawar, of course, is where most displaced families come to seek refuge. A total of 72,145 families sought refuge in Peshawar, 58,683 in Bannu, 29,788 in DI Khan, 21,845 in Kohat, 12,651 in Tank, 9,797 in Kurram, 8,997 in Nowshera, 1,853 in Khyber and 1,107 in Hangu.
Not all of these families are still away from home. The data states a total of 162,338 registered displaced families have returned to different parts of the tribal belt. Of these, 72,895 families have returned to Bajaur, 36,759 to Mohmand, 21,937 to Kurram, 11,260 to Khyber, 9,224 to Orakzai, 8,411 to South Waziristan and 1,852 families to FR Tank.
A comparison of the security outlook of 2014 with 2008 shows Swat, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber and most parts of Orakzai, Kurram, South and North Waziristan are under the control of militants. On the other hand, Dir, Shangla, Buner, FR Tank, Darra Adam Khel, Hangu and Malakand are contested by the government and militants. This year, most of the militants territorial gains have been reversed. However, the Mehsud area of South Waziristan is still unstable with the presence of militants.
While military operation Zarb-e-Azb continues in North Waziristan Agency, the data shows Lower Orakzai has been cleared while security forces are still present in Upper Orakzai. Mohmand and Bajaur, on the other hand, are still rumbling from IED explosions and cross-border firing.
In Khyber, which has a complex history of militancy, Bara has been said to be cleared while security forces are still carrying out operations in Tirah.
Where the people go, the money follows
The influx of people means massive resources are needed to help the displaced.
The FATA Return and Rehabilitation (RR) strategy shows $802 million has been earmarked for the rehabilitation of the displaced population and the war-torn region.
A presentation of the proposed RR strategy states the plan will be executed in three phases. Rehabilitation is to be completed within 24 months, while medium-term development will take a period of two to five years. Similarly, long-term goals will be achieved over five years and beyond.
The initial budget indicates return of the displaced population will cost $82 million. The money will be utilized as cash grants to hire transport.
This component will begin as soon as their return is possible.
Rehabilitation, starting with January 15, 2015, will cost $100 million while housing compensation will cost $320 million. The long-term component will cost $300 million.
In addition to this, the proposed strategy also offers suggestions for reinforcement of law and order, expansion of government service delivery, reactivation and strengthening of local economy, strengthening social cohesion and peace building.
Chucking money without keen deliberation will serve no end. Constitutional and legal reforms, citizens charter for the people of Fata, local government elections, de-radicalisation are just come of the things the government will have to look into comprehensively.
Providing food and rebuilding houses will clearly not solve the problem on its own.
Providing opportunities, education and health facilities, getting rid of draconian laws, and mainstreaming the tribal belt seem to be the only ways the tribal areas will seize to be just a swathe of land to keep our western neighbour at an arms length.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 1[SUP]st[/SUP], 2014.
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
[h=1]Awaiting implementation: PTI, ECP lock horns over local government polls
: For the fourth time in 2014, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government failed to hold local government polls.
Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Inayatullah Khan justified the delay saying technical hurdles hindered the process. He told The Express Tribune the K-P government completed the delimitation process although the court had issued orders that delimitation is the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
“After our delimitation process was approved by the ECP, we asked the commission to conduct the polls via bio-metric system, but they refused the request saying it is impossible for the commission to do so.”
When the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government came to power, they promised to conduct local government elections by November 2013. So far, they have missed four deadlines.
According to PTI’s manifesto, the party shall strive towards creating a set of local institutions through which people can repose their trust and confidence. A citizens and community board would be created to monitor the delivery of services so that it is easy for people to interact with the government and the latter becomes more responsive and accountable.
In light of this, former district nazim and senator Ghulam Ali Khan said the current provincial government has violated the Constitution and forgotten their party’s manifesto. He recalled that during the campaign for the general elections of 2013, PTI Chairman Imran Khan promised to conduct local government polls within 90 days if his party came to power, but the promise remains unfulfilled.
In the past 10 years, democratic governments have failed to conduct local government polls successfully, said Ghulam. After the 18th Amendment, no institutions have been formed to address issues at the grass-root level. He said local bodies have been active during dictatorship but unfortunately, lawmakers in democratic governments hesitate to let power trickle down to the local level.
On the other hand, Awami National Party (ANP) leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the current government has wasted a year and a half in arguing to conduct polls through a biometric system despite flaws being found when it was tested in 2013.
Hussain shared the concerns of people from different districts of the province regarding the polls, saying people have demanded an increase in the number of seats for women and to empower union councils. A demand has also been made to reserve seats for people with disabilities.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 1[SUP]st[/SUP], 2014.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/815330/...i-ecp-lock-horns-over-local-government-polls/
[/h]
[h=1]Awaiting implementation: PTI, ECP lock horns over local government polls
: For the fourth time in 2014, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government failed to hold local government polls.
Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Inayatullah Khan justified the delay saying technical hurdles hindered the process. He told The Express Tribune the K-P government completed the delimitation process although the court had issued orders that delimitation is the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
“After our delimitation process was approved by the ECP, we asked the commission to conduct the polls via bio-metric system, but they refused the request saying it is impossible for the commission to do so.”
When the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government came to power, they promised to conduct local government elections by November 2013. So far, they have missed four deadlines.
According to PTI’s manifesto, the party shall strive towards creating a set of local institutions through which people can repose their trust and confidence. A citizens and community board would be created to monitor the delivery of services so that it is easy for people to interact with the government and the latter becomes more responsive and accountable.
In light of this, former district nazim and senator Ghulam Ali Khan said the current provincial government has violated the Constitution and forgotten their party’s manifesto. He recalled that during the campaign for the general elections of 2013, PTI Chairman Imran Khan promised to conduct local government polls within 90 days if his party came to power, but the promise remains unfulfilled.
In the past 10 years, democratic governments have failed to conduct local government polls successfully, said Ghulam. After the 18th Amendment, no institutions have been formed to address issues at the grass-root level. He said local bodies have been active during dictatorship but unfortunately, lawmakers in democratic governments hesitate to let power trickle down to the local level.
On the other hand, Awami National Party (ANP) leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the current government has wasted a year and a half in arguing to conduct polls through a biometric system despite flaws being found when it was tested in 2013.
