UPPER DIR: A militant commander with a bounty of Rs1 million on his head was apprehended Thursday morning from Sonai Darra in Upper Dir. “Officials of Shahi Kot police station received an intelligence report that militant commander Abdur Rahim alias Raees was present in the area,” Upper Dir District Police Officer Israruddin Bacha said, while addressing the media. “The Shahi Kot police set up check points at different areas in its limits and arrested Raees from Sonai Darra area around 10 am,” he added. The militant commander has been shifted to an undisclosed location for further investigation. The DPO further said that the militant commander is a resident of the Kharu Nusrat Darra area of the district and was involved in five different terrorist attacks in Afghanistan’s Kunar province as well as in Pakistan. Raees was also behind the attack on a police and Levies check post at Shaltalo area in June 2011. “The government had announced Rs1 million head money for the arrest of Abdur Rahim, 38, and had published his details in newspapers,” the DPO added. He further said that 28 security personnel, 16 policemen and 13 Levies officials had been killed in the attacks headed by Raees in the area. “During these attacks, the militants had destroyed 10 government schools, 15 shops, five houses and a mosque.” The militant commander was also reportedly involved in a bomb attack against late GOC Malakand Major General Sana Ullah Khan Niazi in 2014. http://tribune.com.pk/story/852142/...s1m-bounty-on-his-head-arrested-in-upper-dir/
BANNU: The elders of Utmanzai tribe of North Waziristan in Bannu threatened the government with a sit-in in Islamabad if it failed to give them a firm date for their repatriation.
This was decided at a Jirga held at Bannu Township Hall, comprising elders of the Utmanzai tribes of Wazir and Mehsud of North Waziristan on Thursday. The jirga was headed by Malik Nasrullah Khan and a large number of tribal elders and tribesmen from both the tribes participated. The elders decided that they would hold a grand tribal jirga outside Fata Secretariat office in Peshawar on March 16 to press government to fix a final date for their return home.
“Government must stop playing with the feelings of IDPs by changing repatriation date again and again,” Malik Nasrullah Khan said. “Such practices are increasing unrest among the IDPs about their return.” Sher Muhammad Khan, Malik Khan Marjan, Malik Aman Ullah Khan and Malik Habibullah Khan were also present on the occasion. The tribal elders said that if government fails to give them a final repatriation date on March 16 during their Jirga outside Fata Secretariat, they would then go towards Islamabad to stage a protest sit-in to press for their demands. They said they were spending a miserable life in the camps and their children were being deprived of education due to the displacement, adding that now they will take every step they could to achieve their due rights. The tribal elders also appealed the leaders of all political parties to join them in their Islamabad sit-in for the sake of their rights. Published in The Express Tribune, March 13[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Wildlife officials in Pakistan fined a Qatari prince and seized two of his prized hunting falcons after he was discovered illegally hunting a rare bird species, an official said on Thursday. The confiscated falcons – which can be worth upwards of $250,000 each – were released into the wild this week, said Khan Malook, a district wildlife officer in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Read: K-P govt fines Qatari prince for hunting falcons
The prince, identified as Sheikh Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani, paid a fine of 80,000 rupees ($800) before leaving the country, Malook said. The Qatari was discovered hunting houbara bustards, listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, in the area in mid-January, he said. Pakistan has come under fire from conservationists for granting permits for hunting bustards to wealthy Gulf Arabs, for whom falconry is a revered cultural tradition. Read: Saudi Royal on Houbara bustard hunting spree in Balochistan The sheikh, however, had no permit for hunting, Malook said. Representatives of the Qatari royal family could not be reached for comment on Thursday.
PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has directed the higher education department to submit a feasibility report for setting up a university for women in Mardan.
According to a handout issued by the CM Secretariat on Friday, Khattak directed the relevant authorities to assess the overall scope for the project. He was speaking at a meeting on the same day to discuss the affairs of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan (AWKUM). Provincial Minister for Education Muhammad Atif Khan, various members of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and officials of the education department attended the moot.
