Tag: Khyber Pakhtun­khwa

  • ‘We are not rulers and should not act as rulers,’ says PTI’s Noor Alam

    ‘We are not rulers and should not act as rulers,’ says PTI’s Noor Alam

    The government on Tuesday faced an embarrassing situation in the National Assembly when it received harsh criticism from its own members on the issue of load-shedding in various parts of the country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP ) province where the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has been ruling for six years, as reported by Dawn.

    Four members of the PTI from KP invited the attention of the Minister of Energy Hammad Azhar to the “shortage of transformers and other electrical equipment resulting in load-shedding in KP, causing grave concern among the public”.

    The notice had been moved by Junaid Akbar Khan from Malakand, Imran Khattak from Nowshera, Sher Akbar Khan from Buner, and Gul Zafar Khan from Bajaur.

    The movers talked about load-shedding in their respective constituencies. Noor Alam Khan, PTI’s MNA from Peshawar, blasted the government not only on the issue of load-shedding but also price hike.

    The Opposition members kept on thumping desks throughout Khan’s speech, making Hammad Azhar angry. The minister, while responding to Noor Alam, alleged that he had delivered the speech for the galleries.

    Noor Alam said the minister did not have the correct information as the officials of his ministry and power companies provided him wrong information. He said on the one hand the government was charging Rs34 per unit from the people and on the other hand, people were not getting electricity.

    Khan said load-shedding and price hike were the two major issues being faced by the people. He said the MNA’s could not go to their constituents as they “abused” the MNA’s when they had no electricity.

    Khan said load-shedding and price hike were the two major issues being faced by the people. He said that parliamentarians could not go to their constituents as people “abused” them due to no electricity.

    “We are here to serve the people of Pakistan. We are not rulers and should not act as rulers,” he said.

    He added there was load-shedding of 22 to 24 hours in some areas.

    In response to Khan’s speech, Azhar blamed the previous two governments for the present situation in the country. He said the PTI government was not responsible for the wrongdoings of the previous regimes.

  • Swabi woman undergoes surgery to become ‘Umer Qureshi’

    Swabi woman undergoes surgery to become ‘Umer Qureshi’

    A woman hailing from the Swabi district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa became a man after successful surgery on Friday.

    Talking to The Express Tribune, the woman’s brother Inamul Hassan said that his sister is an EDO education at Razzar Tehsil in Swabi. She earlier had two surgeries in Haripur district as well.

    The unmarried woman is in her 40s and lives with her parents in a village, Yar-e-Hussain.

    “A final decision about her sex would be announced after full recovery from procedures,” stated Inam.

    Photo via The Express Tribune

    Expressing his joy for having another brother in the family, Inam said he has six sisters and two brothers but now would have an elder brother as Umer Qureshi, referring to his sister with her new name.

    Read more – Pakistani passport fourth weakest in world; only stronger than Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan

    A senior official in the district education office said that it will be the decision of the provincial education ministry to let her continue on the position of EDO or change it as she is not a “woman” anymore.

    She needs a medical certificate from relevant doctors after going through such procedure as it is a legal requirement in such cases, the official explained.

    “I cannot comment on her future assignments as it’s purely provincial ministry’s domain and what rights would she enjoy at her office… all I can say is that she would need to produce medical certificates,” he added.

    “The gender changing procedures conducted abroad are considered legal, but here due to legal restrictions and religious reason, we hide our patients from the public while the family also keeps quiet,” a doctor, who wished not to be named, told The Express Tribune.

    He explained that the process required two surgeries, one for changing the gender and the other for dominating the sex they were given by the nature, adding such patients have symptoms of both genders but procedures can be different from being simple to complex depending on the body structure of the patient.

    “After the procedures, we always issue the patients certificate for changing their names and genders in legal documents. If they are serving in public offices then they need to make changes in the respected department as well,” he added.

    He further said that the people should not hesitate for such procedures if they have such symptoms.

    “Don’t be shy about what you really are. Such procedures are mostly conducted in Thailand or other countries, but it needs legal coverage in Pakistan to avoid legal restrictions.”

    He revealed that he usually performs 20 to 30 such procedures a year but people refuse to receive their certificates and try to hide the changes.

  • Leopard on the loose sparks fear in Abbottabad

    Residents of Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are panicking after a leopard strayed into the town.