Hussain shared the concerns of people from different districts of the province regarding the polls, saying people have demanded an increase in the number of seats for women and to empower union councils. A demand has also been made to reserve seats for people with disabilities.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 1[SUP]st[/SUP], 2014.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/815330/...i-ecp-lock-horns-over-local-government-polls/
[/h]
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
[h=1]Unjustified’ move: K-P slaps ban on poultry exports to Afghanistan
The Peshawar District Administration has imposed a ban on the export of poultry products to Afghanistan. Not only the country’s poultry sector will suffer a setback, but it could also completely lose the consumer market since it will be captured quickly by neighbouring India.
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government is providing a transit route to India, Brazil and the United States for the shipment of food and poultry products to Afghanistan, but it will not allow shipment of Pakistani products as a result of the ban.
Pakistan Poultry Association North Zone Chairman Dr Muhammad Mustafa Kamal, while condemning the restriction, asked the federal government to take immediate notice of the matter and issue necessary instructions to the K-P government to lift the ban on supply of poultry products to Afghanistan.
The curbs have been put in place in order to arrest the increasing prices of poultry products because of higher demand this season. In the past few months, the market has grappled with the shortage of poultry products.
However, Kamal believes that the move lacks justification as most of the poultry exports to Afghanistan comprise cull birds, which are normally not consumed in Pakistan.
“It would be very unfortunate if we lose this market and hand it over to other countries. The export market is not like an on and off switch; once lost it is very difficult to regain,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 4[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/816793/unjustified-move-k-p-slaps-ban-on-poultry-exports-to-afghanistan/
[/h]
[h=1]Unjustified’ move: K-P slaps ban on poultry exports to Afghanistan
The Peshawar District Administration has imposed a ban on the export of poultry products to Afghanistan. Not only the country’s poultry sector will suffer a setback, but it could also completely lose the consumer market since it will be captured quickly by neighbouring India.
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government is providing a transit route to India, Brazil and the United States for the shipment of food and poultry products to Afghanistan, but it will not allow shipment of Pakistani products as a result of the ban.
Pakistan Poultry Association North Zone Chairman Dr Muhammad Mustafa Kamal, while condemning the restriction, asked the federal government to take immediate notice of the matter and issue necessary instructions to the K-P government to lift the ban on supply of poultry products to Afghanistan.
The curbs have been put in place in order to arrest the increasing prices of poultry products because of higher demand this season. In the past few months, the market has grappled with the shortage of poultry products.
However, Kamal believes that the move lacks justification as most of the poultry exports to Afghanistan comprise cull birds, which are normally not consumed in Pakistan.
“It would be very unfortunate if we lose this market and hand it over to other countries. The export market is not like an on and off switch; once lost it is very difficult to regain,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 4[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/816793/unjustified-move-k-p-slaps-ban-on-poultry-exports-to-afghanistan/
[/h]
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
[h=1]No respite: Govt clamps down on Afghan mobile connections
Amid the ongoing search and strike operations against militants in different areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Fata, the government has also decided to clamp down upon the usage and sale of Afghan mobile connections.
Khyber Agency’s political administration initiated a crackdown against shopkeepers selling Afghan SIM cards in Torkham. Seven shops were sealed during the operation, an administration official confirmed on Saturday. The shopkeepers were allegedly selling Afghan mobile connections to locals and Pakistani SIM cards to Afghan refugees entering Pakistan at Torkham. Warnings have been issued to all shopkeepers in Landikotal and further action is imminent.
Meanwhile, around 150 suspects were arrested during fresh sweeps. The detained Afghan nationals have been deported while a few have been shifted to an unknown location for interrogation. Amongst them, two were arrested from a mosque in Sheikh Mal Khel.
Bara
Aided by security forces, the political administration has started establishing new checkpoints along different routes of the tehsil. The measures are being taken in connection with the repatriation of displaced tribesmen and the reopening of schools. Voluntary rehabilitation is already under way while educational institutions are slated to reopen from January 12.
Jamrud
Security forces and khasadar personnel arrested 40 suspects in a joint search operation in Shahkas during the wee hours of Saturday. Forces cordoned the area off and conducted a door-to-door sweep following a tip-off. The detainees were shifted to an undisclosed location for further interrogation. The operation lasted for two hours during which all routes leading to Shahkas were barricaded. Afghan nationals were also among those detained.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 4[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/816704/no-respite-govt-clamps-down-on-afghan-mobile-connections/
[/h]
[h=1]No respite: Govt clamps down on Afghan mobile connections
Amid the ongoing search and strike operations against militants in different areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Fata, the government has also decided to clamp down upon the usage and sale of Afghan mobile connections.
Khyber Agency’s political administration initiated a crackdown against shopkeepers selling Afghan SIM cards in Torkham. Seven shops were sealed during the operation, an administration official confirmed on Saturday. The shopkeepers were allegedly selling Afghan mobile connections to locals and Pakistani SIM cards to Afghan refugees entering Pakistan at Torkham. Warnings have been issued to all shopkeepers in Landikotal and further action is imminent.
Meanwhile, around 150 suspects were arrested during fresh sweeps. The detained Afghan nationals have been deported while a few have been shifted to an unknown location for interrogation. Amongst them, two were arrested from a mosque in Sheikh Mal Khel.
Bara
Aided by security forces, the political administration has started establishing new checkpoints along different routes of the tehsil. The measures are being taken in connection with the repatriation of displaced tribesmen and the reopening of schools. Voluntary rehabilitation is already under way while educational institutions are slated to reopen from January 12.
Jamrud
Security forces and khasadar personnel arrested 40 suspects in a joint search operation in Shahkas during the wee hours of Saturday. Forces cordoned the area off and conducted a door-to-door sweep following a tip-off. The detainees were shifted to an undisclosed location for further interrogation. The operation lasted for two hours during which all routes leading to Shahkas were barricaded. Afghan nationals were also among those detained.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 4[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/816704/no-respite-govt-clamps-down-on-afghan-mobile-connections/
[/h]
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
[h=1]Safekeeping: Security for VIPs costs K-P a whopping Rs278.9m per year[/h]
While many in the general public evade regular militant bombings and assaults mostly by sheer luck, politicians have a helping hand. Around 653 security personnel guard more than 250 VIPs in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) at an estimated cost of Rs278.9 million every year.
According to details submitted in the provincial assembly by the Home and Tribal Affairs department, a total of 653 security officials have been assigned to 273 politicians, MNAs, MPAs, senators and other VIPs in K-P. This costs the provincial kitty up to Rs22.23 million per month.