The chief minister also referred to concerns voiced by members of the K-P Assembly based in Mardan regarding delays in the proposed project, stated the handout. Khattak insisted all pending issues regarding the university be addressed with the relevant departments, it added.
According to Khattak, the relevant authorities could have avoided further delays in kick-starting this project if they had pressed the revenue department to ensure acquisition of land for the university. Overhaul
Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Higher Education Mushtaq Ghani said the provincial government has taken unprecedented measures to ensure transparency and merit in primary, secondary and higher education sectors.
Speaking at an event at the Pakhtunkhwa College Teachers Association (PACTA) on Friday, he emphasised on the need to foster a conducive environment for education at all higher educational institutions.
“Education is the key to cultivate peace and rule of law in society,” the information minister said. “Without literacy, our country will lose out on opportunities for development.”
According to Ghani, the provincial government has allocated a sizeable portion of its financial budget to set up new colleges in K-P.
“These new institutions will allow students across the province to pursue higher education,” he added.
Ghani recalled the milestones achieved in K-P’s higher education sector between 2013 and 2014 and vowed to achieve similar results during the current fiscal year.
“We hope to achieve all our targets this year by implementing development projects in letter and spirit,” he added.
The information minister said the provincial government has sought to eliminate political interference from public sector colleges and universities of the province. Ghani added the higher education department has also initiated training and capacity-building programmes for faculty members under its Faculty Development Support Programme.
During the event, the information minister distributed certificates to students from government colleges in Abbottabad, Bannu, Dargai and DI Khan for their outstanding academic perform
PESHAWAR: The provincial excise and taxation (E&T) department is making drastic changes in its vehicle registration mechanism to get rid of flaws in the present system and put an end to long queues of applicants.
The changes include a new database for vehicle registration, new registration books and number plates, and the introduction of home delivery system through which registration documents and number plates will be sent directly to applicants’ houses via courier service providers, said department insiders.
The plan is in its final stages and the department is making necessary amendments in the laws to give it practical shape. “We are aiming to simplify the registration process to end problems people are facing,” said an official privy to the development.
Requesting anonymity, he said the E&T department is in negotiations with Pakistan Post and private courier services for home delivery of documents and number plates to the owners, who will pay the courier charges.
Furthermore, to eliminate the chances of tampering in registration books and reduce delays in printing, the department is contracting out the task to Pakistan Security Printing Corporation (PSPC).
“The books will have security features like currency notes, including a special monogram, hologram, watermarks and special paper which cannot be produced easily in the market,” he said. The official added that the number of pages in registration books will also be doubled and ownership transfer would be possible 10 times in a single book.
“The PSPC will have blank books in stock; we will send them the relevant data of a vehicle and they will print it in the book and send it back to us within three days.”
Regarding the new database system, the official said they are starting a centralised computerised database system to keep records of vehicles. “The centralised system will be like the one in NADRA. Every district will have access to the records and they will be available at a click,” he said.
According to the official, the database currently being used called the Motor Vehicle Registration System (MVRS) has flaws and technical problems, causing hurdles in accessing information from all the 14 district offices of the department.
“We have sent a tender to the information department for inviting contractors to design new number plates and for the computerisation of the vehicles’ data.”
Moreover, the E&T department is also considering adopting the Sindh style for number plates wherein all plates will state Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on them. At the moment, the department is issuing number plates stating the district where the car is registered. “We are thinking about removing district names from the number plates to curb the practice of people buying vehicles from one district and getting them registered elsewhere,” he said.
The department officials have recently visited Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad to observe registration systems, books and number plates being used in other provinces. Published in The Express Tribune, March 15[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
MARDAN: Leaders of the recently-revived tripartite alliance of opposition parties in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly demand local government (LG) polls be held under the supervision of the judiciary, on a political party basis.
