Tag: Khyber Pakhtun­khwa

  • 30 people land in hospital after drinking poor-quality lassi in KP

    30 people land in hospital after drinking poor-quality lassi in KP

    At least 30 people got seriously sick after drinking substandard lassi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

    According to reports, the sick – most of who are women and children – have been admitted to Civil Hospital. The incident took place in Takht Nusrati Kujay region of Ganderi Khattak.

    Medical Supervisor of civil hospital Khyber Pakhtunkhwa told that 20 of the sick patients have been brought in to the medical facility.

    Earlier a fast-food chain in the locality of I I Chundrigarh road was sealed by Sindh Food and Health authorities in Karachi after three children who ate from the outlet died.

    Food authorities took samples of the food at the fast-food restaurant and after laboratory tests, the food’s quality will be determined.

  • KP’s Sikh community deliver ration packs to pandemic-hit families

    Members of the Sikh community in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have been distributing ration bags among families affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

    Speaking to Arab News, a Sikh pharmacist from Peshawar, Dr Jatinder Singh said, “We try not to publicise this since we only seek our reward from God and want to protect the identity and dignity of all beneficiaries.”

    Singh said many Sikh business owners have donated big-heartedly to distribute the ration packs among 400 families.

    “This is a community-driven welfare service which is a great source of satisfaction for us,” he added.

    Before the emergence of COVID-19, Singh and his community also helped to arrange collective Iftar dinners for Muslims during Ramazan. Now, Muslim philanthropists have also started participating in the Sikh community’s ration initiative.

    “We distribute ration packs among deserving families regardless of their caste and creed,” Singh said. “We hope that this endeavor will somewhat mitigate the negative economic impact on people’s lives caused by the pandemic.”

  • Bodybuilders protest against govt, demand reopening of gyms

    Bodybuilders protest against govt, demand reopening of gyms

    Bodybuilders in Peshawar protested against government and demanded the reopening of gyms. Holding placards in their hands, they raised slogans against the government.

    While talking to a reporter, the president of KPK bodybuilder association said that we want the government to allow us to open gyms because this will help people build and strengthen their immune system. They also demanded the authorities give a relief package as “our gyms and clubs are closed since the lockdown was announced three months ago and our rents are due”.

  • Fakhar-e-Bannu: Mardan appoints first female AC in 50 years

    Fakhar-e-Bannu: Mardan appoints first female AC in 50 years

    Hailing from KP’s Bannu district and stationed in Mardan Gul Bano is serving the people the best way she can. Gul Bano is the first female Assistant Commissioner in the 50-year history of Mardan Tehsil.

    Gul Bano was called ‘Fakhar-e-Bannu (Pride of Bannu)’ soon after she passed her Competitive Superior Services (CSS) exams. In an interview with Independent Urdu, Bano said, “After clearing my CSS exams, I was worried about what the villagers would think. But now they are proud of me and after seeing my photos on social media, they call me ‘Fakhr-e-Bannu’.”

    https://twitter.com/theSahira_/status/1176935618296909824?s=20

    Gul Bano’s success has paved a way for other girls in her area. Gul Bano completed her early education from City Model School, Peshawar. Then she did her intermediate from Jinnah College for Women. She then went to Peshawar University from where she obtained an MBA degree.

    Speaking to the media outlet, Gul Bano said that she developed an interest in Civil Services after her brother passed the exam.

    Her husband Dr Zahidullah was also appointed as a district police officer (DPO) in Mardan, the same district where Gul Bano is serving as assistant commissioner for the past eight months.

  • Cops in KP to be called ‘Sheru’, which is also the name of PM Imran’s dog

    Cops in KP to be called ‘Sheru’, which is also the name of PM Imran’s dog

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Bahramand Tangi has objected to the provincial authorities’ decision to not call personnel of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police by informal names, highlighting that one of the names approved for the cops is that of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s pet dog.

    According to media reports and a written order issued by KP Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Headquarters, a copy of which is available with The Current, no informal names such as “mama ji”, “khan ji” and “pehlwana” will be used for the police, which “undermine the sacrifices rendered by the force”.

    Instead, the personnel will only be addressed by their own names or by approved nicknames that are “jawaan“, “sheru” and “sahib“.