The document, which was submitted in response to a question raised by JUI-F lawmaker from Hangu, Mufti Syed Janan, shows that federal minister and former K-P chief minister Akram Khan Durrani has the highest number of personnel deployed for his security. As many as 35 official guards have been assigned to the minister whose security costs an estimated Rs7.96 million annually.
Incidentally, the politician with the second-highest deployment is also from Durrani’s party. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has a security detail of 33 personnel costing the provincial exchequer Rs10 million a year. Similarly, K-P Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser’s security entourage of 22 security officials costs around Rs8 million.
Keeping K-P’s lawmakers safe
Provincial ministers for education and agriculture Atif Khan and Akramullah Gandapur have eight and 11 guards each at an estimated cost of more than Rs2.8 million and Rs3.1 million, respectively.
Likewise, PTI MPA from Swat Dr Haider Ali Khan has nine security guards and their cost amounts to over Rs2 million, while another PTI MPA Ayub Khan has 11 guards costing Rs2.2 million. Adviser to the Chief Minister Amjad Afridi’s security detail comprises seven guards and costs Rs2.2 million per year, while excise minister Mian Jamsheduddin also has seven guards which drain Rs1.3 million from the provincial kitty.
Not far behind, ANP lawmaker Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour has eight guards that cost Rs3.2 million, QWP parliamentary leader Sikandar Sherpao’s 16-man security team costs the government Rs6.6 million, while ANP Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash’s seven guards cost Rs2.2 million.
MPA from Mardan Jamshed Mohmand has been provided eight security guards and it costs the government over Rs2.8 million. Incidentally, JI chief Sirajul Haq has only three people deployed for security which drains Rs1 million from the kitty per year.
Other bigwigs
MNA and former K-P chief minister Amir Haider Hoti’s security retinue of 12 personnel costs Rs4.6 million, while prime minister’s adviser Amir Muqam’s 12 guards cost more than Rs3.5 million a year. ANP secretary general and former K-P information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain’s security detail comprises 10 persons and costs the province about Rs3.5 million.
Similarly, Peshawar High Court’s former chief justice Ibne Ali’s security costs Rs2.2 million; he has 13 guards in his posse. The Afghan and Iranian consul generals in Peshawar have also been provided security by the provincial government. They both have six guards each, costing Rs2.1 and Rs2.8 million, respectively.
ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan’s security detail comprises seven personnel, costing over Rs4.5 million.
Whither austerity measures?
Speaking to The Express Tribune, JUI-F MPA Janan who sought the details said enhanced security was to some extent a result of the deteriorating law and order. However, he lashed out at PTI chief Imran Khan for not following his own mantra of austerity. “Imran Khan makes tall claims in the media to have eliminated VIP culture from K-P, but in reality provincial ministers and lawmakers are enjoying protocols that are burdening the province with millions,” said Janan.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 4[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/816652/...-vips-costs-k-p-a-whopping-rs278-9m-per-year/
[h=1]Safekeeping: Security for VIPs costs K-P a whopping Rs278.9m per year[/h]
While many in the general public evade regular militant bombings and assaults mostly by sheer luck, politicians have a helping hand. Around 653 security personnel guard more than 250 VIPs in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) at an estimated cost of Rs278.9 million every year.
According to details submitted in the provincial assembly by the Home and Tribal Affairs department, a total of 653 security officials have been assigned to 273 politicians, MNAs, MPAs, senators and other VIPs in K-P. This costs the provincial kitty up to Rs22.23 million per month.
The document, which was submitted in response to a question raised by JUI-F lawmaker from Hangu, Mufti Syed Janan, shows that federal minister and former K-P chief minister Akram Khan Durrani has the highest number of personnel deployed for his security. As many as 35 official guards have been assigned to the minister whose security costs an estimated Rs7.96 million annually.
Incidentally, the politician with the second-highest deployment is also from Durrani’s party. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has a security detail of 33 personnel costing the provincial exchequer Rs10 million a year. Similarly, K-P Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser’s security entourage of 22 security officials costs around Rs8 million.
Keeping K-P’s lawmakers safe
Provincial ministers for education and agriculture Atif Khan and Akramullah Gandapur have eight and 11 guards each at an estimated cost of more than Rs2.8 million and Rs3.1 million, respectively.
Likewise, PTI MPA from Swat Dr Haider Ali Khan has nine security guards and their cost amounts to over Rs2 million, while another PTI MPA Ayub Khan has 11 guards costing Rs2.2 million. Adviser to the Chief Minister Amjad Afridi’s security detail comprises seven guards and costs Rs2.2 million per year, while excise minister Mian Jamsheduddin also has seven guards which drain Rs1.3 million from the provincial kitty.
Not far behind, ANP lawmaker Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour has eight guards that cost Rs3.2 million, QWP parliamentary leader Sikandar Sherpao’s 16-man security team costs the government Rs6.6 million, while ANP Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash’s seven guards cost Rs2.2 million.
MPA from Mardan Jamshed Mohmand has been provided eight security guards and it costs the government over Rs2.8 million. Incidentally, JI chief Sirajul Haq has only three people deployed for security which drains Rs1 million from the kitty per year.
Other bigwigs
MNA and former K-P chief minister Amir Haider Hoti’s security retinue of 12 personnel costs Rs4.6 million, while prime minister’s adviser Amir Muqam’s 12 guards cost more than Rs3.5 million a year. ANP secretary general and former K-P information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain’s security detail comprises 10 persons and costs the province about Rs3.5 million.
Similarly, Peshawar High Court’s former chief justice Ibne Ali’s security costs Rs2.2 million; he has 13 guards in his posse. The Afghan and Iranian consul generals in Peshawar have also been provided security by the provincial government. They both have six guards each, costing Rs2.1 and Rs2.8 million, respectively.
ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan’s security detail comprises seven personnel, costing over Rs4.5 million.
Whither austerity measures?
Speaking to The Express Tribune, JUI-F MPA Janan who sought the details said enhanced security was to some extent a result of the deteriorating law and order. However, he lashed out at PTI chief Imran Khan for not following his own mantra of austerity. “Imran Khan makes tall claims in the media to have eliminated VIP culture from K-P, but in reality provincial ministers and lawmakers are enjoying protocols that are burdening the province with millions,” said Janan.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 4[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/816652/...-vips-costs-k-p-a-whopping-rs278-9m-per-year/
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
Fiscal year 2014-15: Only 12.7% of ADP spent in first six months
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has spent Rs17.86 billion out of the Rs140.23 billion allocation under the umbrella of Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2014-15.