Addressing the media after attending a meeting in Mardan, leaders of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, Pakistan Peoples Party and Awami National Party also demanded the halting of transfers and postings of government officials. Putting their heads together
The meeting was held at PPP K-P chief Khanzada Khan’s house to discuss the revival of the tripartite alliance which was formed in 2013 to contest by-polls. ANP K-P chief Amir Haider Hoti, General Secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain, JUI-F K-P Ameer Gul Naseeb Khan, General Secretary Shujaul Mulk and PPP chief Khanzada Khan attended the moot along with other senior leaders of all three parties.
The rendezvous continued for about five hours and parties agreed to form a four-member committee headed by Mian Iftikhar to lead the alliance for a month and resolve all issues faced by the allies through dialogue and consultations. PPP’s Najamuddin would be the general secretary, JUI-F’s Shujaul Mulk would be senior vice president while Jalil Jan would be information secretary. Strengthening relations
Moreover, five members were chosen from each party to form a 15-member committee to work towards strengthening the alliance at district levels across K-P. ANP named Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Syed Aqil Shah, Sardar Hussain Babak, Khushdil Khan and Shugafta Malik; PPP named Rahimdad Khan, Humayun Khan, Faisal Kundi and Sardar Ali, while JUI-F named Shujaul Mulk, Jalil Jan, Maulana Rafiullah, Attaul Haq Darvesh and Maulana Abdul Wahid to be part of the committee.
An insider confirmed to The Express Tribune the parties have decided to contest LG polls together. “The alliance leaders would meet again in Peshawar on March 19 to chalk out a course of action for elections,” he said.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, JUI-F provincial chief Gul Naseeb said the constituent parties have directed their district leaderships to convene meetings and start preparations for the polls scheduled for May.
“The provincial government did not fulfil its promise of holding LG polls within 90 days of assuming charge. Instead, the elections are being arranged under the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan,” said Naseeb.
The JUI-F leader lauded the top court’s decision to push governments to hold LG polls, and demanded the elections be held under the judiciary’s watch or the provincial government is likely to use its powers to get its own candidates elected.
In his speech, ANP K-P chief Amir Hoti stressed the need for ensuring free and fair elections. He claimed the provincial government is “planning to get its desired results”.
Hoti added the tripartite alliance was open to other parties too.
The ANP leader said it was strange decision by the PTI-led government to hold non-party basis elections for village councils and party-basis elections on the tehsil and district council level. He added the ANP had challenged the decision in court and they were hopeful the matter will be decided in their favour. Published in The Express Tribune, March 18[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
PESHAWAR: The provincial government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cisco Systems, an IT company based in California, to establish seven networking academies at various universities across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa by May.
The agreement was signed on Tuesday during a ceremony held at Pearl Continental Hotel in the provincial capital. Minister for Health and Information Technology (IT) Shahram Tarakai, Country Manager for Cisco Naveed Qazi and Science and Technology and IT Secretary Farah Hamid Khan attended the event. The MoU was signed by Qazi and Khan.
According to the agreement, the company will establish seven Cisco academies at universities in all seven divisions of the province. The initiative will provide training to information technology students and professionals who will be issued a Cisco certification once these sessions draw to a close.
In her welcome address, Khan termed the MoU a step towards using information and communication technology (ICT) to ensure young people gain skills which provide them with a competitive edge in the job market.
Speaking on the occasion, Zahid Nawaz, a project manager at the Directorate of Information Technology, said the academies will be set up at various universities.
“These will include University of Peshawar, UET Peshawar, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Gomal University, Hazara University and Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan,” he said.
According to Nawaz, the first Cisco academy will be established in the provincial capital over the next two weeks and the number of academies is likely to increase.
The IT company will provide its hardware at a 75% discount for the academies. “A 70% discount will be provided on issuing Cisco certification to graduates,” said Nawaz. “The remaining 30% of the cost will be paid by the government.”
According to Nawaz, those who will be trained under the programme will subsequently run the networking academies and train others.
