Tag: KP

  • Asad Umar defends Tarin’s alleged audio leak, Miftah asks Tarin to quit politics

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Asad Umar along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Finance Minister Taimur Jhagra held a press conference following the alleged audio leak between former federal minister Shaukat Tarin and provincial finance ministers.

    Earlier in the day, an audio was leaked in which Tarin allegedly asked Punjab Finance Minister Mohsin Leghari and KP Finance Minister Taimur Jhagra to write letters withdrawing from the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) deal.

    Umar said Tarin had asked both provincial finance ministers to request the federal government to renegotiate the IMF agreement due to the recent floods and the devastation caused both in KP and Punjab.

    “Can anyone say this isn’t good advice?”

    Umar accused the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) of acting against the state’s interest and international commitments by voting and speaking out against legislation related to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and IMF agreement during PTI’s tenure.

    He said that Tarin, as a former finance minister, had every right to “give advice” to Jhagra and Leghari. “There is nothing wrong in Tarin speaking to Jhagra and Leghari on the phone and giving advice.”

    “If Jhagra felt that there was something wrong in it, then he would not have brought himself before the nation,” he added.

    Taking a jibe at the government, Umar posed a question: “Tell me if you are asking money from foreign governments, then why can’t you ask the IMF to give us space this year to use our money for flood-related expenses?”

    ‘Bring Khan to power but not at the cost of Pakistan’: Miftah Ismail

    Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said that Shaukat Tarin should leave politics and “Asad Umar and Taimur Jhagra should be ashamed of themselves”.

    “Imran Khan should ask the nation for forgiveness. Taimur Jhagra should resign and Shaukat Tarin should quit politics. Is this why you do politics?”

    He termed the PTI’s move the “most shameful thing”, saying that the real faces of PTI leaders have now been exposed.

    Referring to the IMF Executive Board meeting, which is set for today (August 29), Miftah said that by the will of God, the country will hear good news tonight after the IMF approves the pending tranche.

    Miftah Ismail also asked PTI supporters to question party Chairman Khan about whether the letter Jhagra wrote was in the state’s interest. “Do support Imran but tell him he is not bigger than Pakistan. Bring him to power but not at the cost of Pakistan.”

    “When they are writing letters against Pakistan’s interest, it is your responsibility to say no. Consider Pakistan’s interest to be sacred. If Pakistan’s interest is not sacred to a person, he is not fit to govern the country.”

  • KP to open govt buildings for flood victims: CM Mahmood Khan

    Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Mahmood Khan has announced to open all the government buildings for the flood victims.

    According to Provincial Minister for Higher Education Kamran Khan Bangash, colleges, libraries and all higher education offices located in the flood-affected areas have been opened for the flood affectees.

    CM Khan will also pay a visit to flood-hit areas of Swat and Lower Dir today, a tweet from PTI’s official handle said.

    He will assess the damage caused by the floods and overview the relief efforts underway.

    The province witnessed another day of deaths on Saturday as three casualties have been reported today. The authorities in Nowshera renewed their call for evacuations amid a “very high flood” in the Kabul River.

    In KP, many hotels are also offering their services to accommodate displaced people.

    According to the latest statistics, nearly 1,000 people, including 300 children, have lost their lives because of floods. The devastating crisis has also impacted nearly 33 million people – almost 15 per cent of the country’s population.

    The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) tweeted that damages to optical fibre cables and power outages have been reported in some areas of KP.

    “PTA is monitoring the situation closely. Work is underway to fully restore services,” it said.

    More than 100 districts across four provinces have been hit by the floods. Balochistan’s capital Quetta isolated from the rest of the country as many highways and bridges have been swept away. Telephone and internet services were also disrupted in several parts of Balochistan due to damage caused by torrential rains.

    PM Shehbaz visits Sindh today

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif visited Faqirani Jat, Oplano, and other flood-affected areas of district Sajawal in Sindh province today (Saturday) to review the situation. Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah also accompanied the PM.

    COAS to visit flood-hit areas of Balochistan and Sindh today

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa will visit flood-hit areas of Balochistan and Sindh today. The army chief will get the latest update on the ground and meet the troops busy in rescue and relief efforts.

  • ‘I am 60 years old, not one PM visited us’: KP flood victim breaks down meeting PM Shehbaz

    ‘I am 60 years old, not one PM visited us’: KP flood victim breaks down meeting PM Shehbaz

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif visited the flood-affected areas of district Tank in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) today (August 4).

    The prime minister took a round of the shelter camps housing the flood-affected people where he interacted with the flood affectees.

    A 60-year-old man told PM Shehbaz how thankful and grateful he was to see him in their hours of distress.

    Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who accompanied the PM during his visit, translated what the man said.

    “I am 60 years old. In my entire life, I haven’t seen any prime minister visiting us. You are the first Prime Minister who has come to share our grief. We are very grateful to you.”

    Read more: PM Shehbaz visits flood-hit Balochistan, orders immediate compensation

    Earlier this week, PM Shehbaz Sharif reached Quetta on a day-long visit on Monday, August 1, to oversee the relief operations in the flood-affected areas of Balochistan and ordered immediate compensation to the flood affectees.