According to data provided by the Centre for Governance and Public Accountability (CGPA), the first half of the current fiscal year has been rather sluggish for the K-P government. As of January 2, 2015, the provincial government has released a total of only Rs64 billion under the ADP.
Education
The CGPA analysis reveals only 6.7% of the elementary and secondary education development funds have been utilised in the first six months. Out of Rs19.9 billion, only Rs1.34 billion has been utilised to expedite the ‘education emergency’ imposed by the government.
According to the education department’s Annual Statistical Report 2013-14, around 2.5 million children were out of school in the province in the given period. While public-private partnership projects like Tameer-e-School are in full swing, the government is yet to open its own treasure chest.
Around Rs17.25 billion was allocated for roads and only Rs2.53 billion has been used so far. Of the regional development allocation, only 14.15% has been disbursed so far. The regional development allocation also covers discretionary funds.
Fund utilisation is zero from the district ADP and relief and rehabilitation department.
CGPA manager Malik Masood underlined the importance of fluid disbursement of funds for development to actually take place and urged the government to improve ADP spending.
In the latter half of the fiscal year, the government should start planning ahead for 2015-16, he maintained. Masood said local government polls are vital for the devolution of the promised 35% of the ADP.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 6[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/817159/fiscal-year-2014-15-only-12-7-of-adp-spent-in-f-irst-six-months/
Fiscal year 2014-15: Only 12.7% of ADP spent in first six months
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has spent Rs17.86 billion out of the Rs140.23 billion allocation under the umbrella of Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2014-15.
According to data provided by the Centre for Governance and Public Accountability (CGPA), the first half of the current fiscal year has been rather sluggish for the K-P government. As of January 2, 2015, the provincial government has released a total of only Rs64 billion under the ADP.
Education
The CGPA analysis reveals only 6.7% of the elementary and secondary education development funds have been utilised in the first six months. Out of Rs19.9 billion, only Rs1.34 billion has been utilised to expedite the ‘education emergency’ imposed by the government.
According to the education department’s Annual Statistical Report 2013-14, around 2.5 million children were out of school in the province in the given period. While public-private partnership projects like Tameer-e-School are in full swing, the government is yet to open its own treasure chest.
SOURCE: CENTRE FOR GOVERNANCE AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY
Infrastructure
Around Rs17.25 billion was allocated for roads and only Rs2.53 billion has been used so far. Of the regional development allocation, only 14.15% has been disbursed so far. The regional development allocation also covers discretionary funds.
Fund utilisation is zero from the district ADP and relief and rehabilitation department.
CGPA manager Malik Masood underlined the importance of fluid disbursement of funds for development to actually take place and urged the government to improve ADP spending.
In the latter half of the fiscal year, the government should start planning ahead for 2015-16, he maintained. Masood said local government polls are vital for the devolution of the promised 35% of the ADP.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 6[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/817159/fiscal-year-2014-15-only-12-7-of-adp-spent-in-f-irst-six-months/
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
پشاور کے بازار، سڑکیں اور گلیاں تجاوزات کی بھر مار ہے جس نے شہریوں کو مشکلات سے دوچار کر رکھا ہے، ضلعی انتظامیہ نے ٢٠١٥ کو تجاوزات کے خاتمے کے سال کے طور پر منانے کا اعلان کرتے ہوئے تجاوزات کے خلاف آپریشن شروع کر دیا ہے
http://video.dunyanews.tv/index.php...-operation-against-encroachments#.VK4A3nQWIqQ
پشاور کے بازار، سڑکیں اور گلیاں تجاوزات کی بھر مار ہے جس نے شہریوں کو مشکلات سے دوچار کر رکھا ہے، ضلعی انتظامیہ نے ٢٠١٥ کو تجاوزات کے خاتمے کے سال کے طور پر منانے کا اعلان کرتے ہوئے تجاوزات کے خلاف آپریشن شروع کر دیا ہے
http://video.dunyanews.tv/index.php...-operation-against-encroachments#.VK4A3nQWIqQ
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
JAN 06 , 2015
JAN 06 , 2015
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
[h=1]CM Complaint Cell: Only 19% of complaints redressed in 15 months
PESHAWAR: The Chief Minister’s Complaint and Redressal Cell (CRC) has so far addressed only 19% of the total number of complaints filed with the department in the past 15 months.
According to data available with The Express Tribune, CRC redressed only 6,003 complaints out of a total of 31,335, while 3,511 are in process. The cell was established by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led (PTI) government on September 17, 2013 in order to bridge the gap between the authorities and the general public and provide a direct channel for people to voice their concerns. Complaints can be filed via telephone, email, fax or post.
CRC’s email address received the highest amount of traffic with around 11,182 complaints, out of which only 599 were resolved and 1,052 are under process.
While the cell was lauded for its potential, people also have concerns over the system in place.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Zahid Hussain, a resident of Peshawar, said the department has provided only one telephone number which remains busy throughout the week. “I had a complaint about police taking bribes but after repeated attempts, I could not get through with the relevant people,” he said.
Meanwhile, another resident, Ilyas Shah, had a different story to tell. Shah had filed a complaint with the CRC and the issue was resolved by the area’s patwari within days.
CRC Chairman Dilroz Khan said the cell receives around 2,000 complaints every month.
Khan said he is aware of the limitations of the service and the government is trying to upgrade the system in place. He also mentioned the issues with complaints filed and said several cases are either not genuine or too trivial.
Applications for financial aid, employment, postings, transfers, and applications regarding power outages exceed the jurisdiction of the cell, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 7[SUP]th[/SUP], 2014.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/817775/cm-complaint-cell-only-19-of-complaints-redressed-in-15-months/[/h]
[h=1]CM Complaint Cell: Only 19% of complaints redressed in 15 months
PESHAWAR: The Chief Minister’s Complaint and Redressal Cell (CRC) has so far addressed only 19% of the total number of complaints filed with the department in the past 15 months.
According to data available with The Express Tribune, CRC redressed only 6,003 complaints out of a total of 31,335, while 3,511 are in process. The cell was established by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led (PTI) government on September 17, 2013 in order to bridge the gap between the authorities and the general public and provide a direct channel for people to voice their concerns. Complaints can be filed via telephone, email, fax or post.