During the ceremony, Tarakai said the academies were aimed at training young professionals who have degrees but do not have the skills required by a competitive job market.
“We want these professionals and students to gain skills required in the international job market,” he said. “The only way to connect these professionals with the world is through the ICT since very few people want to visit K-P and only a handful get the opportunity to go abroad.”
The government is also trying to get Microsoft and Oracle to invest in the province and improve opportunities for young professionals, he added. . Published in The Express Tribune, March 18[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
PESHAWAR: In appreciation of his efforts in the field of education, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has awarded Rs50,000 to Sherinzada Khadokhel, the principal of Government Higher Secondary School Swabi.
Sherinzada has also been honoured with an award for Best Principal, 2014. This is the first time a principal has been presented with the award in the province.
Under his supervision, students of the school were able to clinch top positions in the secondary school certificate (SSC) science examination from Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Mardan in 2014.
Sherinzada is said to have not only helped his students perform well in the exams but during his service, also worked and succeeded on improving the standard of his school.
According to the principal, when he was transferred to the school in 2013 it was in a dire straits; the school had only six teachers back then while grades nine and 10 had been discontinued due to a dearth of teachers. A dedicated educator, Sherinzada collected Rs0.7 million from students, politicians and social workers and spent the entire amount on the development of the school.
After all his endeavours, he says, currently 750 students are enrolled at the school and 17 teachers work there. He worked towards and succeeded in resuming classes for ninth and 10th grades in May of 2014, upgrading the institute into a higher secondary school where 11th and 12th grades were also started.
His success, he says, comes from hard work which he embraces. “I’m the first among all the staff to reach school and the last one to leave.”
Early days
However, a career in education was not what this educator imagined at the onset.
He was part of the janitorial staff at Adamjee Textile Mills in Karachi in 1983. It was the same year as his SSC exams which he sat for in a school in his native village Khadokhel in Buner district and successfully passed. Soaring through this milestone, Sherinzada says, he was encouraged to study further. And so he enrolled as a private candidate and obtained a masters’ degrees in Urdu and Pashto over the next few years.
In 1984 he was appointed as a junior clerk at Government Degree College Swabi and in 1988 he passed a specialist exam in Urdu and was appointed as a teacher for the subject in Government High School Totalai, Buner.
There was no stopping Sherinzada after that point.
Eventually he joined Government High School Khadokhel, Buner in 2010. Later, on the basis of his performance he was appointed to the post of principal in Government Higher Secondary School Ghazikot.
It was his impressive portfolio as an educator that led MPA Babar Saleem to transfer him to Government High School Swabi as the institute was in need of someone to steer it towards academic success. Alternative to private education
He told The Express Tribune that people have negative opinions when it comes to government schools. “People are reluctant to let their children study in these schools because a large number of teachers there are not well-qualified”. Sherinzada added, “These schools can improve if heads work hard and motivate others to do the same and create a better image of their schools.”
Sherinzada has also written 20 books in Pashto and Urdu and has received many awards. He says it makes him proud when he sees his students appointed at high posts. Published in The Express Tribune, March 18[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
CHITRAL: Minister for Irrigation Mahmood Khan unveiled a two megawatt micro hydropower project (MHP) that will benefit some 13,000 houses in Chitral.
A large number of locals gathered for the launch of the Birmugh Golain Hydro Project which is supposed to be completed in nine months. It was initiated by Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) under the EU PEACE Project. Speaking on the occasion, Khan said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf understood issues faced by the public and was working towards eradicating them in a sensible manner.
He said the EU plays a tremendous role in helping K-P tackle problems such as the energy crisis. Khan announced several irrigation schemes for Chitral district which would enable cultivation on 22,000 acres of land. “PTI is ready to fill the gaps left by previous governments,” he said. “The administration has tracked the progress of all institutions which will work solely for the benefit of locals.”