    With the order making headlines, it drew a strong reaction from the PPP leader who said that “Sheru [tiger]” was the name of one of PM Imran’s dogs.

    “This is unethical,” he said in a statement, adding that the personnel of KP police weren’t employees of Bani Gala.

    IMRAN & HIS SHERU:

    The premier has had a total of five pet dogs, all of which have been a focus of interest in several media reports.

    In 2011, former military ruler General (r) Pervez Musharraf gifted a puppy to Imran before the former’s self-imposed exile. The puppy was born at Musharraf’s farmhouse, and according to the premier’s former wife Reham Khan, his name was Sheru, who was an Alsatian.

    In September 2014, Imran in a television talk show revealed that Sheru had died three months earlier. However, in April 2018, reports and social media rumours emerged that he had removed Sheru from his Bani Gala residence on the advice of his third and current wife Bushra Bibi.

    According to local media, a new quarter was then built for the dog outside the main residence building, as his wife was not comfortable with pet animals inside the house.

    However, the premier, during a press conference had later denied the media reports, saying that Sheru died three to four years ago.

  • Rare striped hyena rescued in DI Khan

    Rare striped hyena rescued in DI Khan

    WARNING: This article may contain graphic images which may be distressing for some people

    The DI Khan police have rescued an endangered striped hyena, which was captured by some locals to take part in a dog fight, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa MPA Faisal Amin Khan has shared. The hyena, which has been identified as a female, has been sent to Peshawar for treatment before it can be released back into the wild.

    Khan also shared that hyena was being cared for and that Chief Conservator Wildlife KP is “personally taking care” of the injured animal.

    Read more – Cher thanks Pakistani govt for freeing lonely elephant Kaavan

    According to Deputy Commissioner DI Khan’s official Twitter account, the hyena was caught by some tribal locals and their hunting dogs.

    From the limited details available, it can be understood that the animal had been captured by the locals to take part in a dog fight.

    The matter of the captive hyena had come to light after a Twitter account dedicated to saving Pakistan’s wildlife “from the threats of hunting, loss of habitat and pesticides” raised alarm and shared videos of people capturing the hyena. Sharing the location of the incident, they had urged the authorities to take swift action and rescue the animal.

    https://twitter.com/wildpakistan/status/1266341857895878656?s=20

    Meanwhile, conservationist Javed Mahar shared some characteristics of the rare animal, called lagar bagar in the local language, and said that they are mostly found in Sindh along the Kirthar National Park.

  • VIDEO: LSE professor allegedly humiliates student for facing technical issues

    The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many things around the globe including the education system. Students from around the globe and Pakistan have been taking online classes ever since the pandemic started.

    Recently, a video of the Lahore School of Economics’ (LSE) Dean, Dr Sohail Zafar has gone viral on social media for allegedly berating a student who is from Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, for not buying a laptop and facing technical issues during the lockdown.

    The student, who had returned home after the university cancelled ‘face to face’ classes, demanded the cancellation of online classes because the software for online exams would not work properly on his laptop.

    In response to his complaint, the Dean can be heard saying: “You are a non-serious student, who does not pay attention to his studies.”

    He asked the student to buy a new laptop for Rs 40,000 and if he cannot afford it, he should simply rent a laptop.

    Since the video went viral,  #BoycottLSE started trending on social media.

    https://twitter.com/pepesweat/status/1263162556220309506?s=20

    Meanwhile, the student involved in the incident, later made another video to clarify the incident and defend his professor. He said that whoever made the video had cropped it and the conversation between him and the professor was a friendly one that they had after the class was finished.

  • Man booked for selling Bonelli’s eagle online

    Man booked for selling Bonelli’s eagle online

    A man was arrested for selling a Bonelli’s Eagle on Facebook in Abbottabad on Tuesday.

    The man, identified as Fawad Sadeeq Sheikh, had posted pictures of the precious bird on his Facebook account after which the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forest Department arrested him by conducitng a raid.

    As per reports, the eagle has been detained by the department while a fine of Rs40,000 was imposed on the man.

    According to the department, an officer disguised himself as a customer and contacted Sheikh who was selling the bird for Rs25,000. The officer called him for a meeting and arrested him.