CRC’s email address received the highest amount of traffic with around 11,182 complaints, out of which only 599 were resolved and 1,052 are under process.
While the cell was lauded for its potential, people also have concerns over the system in place.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Zahid Hussain, a resident of Peshawar, said the department has provided only one telephone number which remains busy throughout the week. “I had a complaint about police taking bribes but after repeated attempts, I could not get through with the relevant people,” he said.
Meanwhile, another resident, Ilyas Shah, had a different story to tell. Shah had filed a complaint with the CRC and the issue was resolved by the area’s patwari within days.
CRC Chairman Dilroz Khan said the cell receives around 2,000 complaints every month.
Khan said he is aware of the limitations of the service and the government is trying to upgrade the system in place. He also mentioned the issues with complaints filed and said several cases are either not genuine or too trivial.
Applications for financial aid, employment, postings, transfers, and applications regarding power outages exceed the jurisdiction of the cell, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 7[SUP]th[/SUP], 2014.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/817775/cm-complaint-cell-only-19-of-complaints-redressed-in-15-months/[/h]
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
[h=1]Expressing reservations: Doctors protest proposed health sector legislation[/h]
PESHAWAR: Members of the Joint Doctors Forum (JDF) protested on Wednesday against proposed legislation in the health sector, threatening to hold a sit-in outside the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly if their demands are not met within two days.
The JDF is a joint venture of the Provincial Doctors Association (PDA), Young Doctors Association, Insaf Doctors Association, Pakistan Islamic Medical Association, Islamic Doctors Forum K-P, Peoples Doctors Forum and Malgari Doctoran formed to protect their interests.
The protesting medical practitioners, led by the association’s office bearers, took out a rally from Lady Reading Hospital to the provincial assembly building, causing a traffic jam on Khyber Road.
The demonstrators chanted slogans against the government and Health Commission Care Bill 2015 which was tabled in the assembly on Tuesday. Under the legislation, the Health Regulation Authority will be replaced by the Health Care Commission and a ban will be imposed on government doctors’ practice in their private clinics.
The protesting doctors warned of agitation if the act is passed by the house.
JDF member Dr Musa Kaleem told reporters that the government should immediately accept changes proposed by doctors in November 2014 in the bill. He added the draft prepared by the government would benefit only a few people and not the general public.
According to Kaleem, if the bill is enacted, junior doctors will become eligible to be posted as head of the departments. He added doctors are sent to Post Graduate Medical Institute (PGMI) for training on merit, but when PGMI loses its autonomous status “only blue-eyed boys will be sent for training”.
Another JDF member, Dr Ashraf Khan said doctors have been struggling for their service structure for many years but still remained deprived.
The forum’s members said they have held meetings with the opposition leader of the provincial assembly and other parliamentarians from the opposition benches and warned of extending the protest to other parts of K-P if their concerns were not addressed. They also warned of a sit-in outside the assembly building if the government does not consider their proposals in the bill.
Earlier, the PDA had set January 1 as the deadline for protests across the province, however, in the aftermath of the December 16 Army Public School massacre, the association postponed the strike call.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 8[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/818191/...s-protest-proposed-health-sector-legislation/
[h=1]Expressing reservations: Doctors protest proposed health sector legislation[/h]
PESHAWAR: Members of the Joint Doctors Forum (JDF) protested on Wednesday against proposed legislation in the health sector, threatening to hold a sit-in outside the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly if their demands are not met within two days.
The JDF is a joint venture of the Provincial Doctors Association (PDA), Young Doctors Association, Insaf Doctors Association, Pakistan Islamic Medical Association, Islamic Doctors Forum K-P, Peoples Doctors Forum and Malgari Doctoran formed to protect their interests.
The protesting medical practitioners, led by the association’s office bearers, took out a rally from Lady Reading Hospital to the provincial assembly building, causing a traffic jam on Khyber Road.
The demonstrators chanted slogans against the government and Health Commission Care Bill 2015 which was tabled in the assembly on Tuesday. Under the legislation, the Health Regulation Authority will be replaced by the Health Care Commission and a ban will be imposed on government doctors’ practice in their private clinics.
The protesting doctors warned of agitation if the act is passed by the house.
JDF member Dr Musa Kaleem told reporters that the government should immediately accept changes proposed by doctors in November 2014 in the bill. He added the draft prepared by the government would benefit only a few people and not the general public.
According to Kaleem, if the bill is enacted, junior doctors will become eligible to be posted as head of the departments. He added doctors are sent to Post Graduate Medical Institute (PGMI) for training on merit, but when PGMI loses its autonomous status “only blue-eyed boys will be sent for training”.
Another JDF member, Dr Ashraf Khan said doctors have been struggling for their service structure for many years but still remained deprived.
The forum’s members said they have held meetings with the opposition leader of the provincial assembly and other parliamentarians from the opposition benches and warned of extending the protest to other parts of K-P if their concerns were not addressed. They also warned of a sit-in outside the assembly building if the government does not consider their proposals in the bill.
Earlier, the PDA had set January 1 as the deadline for protests across the province, however, in the aftermath of the December 16 Army Public School massacre, the association postponed the strike call.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 8[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/818191/...s-protest-proposed-health-sector-legislation/
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
Jan 09 2015
Jan 09 2015
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
Dec 10, 2015
Dec 10, 2015
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
Dec 11 , 2015
Dec 11 , 2015
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
A distant dream: Locals, officials lock horns over Dasu Hydel Project
The district administration and Water and Power Development Authorities (Wapda) may be trying their level best to resume construction of the much-trumpeted Dasu Hydropower Project (DHPP), but their differences with locals have proved to be a major hurdle.
Locals and official sources said work has been suspended for over 100 days in Dasu, the district headquarters of Kohistan. The main bone of contention is the rate at which their land is evaluated and the subsequent demand to be paid the said market rate.
The project encountered its first stumbling block on December 15, 2013 when Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA from Kohistan Abdul Sattar led protesters and had work forcibly stopped.
After the initial snag, work resumed on the project after Kohistani leaders agreed to hold negotiations with the administration. However, locals had work stopped on three different occasions since and construction finally came to a complete halt on September 21, 2014.
When money is in question
At the time, a tribal jirga issued a final warning to the administration and Wapda.