  • ECP verdict: Govt decides to place Imran and other PTI leaders on no-fly list

    ECP verdict: Govt decides to place Imran and other PTI leaders on no-fly list

    After the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) verdict was announced yesterday in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) foreign funding case, the coalition government has reportedly decided to put the names of PTI Chairman Imran Khan and other PTI leaders on the no-fly list to prevent them from leaving the country. The government has also decided to move the Supreme Court (SC) to hear the reference it is going to file in the wake of the ECP verdict.

    The government will put the names of former premier Imran Khan, ex-governors of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh and former chairman of the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) Zulqarnain Ali Khan on the no-fly list, reports The Express Tribune.

    The government will also request Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial to constitute a full court to hear the case, which is yet to be filed, reports Geo News.

    All the government allies were unanimously on board for taking strict legal action in light of the ECP’s verdict.

    PTI to move IHC

    “The PTI will file two different petitions — one contempt of court petition against ECP for violating the Supreme Court and high court’s decisions for not giving verdict against PPP and PML-N together with PTI, whereas the second petition would be filed against the ECP’s decision for having too many loopholes in the verdict,” announced Asad Umar yesterday.

    “People trust Imran Khan and that’s why they sent their money to him when he started the fundraising events. If you block political donations, the only other way is that of powerful people,” he added.

    Just after the decision was announced, PTI leader Fa­­wad Chaudhry said that most of the money was donated by overseas Pakistanis.

    He said that he could not understand why the PML-N, JUI-F and PPP declared overseas Pakistanis as an “enemy”.

    “We consider overseas Pakistanis to be the backbone of Pakistan’s economy and will continue to rely on them for our funding,” said Fawad. About the certificates that were submitted to the ECP by Khan, Fawad said that these certificates were made by the auditors and Khan had just signed them so the responsibility cannot be put on Imran.

    The former premier had personally issued certificates to the ECP in regards to Article 13(2) of the PPO to the effect that PTI “does not receive funds from prohibited sources”, meaning thereby that the PTI is not a foreign-aided political party.

    On Tuesday, the ECP said that PTI received ‘prohibited funds’ from 34 foreign nationals. The PTI was issued a show-cause notice after the unanimous verdict by a three-member bench of the ECP headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja.

  • KP CM announces Rs200 million relief package for flood-hit areas

    KP CM announces Rs200 million relief package for flood-hit areas

    Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Mahmood Khan, announced that Rs200 million would be provided for the relief and rehabilitation of the district’s union councils that had been flooded.

    He made this announcement while visiting the flood-affected areas of district Tank, accompanied by Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Ali Amin Gandapur, KP Minister for Relief Iqbal Wazir, Commissioner Dera Amir Affaq, Deputy Commissioner Tank Hameed Ullah Khattak, and secretaries and top officials of the province’s different departments.

    The Chief Minister announced an additional Rs500,000 for the grieving families who lost loved ones in the flood and promised to use all available resources to restore normalcy to the flood-affected areas. He stated that the sum was in addition to the previously announced Rs300,000.

    Additionally, he announced that each fully damaged home would receive Rs400,000 in compensation, while partially damaged homes would receive Rs160,000.

    According to the chief minister, the KP government prioritises the development of southern districts, and the first budget approved by his administration only included $300 million for a tank. Afterward, it approved Rs150 million, and as of late, Rs500 million.

    In relation to the southern districts’ issues with access to clean drinking water, he claimed that the government was taking proactive steps. According to him, as part of these efforts, the Gomal Zam Dam would guarantee the availability of clean drinking water in Tank city within a year.

  • Women journalists from KP bag international awards

    Women journalists from KP bag international awards

    Five women journalists from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have won the grand jury and first runner-up prizes at the Women’s Empowerment and Religious Freedom Film Competition in Washington DC, USA.

    For her movie, “She Stood Against Religious Extremism”, Peshawar-based journalist Zeenat Khan won the main jury prize at the festival, with a $3,000 cash reward.

    Khalida Niaz won the first runner-up prize, and won a cash prize of $1,500 for her movie “Peace Promoters”.

    Talking to The Current, Khalida said, “Peace Promoters is a network established by two Muslim sisters who belong to Pesahwar. They have 200 members, which include Hindus, Muslims, Christians and people from other religions too. They go to places of worship of different religions to promote peace and religious harmony. They also try finding commonalities in different religions.”

    Khalid further said that although she has got the second position, this award is very precious to her as it made her feel rewarded for her nine-year long struggle in journalism.

    “This award is an example that women journalists can do reporting on every subject,” she said. “I believe this award will inspire other women of my area to do what they want.”

    “The area from where I come from is really backward. Women were not even allowed to study here for a long time, but things are gradually changing.”

    “When women of our area see someone getting recognition for their work, it gives them hope for their future.”

    “I want to dedicate this award to every woman, women who are working in different fields or women who are sitting at their homes but want to do something in their lives.”

  • Counter-Terrorism Department warns of assassination threat against Imran Khan

    Counter-Terrorism Department warns of assassination threat against Imran Khan

    The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD)’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) wing has issued a warning that terrorists are planning the assassination of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, reports Daily Jang.