SRSP CEO Masoodul Mulk said the programme was not a power producing entity, but was helping local communities work collectively to improve their own lives. “The MHP will be a social enterprise and its earnings will be spent on the welfare of local communities,” he said. He also thanked the provincial and federal government for supporting such initiatives.
On the occasion, MPA Saleem Khan claimed Chitral could produce enough electricity to power the whole country through its plentiful water resources. “Luckily, these water resources will be exploited and residents of the MHP’s target areas will get electricity 24 hours a day,” he said.
Chitral Power Committee President Hayatullah said the 2MW project will power around 13,000 households. He added it was the largest megaproject undertaken by an NGO in Chitral. “We have long struggled for electricity in Chitral and knocked on every door,” he said. “At a cost of Rs263 million, the project will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology and its turbine will be imported from China. Published in The Express Tribune, March 18[SUP]th[/SUP], 2015.
PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government claimed to achieve a breakthrough in bilateral negotiations over the uncapping of net hydel profit (NHP) proceeds with the federal government. According to a handout issued by the K-P Directorate of Information on Friday, the province will now receive an annual share of Rs16 to 17 billion for the NHP. The amount had remained frozen at Rs6 billion since 1991, giving rise to a long-standing debate over an unequal distribution of rightful wealth amongst provinces. The K-P government was receiving 37 paisas per unit of electricity produced on its home soil under the age-old formula. During the previous provincial and federal governments, an agreement was struck to increase the per-unit rate to Rs1, however, it never saw the light of day in their tenures. Friday’s handout stated a draft agreement will be jointly chalked out by the provincial and federal governments shortly. Two perpetually occuring demands—the payment of NHP arrears from 2005-06 to 2011-12 and the mark-up payable over the principal amount of Rs110 billion as part of the Arbitration Award—are said to be incorporated in the new mechanism. Talks on top The decision to broker a deal is said to have been taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif in Islamabad on March 16. The ministry’s federal secretary and joint secretary, federal ministry of finance representatives, Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) officials, special secretary finance Muhammad Faheem, legal advisor Shumail Butt and Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation CEO Umar Akbar were among the attendees. Wapda’s reluctance in rubber-stamping recommendations of the technical sub-committee had been one of the chief reasons behind the prolonged nature of the dispute. The information directorate stated Asif’s categorical stance over the spirit of federalism led the authority to give in. “He agreed to the demands of K-P and considered them as reasonable and genuine,” the handout read. A new dawn? The non-payment of hydel profits has been long cited by K-P’s rulers as one of the reasons for the lack of funds in the province’s kitty and thin disbursement for development projects. The agreement is being considered as a critical breakthrough and that it will help K-P overcome its budgetary deficit, forward its agenda for rapid socio-economic development and prepare a friendlier economic policy for the terror-hit province. The notification stated Chief Minister Pervez Khattak held a series of meetings with federal bigwigs in the past. Deadlock between the two governments had compelled the K-P treasury to adopt a more fervent policy as Minister for Finance Muzaffar Said had earlier announced intent to boycott the National Finance Commission meeting over the non-payment of the NHP. While talking to The Express Tribune, Said confirmed the development and said both the governments have “agreed in principle” over the payment of the national wealth generated from hydel power projects. “We are confident that the decision will be implemented in letter and spirit,” he added, without disclosing further details. Published in The Express Tribune, March 21[SUP]st[/SUP], 2015.
PESHAWAR: Knowing that they have a fair shot at getting the job is half the battle won for teaching candidates in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). According to a new policy introduced by the provincial government earlier last year, the primary and secondary education department in the province has started hiring teachers through the National Testing Service (NTS).
The new recruitment system is an attempt to create a uniform standard for candidates who belong to different educational backgrounds and make merit and transparency the basis of the recruitment process. The test assesses candidates based on their knowledge of mathematics, English, science and current affairs. So far, nearly 5,115 teachers have been recruited in K-P through the NTS, including primary and secondary school teachers, physical education instructors, theology and Arabic teachers along with qaris (Islamic studies teachers).