Locals demanded compensation for their lands which will be submerged by dam water, saying they should be paid market rates for the property. That was one of their 18 demands at the jirga.
They also wanted a job quota for locals, the construction of schools and colleges, a road network and resettlement colonies for the affected villagers. The district administration and Wapda officials failed to convince locals of the project even though they agreed to the demands.
“We are trying to convince landowners to allow the work to resume,” said an official at the office of Kohistan DC. The commissioner himself could not be reached.
The officer said the DC made repeated efforts to convince villagers through open meetings as part of his efforts to remove any obstacles in the path of this crucial project. The official added any obstruction would impede the government’s goal of ending the country’s power crisis.
“We are optimistic that positive news will emerge and high-level discussions are under way at the moment,” said Wapda project engineer Faqir Hussain. He added locals would feel an immediate improvement in their lives once work gets under way.
The engineer said the dam project would create employment opportunities, adding the construction of educational institutions, road networks and other facilities hinges on the resumption of work.
He said the project was of tremendous importance.
However, local elders such as Malik Manan Shah, Haji Samandar Khan, Malik Qadam Khan and others appear to be reluctant. The tribesmen said work would only resume once Wapda fully honoured their agreement.
The blue prints
According to official documents, the DHPP, being built seven kilometres upstream of Dasu on River Indus, will have a total installed capacity of 4,320 megawatts (MW).
It was proposed that the project be constructed in two stages. The first stage involves the installation of six units with a total installed capacity of 2,160 MW. The initial phase would also involve land acquisition, resettlement of affected people and environmental and social management.
The second stage includes installation of the remaining six units. The total cost of stage-I was estimated to be over Rs486 billion and the dam was scheduled to be completed in five years.
The World Bank Board of Directors approved $1,048 million as financing for stage-I of the DHPP, while the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC), in its meeting held on March 28, 2014, approved the PC-I at Rs486 billion.
A total of 30 resettlement sites were identified and finalised after consultations with affected villagers. The master plan and the survey of eight resettlement sites has already been completed.
The Asian Development Bank has also expressed its willingness to fund a certain portion of the project, official sources said.
On June 25 last year, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the DHPP.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 11[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/819882/...officials-lock-horns-over-dasu-hydel-project/
A distant dream: Locals, officials lock horns over Dasu Hydel Project
The district administration and Water and Power Development Authorities (Wapda) may be trying their level best to resume construction of the much-trumpeted Dasu Hydropower Project (DHPP), but their differences with locals have proved to be a major hurdle.
Locals and official sources said work has been suspended for over 100 days in Dasu, the district headquarters of Kohistan. The main bone of contention is the rate at which their land is evaluated and the subsequent demand to be paid the said market rate.
The project encountered its first stumbling block on December 15, 2013 when Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA from Kohistan Abdul Sattar led protesters and had work forcibly stopped.
After the initial snag, work resumed on the project after Kohistani leaders agreed to hold negotiations with the administration. However, locals had work stopped on three different occasions since and construction finally came to a complete halt on September 21, 2014.
When money is in question
At the time, a tribal jirga issued a final warning to the administration and Wapda.
Locals demanded compensation for their lands which will be submerged by dam water, saying they should be paid market rates for the property. That was one of their 18 demands at the jirga.
They also wanted a job quota for locals, the construction of schools and colleges, a road network and resettlement colonies for the affected villagers. The district administration and Wapda officials failed to convince locals of the project even though they agreed to the demands.
“We are trying to convince landowners to allow the work to resume,” said an official at the office of Kohistan DC. The commissioner himself could not be reached.
The officer said the DC made repeated efforts to convince villagers through open meetings as part of his efforts to remove any obstacles in the path of this crucial project. The official added any obstruction would impede the government’s goal of ending the country’s power crisis.
“We are optimistic that positive news will emerge and high-level discussions are under way at the moment,” said Wapda project engineer Faqir Hussain. He added locals would feel an immediate improvement in their lives once work gets under way.
The engineer said the dam project would create employment opportunities, adding the construction of educational institutions, road networks and other facilities hinges on the resumption of work.
He said the project was of tremendous importance.
However, local elders such as Malik Manan Shah, Haji Samandar Khan, Malik Qadam Khan and others appear to be reluctant. The tribesmen said work would only resume once Wapda fully honoured their agreement.
The blue prints
According to official documents, the DHPP, being built seven kilometres upstream of Dasu on River Indus, will have a total installed capacity of 4,320 megawatts (MW).
It was proposed that the project be constructed in two stages. The first stage involves the installation of six units with a total installed capacity of 2,160 MW. The initial phase would also involve land acquisition, resettlement of affected people and environmental and social management.
The second stage includes installation of the remaining six units. The total cost of stage-I was estimated to be over Rs486 billion and the dam was scheduled to be completed in five years.
The World Bank Board of Directors approved $1,048 million as financing for stage-I of the DHPP, while the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC), in its meeting held on March 28, 2014, approved the PC-I at Rs486 billion.
A total of 30 resettlement sites were identified and finalised after consultations with affected villagers. The master plan and the survey of eight resettlement sites has already been completed.
The Asian Development Bank has also expressed its willingness to fund a certain portion of the project, official sources said.
On June 25 last year, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the DHPP.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 11[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/819882/...officials-lock-horns-over-dasu-hydel-project/
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
[h=1]Honk honk: The silver bullet to Peshawar’s traffic gridlock
Over the past decade, rapid demographic and infrastructural changes have turned the city into the most vital metropolitan of the region. Traffic congestion is one of Peshawar’s perennial issues and in a bid to solve the problem, SP traffic Wahid Mehmood has chalked out a new traffic plan for the provincial capital.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Mehmood said he has submitted a detailed proposal to Peshawar CCPO and discussed its minutes with provincial and regional transport authorities.
Mehmood said the city’s population has doubled twice over the past 15 years. A dearth of planning and foresight has resulted in major problems of urbanisation. He termed inadequate road infrastructure, encroachment and security measures among the various factors contributing to the city’s traffic woes. “14 years ago there was not a single check post in Peshawar. Today the city has 116 check posts and over 20 roads are off-limits,” he said.
Haphazard parking is another menace. “Unfortunately, the city does not have a single parking plaza,” said Mehmood. The city’s business hubs and busy squares including Hashtnagri Chowk, Suri Pull, Bacha Khan Chowk, Board Bazaar, Qissa Khwani Bazaar and University Road are mostly clogged during rush hour due to improper parking along roadsides.