    A case has been registered under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife and Biodiversity (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Act, 2015.

  • At least 1,300,000 people in KP to lose jobs in 45 days?

    At least 1.3 million people could lose their jobs if a 45-day lockdown is put in place, a report prepared by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s Planning and Development Department revealed on Sunday.

    The report warns at least 460,000 people working as daily wagers and street vendors are set to lose their employment with “immediate effect”.

    The report, released on Sunday, highlighted the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the province’s economy.

    Estimating layoffs caused due to the lockdown in place to stop the spread of the pandemic, the report noted that “daily wage workers, paid worker by piece rate or work performed, paid non-family apprentice and street vendors” were highly vulnerable to the economic impact of coronavirus.

    The report also predicted that the growth of KP’s economy would drop from 3.73 per cent in 2019 to 2.9pc this year, while the gross domestic product (GDP) would go down from Rs13,35,942 million to Rs13,16,160m.

    The report also predicted that overall, some 1.3 million jobs could be lost during a 45-day lockdown. The highest losses would be seen in the transportation and storage sectors with a predicted loss of some 359,393 jobs while construction, manufacturing and wholesale sectors would also be highly affected with job losses of some 295,594, 258,664 and 216,252 respectively.

    The number of jobs lost could increase even more if the lockdown was extended, the report warned, estimating that some 2.7m jobs would be lost if the lockdown was extended to a six-month period while some 4.2m jobs would be lost if the lockdown remained in place for a year.

    However, the report observed that there would be “minimal impact” on the province’s agricultural sector.

    REPORT LAYS DOWN MECHANISM TO MITIGATE IMPACT:

    The report titled Coping Strategy: Mitigating Adverse Impact of COVID-19 on the Economy and Job Market in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also laid out the provincial government’s mechanism to deal with the impact.

    According to the report, some 1.5 million families in the province will benefit from the federal government’s Ehsaas Cash Disbursement Programme through which they would get Rs12,000 every month.

    The report voiced apprehension that the COVID-19 pandemic would also “render vulnerable” those people who do not fall under the federal government’s cash distribution programme criteria.

    The government would therefore form a committee at the Village Council level that would identify vulnerable families who would receive Rs6,000 from the government.

    Certain sectors would also be exempted from tax payments, the report said. Construction, wholesale, retail and transport sectors would be eligible to benefit from these tax exemptions.

    The government would also adopt a moratorium on loan payments for three months to “allow business higher liquidity to the most affected small and medium enterprises” while “mark-up due for the quarter ending 31 March would have to be paid by 15 June instead of 15 April”.

    The government would also pay advance salaries to officers from grade 1 to 17 to “sustain demand” if needed.

    The government would also consider deferral of payment of utility bills for three months to help support small businesses and shopkeepers, the report further added.

  • ‘We cannot afford this anymore’: Traders in Sindh, KP, Balochistan to reopen businesses from today

    Traders across the country have said that they would resume operations from today (April 15), however, the business community in Punjab has urged the government to permit activities for a limited time.

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, in his address to the nation on Tuesday, extended the lockdown till April 30, saying that some industries such as construction would be allowed to operate from Wednesday.

    The business community in Karachi said that they would resume operations from April 15 and that the traders would follow preventive measures. “We cannot afford the imposed restrictions anymore,” said a representative of Karachi’s trader community while addressing a press conference.

    “The businessmen have paid their employees a month’s salary but we will be unable to do so if the lockdown extends,” he said, adding that they would hand over the keys to their shops to the officials at the Chief Minister (CM) House and protest outside the provincial chief executive’s office if they are kept from resuming business activities.

    Voicing the traders in Sindh, Balochistan’s business community said that they would also resume operations from April 15. They said that the traders could no longer bear the lockdown restrictions, adding that activities would be conducted and precautionary measures would be followed. “The provincial government has been informed regarding the decision to resume operations.”

    Furthermore, the traders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) said that they could not afford the lockdown further and that they would open shops from April 15 as well.

    United Business Group President Ilyas Bilour said that small scale traders were forced into starvation due to the lockdown, and lamented that labourers were severely affected due to the closure of business centres.