“What sets [this test] apart is that no unfair means are [used] in the examination hall,” says a newly recruited teacher. “Hence, not everyone can pass and most of the people are apprehensive about it.” Most teaching candidates are also happy about the equal opportunity provided to everyone.
“I was never ever called for even an interview [when I applied the last time] despite the fact that I was highly qualified,” says Fazal Karim, who holds a master’s degree from Peshawar University and was hired as primary school teacher (PST) four months ago through the NTS system.
Previously, to qualify for a PST job, the candidate had to complete his or her matriculation degree, which was later revised to intermediate in 2012. Additionally, they had to complete the Primary Teaching Certificate (PTC)—a one-year teaching course, offered by various government and private colleges that familiarizes candidates with the academic syllabus, child psychology and teaching skills.
The earlier recruitment mechanism left ample room for manipulation and allowed those with political clout to place candidates of their own choice against advertised posts. Teacher recruitment and service rules were amended in 2012 with an aim to recruit those who are successful in the NTS, in addition to holding professional teacher education degrees (PTC, CT, ADE, BEd etc).
According to Peshawar District Education Officer Sharif Gul, the new system of recruitment has addressed the issue of interference from politicians and eliminated the chance of under-qualified candidates entering the system. A teacher who spoke to The Express Tribunecorroborates this claim. “I am very happy because once you have a permanent job you can easily climb up the ladder now whereas in the past, if you were well-connected politically you could get a government job regardless of how unqualified you are.”
Malik Khalid, the president of the All Primary Teachers Association, also appreciated this initiative by the government of K-P and added it had automatically raised the bar for teachers. He urged the government, however, to release the teachers’ salaries that have been pending for the past four months. He also urged the provincial government to transfer them from a contract to a permanent basis as soon as possible.
However, not everyone is satisfied with the changes in the recruitment process. “Even if you appear for the NTS, you still have to hold a professional teacher education qualification such as the PTC, Certificate in Teaching (CT), Associate Degree in Education (ADE), BEd degree, which in my opinion is not necessary,” says another teacher. “Most of the people who clear the test are graduates from Peshawar University and hence, [the requirement] to take the PTC, CT, ADE, MEd courses becomes quite unnecessary,” he says, adding that if a person is well-educated, she or he can easily be trained in teaching skills in a few months.
Once the teaching candidates clear the test and acquire a professional teacher education qualification, they are hired on a contract which is renewed every year and changed to a permanent basis after an average of two to four years. Each teacher is hired in one of the following three categories: a) primary school teachers which is a BPS-12 position and earns Rs7,000 to Rs22,000 per month; b) Pre-senior primary school teachers which is a BPS-14 position and is paid anywhere between Rs8,000 to Rs26,300 per month; or c) Primary school head teachers, a BPS-15 position, is paid a monthly salary ranging between Rs8,500 and Rs29,500. The government employees receive an annual increment according to rank or grade, respectively. For example, a grade 12 employee gets a Rs500 raise annually whereas a grade 16 officer receives a Rs800 incremental change in his or her compensation package. This increment is in addition to the annual salary raise announced by the government in each budget.
In order to tackle the issue of teacher shortages in far-flung areas of the districts, a new procedure of union council/school-based recruitment has also been introduced for primary school teachers for the first time. Gul explains that according to the new rule, a primary school teacher recruited for a school in his or her local or nearest union council would not be posted anywhere else during their service in order to overcome the shortage of teachers in rural areas. “They have to apply for a post in a particular school and the top scoring candidate will be given the job and will serve the rest of their career in the same school,” he says. “There will be no posting or transfer.” Published in The Express Tribune, March 21[SUP]st[/SUP], 2015.
PESHAWAR: A five-day-long regional food festival kicked off on the lawns of Pearl Continental (PC) Hotel on Friday night.
Traditional cuisines from across the country were on display at different stalls which attracted a large number of visitors as live music played at the venue.