The sprawling metropolitan
The SP said according to the urban planning unit, the walled city’s population in 2001 was 2,165,480 as compared to the current estimate of 6,872,318. While elaborating on the demographic changes, he said over 4.5 million displaced persons reside in the city.
He also underscored the increase in the volume of traffic and said the number of vehicles in 2001 was 115,789 while the current figure stands at 353,490. Mehmood said 15 years back the city comprised of four bus stands and today the number has jumped to 20, excluding the countless unwarranted Qingqui rickshaw stands.
The city’s road infrastructure comprises of four flyovers namely Malik Saad flyover, Pir Zakoori flyover, Sikandar Khan flyover and the under-construction Mufti Mehmood flyover. He said the completion of work on Ring Road and Mufti Mehmood flyover will only resolve 20% of the city’s traffic congestion issues. The SP said around 9,000 buses, 5,700 minibuses, 9,396 wagons and flying coaches and at least 40,000 rickshaws ply the roads of Peshawar every day.
Proposed solutions
The report identified five locations where construction of underpasses is a need of the hour, namely Sifwat Ghayyur Chowk, Aabdarra Chowk, Aman Chowk, Michni/Warsak Road and Bala Hisar. Mehmood said elevated U-turns can also be constructed in place of the underpasses, as he already highlighted in a meeting with DG Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) and secretary local government last month. The proposal further suggests widening the road from Defence Colony to Aman Chowk and cutting down on the verge from 20ft to 3ft.
Mehmood, however, said the proposed Peshawar Mass Transit System (PMTS) will only bear fruit once new routes are carpeted throughout the city.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 14[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/821210/honk-honk-the-silver-bullet-to-peshawars-traffic-gridlock/
[/h]
[h=1]Honk honk: The silver bullet to Peshawar’s traffic gridlock
Over the past decade, rapid demographic and infrastructural changes have turned the city into the most vital metropolitan of the region. Traffic congestion is one of Peshawar’s perennial issues and in a bid to solve the problem, SP traffic Wahid Mehmood has chalked out a new traffic plan for the provincial capital.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Mehmood said he has submitted a detailed proposal to Peshawar CCPO and discussed its minutes with provincial and regional transport authorities.
Mehmood said the city’s population has doubled twice over the past 15 years. A dearth of planning and foresight has resulted in major problems of urbanisation. He termed inadequate road infrastructure, encroachment and security measures among the various factors contributing to the city’s traffic woes. “14 years ago there was not a single check post in Peshawar. Today the city has 116 check posts and over 20 roads are off-limits,” he said.
Haphazard parking is another menace. “Unfortunately, the city does not have a single parking plaza,” said Mehmood. The city’s business hubs and busy squares including Hashtnagri Chowk, Suri Pull, Bacha Khan Chowk, Board Bazaar, Qissa Khwani Bazaar and University Road are mostly clogged during rush hour due to improper parking along roadsides.
The sprawling metropolitan
The SP said according to the urban planning unit, the walled city’s population in 2001 was 2,165,480 as compared to the current estimate of 6,872,318. While elaborating on the demographic changes, he said over 4.5 million displaced persons reside in the city.
He also underscored the increase in the volume of traffic and said the number of vehicles in 2001 was 115,789 while the current figure stands at 353,490. Mehmood said 15 years back the city comprised of four bus stands and today the number has jumped to 20, excluding the countless unwarranted Qingqui rickshaw stands.
The city’s road infrastructure comprises of four flyovers namely Malik Saad flyover, Pir Zakoori flyover, Sikandar Khan flyover and the under-construction Mufti Mehmood flyover. He said the completion of work on Ring Road and Mufti Mehmood flyover will only resolve 20% of the city’s traffic congestion issues. The SP said around 9,000 buses, 5,700 minibuses, 9,396 wagons and flying coaches and at least 40,000 rickshaws ply the roads of Peshawar every day.
Proposed solutions
The report identified five locations where construction of underpasses is a need of the hour, namely Sifwat Ghayyur Chowk, Aabdarra Chowk, Aman Chowk, Michni/Warsak Road and Bala Hisar. Mehmood said elevated U-turns can also be constructed in place of the underpasses, as he already highlighted in a meeting with DG Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) and secretary local government last month. The proposal further suggests widening the road from Defence Colony to Aman Chowk and cutting down on the verge from 20ft to 3ft.
Mehmood, however, said the proposed Peshawar Mass Transit System (PMTS) will only bear fruit once new routes are carpeted throughout the city.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 14[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/821210/honk-honk-the-silver-bullet-to-peshawars-traffic-gridlock/
[/h]
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
Will Peshawar ever be the same?
Here time is measured in sorrow, distance by catastrophe and life by chance but it’s referred to as the City of Flowers. “He’s five years and two months old,” says a relative when asked about how old his son was. “He was born two days after the explosion in Meena Bazaar.”
“Can you pick me up from University town?” — “What place exactly?” — The office that was bombed the other day,” says a friend who needs a drive home. “Can we not take the route through Saddar, I just don’t feel comfortable,” a colleague, who was one of the lucky survivors when a car bomb went off in the area, says.
Year after year, the debris of grief has piled up. The city is no more but an oxymoron against its own image. The flowers here have died. There is more concrete and steel dashed with red than there ever was.
Agony, loss and pain are not alien to Peshawar. It has had a reputation, some would argue, of surprising itself in the most violent of ways and then still finding its way back to a previous state of normalcy — that was actually not normal. Politicians, authors, columnists and the security establishment have often tried to push the sadness under the debris and rebuild the physical structures with a twist. They even formulated a term to make people feel better; ‘resilience’ is what they called it. While the people of the city were told how resilient they are, there was blood on the streets every single day. But they were resilient, enduring and were fighting back. At times, they didn’t know who they were fighting against but that sort of doubt was taboo. All they knew was that they had to fight back. At times, resilience gave way to apathy. A Friday without a bomb blast was considered strange; shopkeepers usually opened up for business after the “Friday bomb blast”.
When introspective discussions on suicide bombings first entered the realm of discourse, I recall overhearing one such discussion on the turn across the street to work on how to differentiate between a tragedy caused by an improvised explosive device and a suicide bombing. The conclusion was that if scavengers flew over the space where the explosion took place, it would be a suicide attack for obvious reasons. People who saw the city from outside considered this as a form of sociological innovation. Some said death never bothered the resilient; others concluded that the region was never peaceful and death was an inevitable fact.
