Tag: Mardan

  • One police officer martyred, three injured in intelligence-based operation in Mardan

    One police officer martyred, three injured in intelligence-based operation in Mardan

    A senior police officer was martyred and three others injured in an intelligence-based operation against terrorists on Tuesday in the Mardan area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

    Superintendent of Police (SP) Ijaz Khan embraced martyrdom while a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) was injured in the operation.

    The counter-terrorism department (CTD) confirmed in its statement that two terrorists got killed in the exchange of firing in Katlang Tehsil, Mardan. A most wanted militant, Mohsin Kadir, was also killed in the intelligence-based operation.

    The injured police officers were shifted to the hospital right after the incident.

    Following the incident, the funeral prayers of SP Ijaz were performed and attended by District Police Officer (DPO) Najeeb and other police officials.

  • Bilawal Bhutto labels “traditional politics” country’s worst enemy

    Bilawal Bhutto labels “traditional politics” country’s worst enemy

    As political parties gear up for election activities, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the Chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), expressed concerns about the continuation of traditional politics, labeling it the country’s worst enemy. He emphasized the importance of embracing “new politics,” as reported by Geo News on Friday.

    Speaking at a workers’ convention in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mardan, Bilawal said: “We need to [embark] on a new political [direction and strategy] which will allow us to overcome the issues faced by the country.”

    He added: “Veteran politicians neither think about the present nor the future [as] they are still stuck in the past. We want to leave behind the politics of division, hate and abuse which [as part of] the traditional politics has been going on for the [past] 70 years.”
    While talking about contemporary politics and its advantages, Bilawal Bhutto said, “We have to become the voice of the ‘new politics’ […] We think about the present and future and not what’s in the past.”

    Earlier in the week, while talking at a worker’s convention in Abbottabad, the PPP chairman said that “new political leadership” is needed if the country is to progress.

  • Mardan the model city, free of load-shedding

    Mardan the model city, free of load-shedding

    The crackdown on electricity theft that started more than a month ago has yielded great results. Almost Rs26 billion have been recovered and in the next 12 months, this amount is expected to reach a total of Rs300 billion, officials have stated. 

    In an attempt to incentivise the public for their cooperation, Mardan has been declared a model city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Talking at a ceremony, Secretary Power Sector, Rashid Langrial, categorically stated that the ones who will pay the bill will get electricity. He further announced that 17 feeders of the city have become free of load shedding because it has managed to evade all kinds of electricity theft in a matter of time.  

    He goes on to elaborate that the thievery cannot be carried out without the involvement of the employees of power-sector, therefore, many of them have been arrested. He encouraged people to lodge a complaint about any such incident. 

    He warned other Government departments about clearing their remaining electricity dues which will otherwise be deducted  from their budget in the coming year.

  • SNGPL cracks down on gas theft, imposing Rs3 crore in fines

    SNGPL cracks down on gas theft, imposing Rs3 crore in fines

    In an ongoing endeavour to combat gas theft, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has successfully identified and addressed 55 instances of unauthorised gas connections, resulting in the imposition of fines amounting to Rs30 million.  

    According to APP, these concerted efforts have been executed across various regions of Pakistan. 

    According to a company spokesperson, within the city of Lahore, the local SNGPL team has taken decisive action by discontinuing 15 gas connections due to unlawful gas consumption, in addition to two connections linked to the unauthorised use of compressors.  

    Furthermore, 47 cases of underbilling have been meticulously scrutinised, leading to the initiation of a First Information Report (FIR) against the offenders. 

    In Bahawalpur, the SNGPL team has demonstrated their commitment by disconnecting seven connections attributed to compressor usage and 16 connections associated with unauthorised gas consumption.  

    Additionally, 17 cases of underbilling have been diligently processed. The company has levied a fine of Rs40,000 on those engaged in pilfering gas. 

    In Multan, 11 connections have been severed due to illegal gas consumption, while nine have been disconnected for compressor usage. Six instances of underbilling have undergone rigorous examination, resulting in the imposition of appropriate fines. 

    In Sheikhupura, one connection has been disconnected due to compressor usage, and a comprehensive review of 63 underbilling cases has been undertaken.  

    In both Peshawar and Karak, 44 gas connections have been terminated owing to direct gas consumption and the presence of illicit connections. Additionally, two FIRs have been filed against those involved in gas theft. 

    In Rawalpindi, six gas connections have been discontinued due to direct and unauthorised gas consumption, with one connection linked to the use of compressors. 

  • Mysterious closure: Kia Lucky Motors Pakistan closes four showrooms despite rising sales

    Mysterious closure: Kia Lucky Motors Pakistan closes four showrooms despite rising sales

    Lucky Motor Corporation Limited (LMC) shocked the automotive industry in Pakistan with a surprise announcement on Monday. In a press release issued on the same day, LMC revealed its decision to close four of its dealerships in the country, effective immediately.

    The affected dealerships include Kia Motors Hanna Lake in Quetta, Kia Motors Chenab in Gujrat, Kia Motors Avenue in Dera Ghazi Khan, and Kia Motors Gateway in Mardan. While the announcement was unexpected, LMC emphasized its commitment to transparency and customer-centric practices by informing all its customers promptly.

    Curiously, the press release did not provide a specific reason for the abrupt decision. It comes as a puzzling move for LMC, considering the company’s positive performance in 2023. In contrast to its competitors experiencing declining sales, LMC saw a significant boost in sales during the same period.