Among the diverse array of dishes were specials from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa such as Kabuli pulao, chapli kabab and other barbeque items. Sindh was represented by its haleem andbiryani, while sajji and dum pukht flew the flag for Balochistan. Some of the main attractions from Punjab were lassi and kata-kat.
Organisers said the purpose of the event was to present culture, tradition and music to the people of the city and show the rest of the world that K-P is peaceful, vibrant and culturally diverse.
As they enjoyed their meals, foodies listened to musicians playing the rubab, sitaar and other instruments live. “More such events should be organised as they can breathe life into the city which has been affected by disturbances for more than a decade,” said Dr Fatima, a visitor attending the food festival with her family.
She said the event showcased the traditions of art and music to the public on the spacious lawns of the hotel. “To add to the fun, the different local cuisines were delightful,” Dr Fatima added.
“The surge of militancy and unrest shaped certain perceptions about the city and its people,” said PC General Manager Sheharyar Mirza.
He added the great response from the city’s residents showed that locals were enthusiastic about food, culture and traditions and wanted these things preserved. Published in The Express Tribune, March 22[SUP]nd[/SUP], 2015.
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police claimed on Friday that the recently-formed dispute resolution councils (DRCs) had settled 509 petty disputes out of court during the last one month throughout the province and referred 48 cases to other relevant forums for legal action.
A police spokesman said that the credit went to Inspector General of Police Nasir Khan Durrani who formed DRCs with the aim to facilitate citizens and help resolve their minor cases out of court so that they could avoid spending money on prolonged litigations.
Initially, the DRCs were established in the limits of cantonment circle, Peshawar, in 2014 so as to bring positive change in thana culture and ensure prompt settlement of petty disputes among the people.
Owing to its success and the increasing trust of public on this system of dispute resolution a need was felt for replicating it in other areas of the province. Later, such councils were established all over the province and a large number of people are approaching these councils for resolution of their petty disputes. The basic purpose of establishment of this dispute resolution mechanism is to provide prompt and free of cost justice to people.
The spokesman said that DRCs were responsible for amicable resolution of disputes, fact-finding inquiries and acting as jury in the conduct of contested investigation. He said that 557 cases were received by these councils throughout the province in February in which 509 cases were amicably resolved and 48 referred to other relevant forms for legal action. Police spokesman says 557 cases received across KP in February
The present government, he claimed, had expressed full satisfaction over the role and performance of these councils and directed for establishment of such councils in all parts of the province, particularly rural areas, to ensure free and quick dispensation of justice to the people on their doorsteps.
Meanwhile, police also claimed to have rounded up 603 suspects on Thursday and Friday and recovered arms and ammunitions during the ongoing search and strike operation being conducted under the National Action Plan in parts of the province.
The police spokesman said that during the operation 558 houses and 55 hotels were checked and five cases registered against the violators. The snap checking, he said, was also continued and many of the suspects were picked from the checking points. Besides, 73 Afghan nationals were arrested and cases registered against them under 14 Foreign Act. Published in Dawn March 21st , 2015
PESHAWAR: With the aim to improve the education sector by making information and communications technology (ICT) available in government schools, the provincial government has decided to provide tablet PCs to schoolteachers and principals.
According to documents of the elementary and secondary education department available with The Express Tribune, tablet computers will be given to over 2,500 teachers selected from higher secondary schools (HSS) in all districts of the province. The handheld computers will contain educational content from various sources approved by the education department.
Initially, more than 2,527 of these computers will be distributed; seven per school–six for teachers and one for the school principal.
Commenting on the matter, the additional secretary of the K-P Elementary and Secondary Education department, Qaiser Alam Khan, said a tender has already been advertised for the project and it will be implemented soon.
Khan said teachers do not have access to advanced teaching resources which is one of the many challenges the education sector is facing in K-P. “With the introduction of ICT in schools, it will be possible for teachers to learn modern methods of teaching and access relevant digital and multimedia content to enhance their teaching resources,” he said.