    As per reports, a leopard is on the loose in the area a week after a big cat was killed in the city’s Khushi Kote Palak Union Council.

    The leopard entered Bakote town creating panic and fear among locals who said the animal also attacked the livestock of the area.

    The locals have also requested to the wildlife department to capture the leopard as soon as possible.

    Earlier the residents of Malkot village next to  Ayubia town captured and killed a leopard that attacked their valley. Three persons were charged under Wildlife Act 2015 for allegedly killing the leopard.

  • Police arrest two suspects for selling fake COVID-19 vaccine in KP

    Police arrest two suspects for selling fake COVID-19 vaccine in KP

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Wednesday claimed to have detained two suspects for selling fake COVID-19 vaccine in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

    As per reports, FIA’s Deputy Director Abdur Rehman, during the hearing of a case relating to COVID-19 vaccine price at Peshawar High Court, said that they have recovered a huge quantity of fake medicines and coronavirus vaccine from their possession.

    Rehman told the court that the investigation agency also traced a factory manufacturing fake COVID-19 vaccine and other medicines used for the deadly disease in Lahore. The deputy director added that relevant authorities had already left for Lahore to seal the facilities.

    Meanwhile, last year in March, the police had arrested an alleged doctor selling a COVID-19 vaccine. According to details, police carried out a raid at a fake clinic where the doctor claimed to have COVID-19 vaccine. The police arrested him and shifted to an unknown place for an investigation into the matter.

    According to SSP South, the man arrested was a dentist by profession and was identified as Dr Dedar.

    “He is booked under various sections of Pakistan Penal Code for fooling people,” the officer had said.

  • Gomal University fines students for listening to music

    Dera Ismail Khan’s Gomal University has fined two students for listening to music on university premises.

    According to reports, the university has imposed a fine of Rs 5000 on the students of the Institute of Computing and Information Technology ( ICIT ) department for listening to the music in the department “while classes were in session.”

    Chairman of the ICIT Department Zia Ud Din said the two students had been playing music on a Bluetooth speaker in a teaching area of the university.  

    He said that “[their action] disturbed the classes ongoing in the department at the time”.

    As per details, one of the students was enrolled in a Master’s programme at the university while the other was enrolled in the undergraduate programme.

    “Music that disturbs the educational environment” is banned in the university, said Gomal University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Iftikhar Ahmed, clarifying that the administration does not have any issues if someone is listening to music without disturbing others.

    He also said that the administration has only banned smoking, drugs and political activity in the varsity.

    Earlier, a university in Lahore expelled two students for publicly expressing their love on university premises.

  • Is Punjab Chief Minister Buzdar going home?

    Is Punjab Chief Minister Buzdar going home?

    Prime Minister Imran Khan dropped a hint at bringing major administrative changes in Punjab, a private media outlet reported. According to reports, the premier on Tuesday expressed reservations over the state of affairs in Punjab during an important meeting that was attended by senior party leaders. Reports said that before the meeting, PM Imran had an important discussion with Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar.

    The meeting also discussed the election of chairman and deputy chairman of the Senate. The premier asked Defence Minister Pervez Khattak to get the support needed for the post of chairman and deputy chairman. The government has decided to take the allies into confidence for the post of Senate deputy chairman, reports claimed and added that the meeting also deliberated on giving the post of deputy chairman to any allied party.

    The performance of the Punjab government was also discussed in detail during the meeting chaired by the premier and attended by federal ministers except Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, senior government members and constitutional experts, as well as CM Buzdar. When contacted, a senior Punjab official told The Current that a major shuffle might soon be held in the province. They hinted at the possible removal of the provincial chief executive as well as the chief secretary.

    While PM’s digital media aide has rubbished these claims, rumour has it that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) CM might also soon be replaced.

    Meanwhile, journalist Muneeb Farooq has also cited sources as saying that the Punjab CM is not going anywhere.

  • Peshawar University makes ‘shalwar kameez’ compulsory for female students

    The University of Peshawar has reinforced a dress code for students, first introduced in 2013.

    As per a notification issued by the university management, women must wear “white shalwar with kameez of their own choice, while men should wear decent/modest clothes.”

    The dress code is being implemented to “lessen the financial burden on the parents” said the university’s spokesperson while talking about the notification.