    According to the publication, terrorists have given the responsibility to an Afghan assassin to target Khan. However, the assassin handed over the responsibility to others.

    Several PTI leaders have expressed concerns about the threat to Khan’s life.

    Former Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry tweeted in April that a plot to assassinate Khan was reported by security agencies. Therefore, Khan’s security was also increased.

    PTI leader Faisal Vawda had also said that a conspiracy was being hatched to assassinate the then-premier over his refusal to “sell the country”.

    Vawda made these claims on ARY News show “Off the Record” in response to a question about a letter that Khan brandished at the PTI’s March 27 power show in Islamabad and claimed it contained “evidence” of a “foreign conspiracy” to topple his government.

    He also said that the then prime minister was told multiple times that bulletproof glass needed to be installed before his dais at the March 27 rally. “But as always and as usual, he said my [death] will come when Allah wills. Don’t worry about it,” Vawda quoted Khan as saying.

  • Pakistan Railways announces two ‘Eid special trains’

    Pakistan Railways announces two ‘Eid special trains’

    Pakistan Railways announced on Monday that it will run two Eid special trains from Karachi to Peshawar and Lahore on April 29 and April 30, respectively, for commuter convenience during Eid-ul-Fitr.

    One special train would depart from Karachi to Lahore and the other from Karachi to Peshawar, according to railway authorities at the Karachi Division’s Divisional Superintendent office.

    First Train – Karachi to Peshawar

    According to them, the first train will depart Karachi for Peshawar at 2:30 pm. on April 29, 2022. The train will pass through Karachi Cantt, Landhi Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Rohri Khanpur Bahawalpur, Multan, Khanewal, Shorkot Cantt, Toba Tek Singh, Gojra, Faisalabad, Chiniot, Chenab Nagar, Shaheenabad, Sargodha, Mandi Bahauddin, Lala Musa, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Taxila and finally reach Peshawar at 11:00 pm

    The train will include 14 economy class carriages. A total of 1,000 passengers will be able to board this train.

    Second Train – Karachi to Lahore

    The second special train would depart Karachi Cantt at 7:45 pm on April 30, 2022, for Lahore.

    It would travel through Landhi, Hyderabad, Nawab Shah, Rohri, Sadiqabad, Rahim Yar Khan Khanpur, Bahawalpur, Multan Cantt, Khanewal, Mian Channu Chichawatni, and other cities before arriving in Lahore at 03:30 the next day.

  • Construction work for Swat Motorway Phase-II to begin next week

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan will lay the foundation stone for Swat Motorway Phase-II in the next week.

    The CM instructed that development on the Dir Motorway project’s PC 1 for land acquisition be quickened so that practical work on the project can proceed.

    He was presiding over a meeting of the Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority to discuss the status of various road projects, including the Swat Motorway Phase II and the Dir Motorway.

    The meeting was informed on the status of Swat Motorway Phase II, which will be 88 km long and will be built at a cost of Rs58 billion and will run from Chakdara to Fatehpur. It was also revealed that a contractor deal for the project’s construction had been inked.

    It was revealed that Rs6.7 billion had been allocated for the project’s land acquisition. In addition, section four was implemented for the purchase of land.

    Project Plan

    Swat motorway will have four lanes at first and will be expanded to six lanes later. Chakdara Interchange, Shamozai Interchange, Barikot Interchange, Mingora Interchange, Kanju Interchange, Malam Jabba-University of Swat Interchange, Sher Palam Interchange, Matta Khawazakhela Interchange, and Madin-Fatehpur Interchange would be among the nine interchanges.

    On the Swat River, a total of eight bridges will be built. The project also includes the construction of four rest spots in various places, as well as the construction of connection highways if required.

    PHA officials briefed the meeting on Dir Motorway that an Expression of Interest for a 30 km long Dir Motorway from Chakdara to Rabat had been floated. Three interchanges, four flyovers, 24 bridges, two underpasses, and two tunnels will be part of this road project.

    These developments, according to the Chief Minister, would help boost tourism, trade, and economic operations, making them a “milestone” for the long-term growth of the Malakand division. These initiatives will also provide employment chances for locals in addition to improving transportation facilities.

  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet approves Rs2.5 billion subsidy under Ramzan package

    The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) cabinet on March 29 okayed a subsidy package of Rs2.5 billion for the upcoming holy month of Ramzan, to ensure an uninterrupted supply of edible items at lesser rates.

    KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan presided over the meeting, which was attended by ministers, chief minister’s advisers, and administrative secretaries.

    Following the meeting, government spokesman Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif revealed that 2,800 points had been set up around the KP to sell 20kg bags of wheat flour for Rs800 instead of the customary Rs1100 during Ramzan, while 10kg bags would be sold for Rs400.

    During Ramzan, the cabinet also decided to set up 83 sasta bazaars, 123 Ramazan facilitation centers, 42 mobile utility stores, and 96 Ramzan dastarkhwans.

    All of these points will be supervised by monitoring units led by respective secretaries and deputy commissioners to prevent price hikes and shortages of vital commodities on the market.