The tablets will help teachers improve their computer skills and use what they have learnt in the classroom for the benefit of students.
Tablet math
According to the education department documents, there are 361 higher secondary schools in the province, of which 241 are for boys and 120 for girls. From these schools, over 2,500 teachers will be selected to get the tablet computers.
From Abbottabad, 147 teachers will be given the devices, from Bannu 133 teachers, from Chitral 28 teachers, from Charsadda 133 and from DI Khan 217. Similarly, 203 teachers in Lower Dir will be selected for the project, 77 in Karak, 112 in Kohat, 28 teachers in Kohistan, 224 in Mansehra and 203 in Mardan.
The documents further state that 42 teachers from Malakand will be given tablets, 112 from Nowshera, 210 from Peshawar, 126 from Swat, 105 from Swabi, 112 from Buner and 112 from Haripur.
Around 70 teachers from Lakki Marwat will be included in the project, seven teachers from Tank, seven teachers from Battagram, 56 from Upper Dir, 14 teachers from Hangu and 49 from Shangla.
The scheme is not applicable in Torghar district as there are no higher secondary schools there. Published in The Express Tribune, March 23[SUP]rd[/SUP], 2015.
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department is fast moving to implement the Health Reforms Law as posts of the chief executive (CE) and medical superintendent (MS) have been abolished in the four teaching hospitals of the province to improve patient care.
In the first phase, the CEs and medical superintendents in the four teaching hospitals are being replaced by the hospital and medical directors, respectively. Sources told Dawn that the Search and Nomination Council, formed by the government for implementation of the Health Reforms Act 2015, is appointing the hospital and medical directors for an interim period of six months at the Khyber Teaching Hospital, Lady Reading Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar and Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad. 10-member BoG at each hospital to have seven members from private sector
The medical superintendents, who are government employees of administrative cadre in BPS-20, will be posted somewhere else, whereas the CEs, who are employees of the respective hospitals and appointed on temporary basis, would revert to their original posts. The hospitals are also hiring the services of nursing and finance directors. The four directors are being hired from the existing staff till the appointment of permanent people on these posts.
The new model, a brainchild of an US-based Pakistani doctor, aims to grant complete administrative and financial autonomy to the hospitals with each having a 10-member board of governors (BoG) to be in place within two months. Three BoG members will come from the government side and seven from private sector, which will run the respective hospitals.
To make the BoG powerful, there will be no voting right to the official members regarding decision-making about the hospitals. The sources said that the health department had also drafted rules to put into practice the new law which would be sent soon to the government for approval. Following implementation of the law, the hospitals will continue to receive grant-in-aid from the government as usual but the revenue which they generated and used to deposit with the government would now be retained by them to be utilised for making the patient care effective.
The legislation also seeks to jack up salaries of staff in line with the market rates in the private institutions with a view to providing them a competitive environment.
As opposed to the previous mechanism when CE of the respective hospital used to be chairman of the management committee, BoG will select its chairman from private sector who will play a lead role in making the new system work, according to the sources. The law resembles with recommendations made by a three-member committee comprising experts from the US, UK and Germany in 2006 after evaluating functioning of the four hospitals. However, successive governments hesitated to implement the recommendations and give complete autonomy to the hospitals as they didn’t want to lose their influence.
The new system leaves no room for the government to intervene, they said. It is in line with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf agenda to strengthen health care network in the province. Several meetings have taken place with PTI chairman Imran Khan in this regard. The sources say that the hospitals will see marked improvement as they will operate round-the-clock unlike the past when they would be closed after 2:00pm and received only the critically ill and injured people. As opposed to the institution-based practice (IBP) launched by the military-led government in 2000 where doctors were forced to comply, it has now been made voluntary. Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2015
He Said" k me tmhen Dekh longa, The police man said " Me tabedaar hun, jo karna hai karlena"
Meri Wardi sari zndgi ki hai Or tmhri seat srf kuch Saal ki (clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)