With every bomb blast, when the dust settled, the enemy was more recognisable. While the city expanded, fear grew. And although a daily dosage of resilience pumped up the people, the war that was fought in the ‘unconquerable’ lands of the tribal areas and Afghanistan was now burning the fringes of the city. For some, the resilience was too much to handle and they said goodbye to the city. But there were people who believed there would be an end to this war and they lived on.
For the last couple of years, major incidents of terror in Peshawar have set the tone of unending violence. Each year, something that binds the city is taken away; the Meena Bazaar bomb attack, the killing of Bashir Bilour, the twin suicide attacks at the All Saints Church last year and now the indiscriminate killing of children in the Army Public School. The question is — will the oxymoron be reversed and will the resilience pay back?
Published in The Express Tribune, January 13[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/820737/will-peshawar-ever-be-the-same/
Will Peshawar ever be the same?
Here time is measured in sorrow, distance by catastrophe and life by chance but it’s referred to as the City of Flowers. “He’s five years and two months old,” says a relative when asked about how old his son was. “He was born two days after the explosion in Meena Bazaar.”
“Can you pick me up from University town?” — “What place exactly?” — The office that was bombed the other day,” says a friend who needs a drive home. “Can we not take the route through Saddar, I just don’t feel comfortable,” a colleague, who was one of the lucky survivors when a car bomb went off in the area, says.
Year after year, the debris of grief has piled up. The city is no more but an oxymoron against its own image. The flowers here have died. There is more concrete and steel dashed with red than there ever was.
Agony, loss and pain are not alien to Peshawar. It has had a reputation, some would argue, of surprising itself in the most violent of ways and then still finding its way back to a previous state of normalcy — that was actually not normal. Politicians, authors, columnists and the security establishment have often tried to push the sadness under the debris and rebuild the physical structures with a twist. They even formulated a term to make people feel better; ‘resilience’ is what they called it. While the people of the city were told how resilient they are, there was blood on the streets every single day. But they were resilient, enduring and were fighting back. At times, they didn’t know who they were fighting against but that sort of doubt was taboo. All they knew was that they had to fight back. At times, resilience gave way to apathy. A Friday without a bomb blast was considered strange; shopkeepers usually opened up for business after the “Friday bomb blast”.
When introspective discussions on suicide bombings first entered the realm of discourse, I recall overhearing one such discussion on the turn across the street to work on how to differentiate between a tragedy caused by an improvised explosive device and a suicide bombing. The conclusion was that if scavengers flew over the space where the explosion took place, it would be a suicide attack for obvious reasons. People who saw the city from outside considered this as a form of sociological innovation. Some said death never bothered the resilient; others concluded that the region was never peaceful and death was an inevitable fact.
With every bomb blast, when the dust settled, the enemy was more recognisable. While the city expanded, fear grew. And although a daily dosage of resilience pumped up the people, the war that was fought in the ‘unconquerable’ lands of the tribal areas and Afghanistan was now burning the fringes of the city. For some, the resilience was too much to handle and they said goodbye to the city. But there were people who believed there would be an end to this war and they lived on.
For the last couple of years, major incidents of terror in Peshawar have set the tone of unending violence. Each year, something that binds the city is taken away; the Meena Bazaar bomb attack, the killing of Bashir Bilour, the twin suicide attacks at the All Saints Church last year and now the indiscriminate killing of children in the Army Public School. The question is — will the oxymoron be reversed and will the resilience pay back?
Published in The Express Tribune, January 13[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/820737/will-peshawar-ever-be-the-same/
Syed Haider Imam
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
Local government: ‘Over 31% of budget directed towards Peshawar’
Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Inayatullah Khan said over 31% of the local government funds are being utilised for the development of the provincial capital.
Addressing a news conference at the district municipal corporation office on Thursday, Khan said the previous governments ignored the metropolitan and directed funds only towards desirable areas. He said the government has now initiated indiscriminate action against encroachments and is carrying out various projects for the beautification of Peshawar.
“The municipal corporation has accelerated action against encroachments,” said Khan. He added 850 tonnes of waste is collected on a daily basis from the city, adding the 102-km route of Warsak Road, Charsadda Road, Dalazak Road and Ring Road will be cleaned by sweeping machines.
Khan said the government has planned to set up four ‘Bachat Bazaars’, where small-time vendors and push-cart owners will be shifted, reducing traffic problems in the city.
Peshawar Development Committee Chairman MPA Ziaullah Afridi, municipal corporation administrator Zafar Ali Shah and other officials were present on the occasion.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 16[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
Local government: ‘Over 31% of budget directed towards Peshawar’
Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Inayatullah Khan said over 31% of the local government funds are being utilised for the development of the provincial capital.
Addressing a news conference at the district municipal corporation office on Thursday, Khan said the previous governments ignored the metropolitan and directed funds only towards desirable areas. He said the government has now initiated indiscriminate action against encroachments and is carrying out various projects for the beautification of Peshawar.
“The municipal corporation has accelerated action against encroachments,” said Khan. He added 850 tonnes of waste is collected on a daily basis from the city, adding the 102-km route of Warsak Road, Charsadda Road, Dalazak Road and Ring Road will be cleaned by sweeping machines.
Khan said the government has planned to set up four ‘Bachat Bazaars’, where small-time vendors and push-cart owners will be shifted, reducing traffic problems in the city.
Peshawar Development Committee Chairman MPA Ziaullah Afridi, municipal corporation administrator Zafar Ali Shah and other officials were present on the occasion.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 16[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
Re: PTI's KPK Government Achievements
Ek IG kee performance our 2 laws ko beth ke chat rahe hain. There is nothing on the ground. IK was saying that every month there will be a new development, where is that? Where is his social reform agenda? Hospitals are still a mess and no concrete steps can be seen except for inspections which is a joke. Roads are still the same. Still there is neputism. 3 ppl crushed by crain today and so on.
Ek IG kee performance our 2 laws ko beth ke chat rahe hain. There is nothing on the ground. IK was saying that every month there will be a new development, where is that? Where is his social reform agenda? Hospitals are still a mess and no concrete steps can be seen except for inspections which is a joke. Roads are still the same. Still there is neputism. 3 ppl crushed by crain today and so on.