    Earlier in January, the Hazara University in Mansehra issued a new dress code for students, faculty members and administrative staff. In the notification, female students were advised to wear abaya/scarf/dupatta in neutral colours without any decorative material. The female students were also instructed to wear shalwar kameez with dupatta or chaddar.

  • VIDEO: KP locals make ‘drug dealers’ parade on donkeys

    VIDEO: KP locals make ‘drug dealers’ parade on donkeys

    The citizens of Bar Qambar Khel, an area of the Khyber tribal district, Tirah shaved the heads of the drug dealers and then made them parade on donkeys in a bid to punish them.

    Local residents asked the two accused, identified as Qudrat and Wadan Khan, to appear before the Aman Committee and explain why were they selling ice to local youngsters.

    “The two didn’t appear before the committee, neither confessed to their crime of selling drugs. So they were arrested after repeated warnings,” a local elder told The Express Tribune. He said the heads of drug sellers were shaved and their faces painted black after which they were mounted on donkeys and paraded in the attendance of many people.

    According to residents, the entire incident happened in the presence of police but they did not intervene and remained silent spectators.

    They said that the Bar Qambar Khel Aman Committee many times contacted the local police and asked them to deal with the drug dealers in the area but they did not pay any attention. When the police failed to do their job, the locals were forced to take law into their own hands.

    SHO Javed confirmed the incident and said that the police has started a crackdown against those involved.

    Locals of the area think that one police station is not enough to control a large area bordering Afghanistan.

    “The area is large and the terrain is a difficult one. There is no infrastructure like schools, government offices, or hospitals or enough police stations that could actively patrol and check everything. The writ of government is weak due to lack of administered mechanism,” said a local elder.

  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Rape victims will have to pay Rs25,000 for medical examination?

    Sexual assault victims in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) will have to pay Rs25,000 for medical examination as the forensic department of Khyber Medical College University (KMCU) has proposed new charges for its services, The Express Tribune reported.

    According to reports, besides the medical examination of rape victims fee, an autopsy will now cost Rs5,000 for Peshawar residents and Rs25,000 for those from other districts, keeping dead bodies in the morgue will cost Rs1,500 for a single day while a fee of Rs18,000 has been suggested for DNA testing.

    Officials said the 17 new charges were proposed in a February 14 meeting of the Management Committee, and have been introduced to meet the operational expenditures of the department.

    Among other proposed charges are Rs2,000 for urine test and alcohol analysis, and Rs4,000 for poison detection test.

    KMCU Dean Dr Aurangzeb has said that the new charges for services were just a proposal discussed in the meeting. “The profits generated from these charges will go to the public exchequer, which will help in the betterment of services.”

  • Ex-PTI MPA, who was seen receiving money in leaked video, swore on Quran that he didn’t

    An old but viral video has shown former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) lawmaker Sardar Idrees swearing on the Holy Quran that he didn’t receive any money to sell his Senate vote.

    On Tuesday, a leaked video recorded ahead of the 2018 Senate elections had purportedly shown Idress and a number of other colleagues of his receiving what were reported to be bribes for their votes for the upper house of the parliament.

    “I deny these allegations of receiving Rs4 crores (40 million) and swear that I voted as per the list given to me by the chief minister,” Idrees could be heard as saying in the video of a press conference he reportedly held after his expulsion from the now ruling PTI over said accusations.

    As per the details of the episode, the video first released by ARY News showed lawmakers belonging to the PTI counting bundles of cash and then stashing the same in a bag.

    The video showed how, during the critical period, loyalties were switched by PTI’s 20 KP lawmakers, all of whom were reportedly expelled by the party’s central leadership after an investigation. The money was dished out in Feb-March 2018, it was reported.

    It may be noted that the damning video comes at a time when Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan expresses aims to hold Senate elections through open ballot in 2021 in a bid to eliminate horse-trading. Defending his party’s move to hold the elections through open ballot, the premier had last week spoken of bribes paid to buy loyalties, revealing that he himself had been offered some.

    He had further revealed that 20 members of the KP Assembly belonging to the PTI, likely the ones from the video, were paid Rs50 million each during the last Senate polls to vote in favour of certain candidates.

    On February 6, President Dr Arif Alvi signed Elections (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 that will pave way for the organisation of Senate elections through open ballot.