    According to Mettis Global, Kia Sportage, one of the company’s popular models, saw a notable 4 per cent increase in total sales Month-over-Month (MoM). Furthermore, LMC managed to sell impressive numbers of other models, with 163 Picantos, 53 Stonics, and 72 Sorentos sold in February 2023 alone.

    The closure of these dealerships raises questions among industry experts and customers alike, as the company’s sales figures seemed to indicate a flourishing business. However, without a clear explanation from LMC, speculation continues to circulate regarding the true motives behind this unexpected decision.

  • 41 men appointed on seats reserved for lady health workers in Mardan

    41 men appointed on seats reserved for lady health workers in Mardan

    41 male candidates were appointed to seats reserved for women at the District Health Office (DHO) in Mardan, 24 News has reported.

    The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finance department found that salaries of 41 people were being withdrawn by male staff of the DHO under the code of lady health workers (LHWs).

    The finance department stopped paying the bogus appointees’ salaries after realising the deception.

    200 new employees were hired by the health department in 2022, according to papers, filling all open positions. However, oddly, the DHO appointed 41 men in positions reserved for women.

    These male appointees received pay for nine months in accordance with the code for female health employees.

  • ‘Prepare to die’: KP minister Atif Khan gets extortion letter from TTP

    ‘Prepare to die’: KP minister Atif Khan gets extortion letter from TTP

    The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) has allegedly sent a letter to Minister for Science and Technology, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Atif Khan, demanding he pay Rs.8 million within three days or prepare to get killed.

    “You know who we are and what we want. We know you very closely and have all your data and records because you are on TTP Mardan’s wanted list and your turn has come,” the letter reads, as shared by Dawn.

    “Thus, you will have to either fulfill our demand to exit this list, or you will lose your life. Our demand is for Rs.8 million. We want an answer within three days,” the threatening letter stated.

    “The way ransom [letters] come normally … some people have received them,” Khan said, confirming that he had received the letter while talking to media on Wednesday.

    The minister said he had shared the letter with all security agencies and now the onus for taking action was on them.

    Later, the outlawed group rejected the reports that it had sent the letter to the minister, saying that it was “fake”.

    The incident comes amid renewed concerns about increasing militancy and TTP’s resurgence in the country’s northern areas.

  • Fact Check: Imran Khan falsely claims that PTI worker from Malakand was killed during Azadi March

    Fact Check: Imran Khan falsely claims that PTI worker from Malakand was killed during Azadi March

    Claim: A PTI activist from Mardan was killed last week as a result of Punjab police’s acts of brutality

    Fact: The banner showed images of Muhammad Zada Agra who was killed by drug smugglers in 2021

    During the PTI Workers’ Convention in Charsadda, Imran Khan raised a banner to tribute the two PTI workers which he alleged in this tweet were killed during last week’s processions. This tweet has 1,135 total Twitter interactions and was shared to 829,798 social media users on Twitter.

    He named these workers to be Faisal Abbas Chaudhry from Lahore and Syed Ahmed Jan from Mardan in his tweet and claimed that they both died as a result of police violence.

    During his speech, not only did he say the name of the second activist from Mardan was Syed Ali Shah, but the banner which he raised, showed an image which showed Muhammad Zada Agra, a journalist and social activist who was murdered in Sakhakot, his home city in Malakand, for Agra’s reporting and advocacy against local drug cartels, in 2021.

    Screenshot of the CPJ report on Muhammad Zada Agra’s killing in 2021

    Although Agra was a PTI supporter and a former district president of the Insaf Students Federation, the student wing of PTI, he was not murdered by the police or on the dictation of Rana Sanaullah, as Khan claims in his address.

    In fact, this Committee to Protect Journalists’ report explains that the Deputy Commissioner Malakand district police announced that the two men who killed Agra were confirmed to be associated with local drug smugglers after their arrest.

    Verdict: MISLEADING

  • Girl shoots man for harassing her

    Girl shoots man for harassing her

    A 20-year-old man was injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Mardan district after a teenage girl opened fire at him for allegedly harassing her, ARY News reported.

    According to the police,  the incident occurred in Katlang tehsil of Mardan district wherein a teenage girl opened fire on a youth, Abbas, who was harassing her for several days.

    The police have registered a case on a complaint of the girl’s brother.

    According to the FIR, the 16-year-old girl, whose identity is unknown, shooting the harasser in the chest and injured him.

    Police shifted the accused to a nearby hospital while further investigation is underway.

  • Bride in Mardan asks for Rs 100,000 worth of books as ‘Haq Mehr’

    Bride in Mardan asks for Rs 100,000 worth of books as ‘Haq Mehr’

    A bride in Mardan has asked her husband to give her Rs 100,000 worth of books as Haq Mehr.

    According to details, Naila Shamal Safi is a writer and says that she wanted books to highlight their importance in our daily lives. Naila is a resident of Tangi area of ​​North Safi Charsadda while her husband Dr Sajjad Jwandun is a resident of Bhai Khan area of ​​Mardan. Dr Jwandun has completed his Ph.D in Pashto while Naila is currently pursuing her Ph.D.

    https://twitter.com/syedazmatjmc/status/1371132721687322626?s=20

    Haq Mehr is the obligatory gift or dower given to the wife by the husband at the time of nikkah.

    Talking to BBC Urdu, Dr Sajjad said that he was happy to hear about his fiancee’s demand and hopes that this step will pave the way to end the practice of asking a big amount in Haq Mahr.

    “In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, boys are often asked for Rs 10 to 20 lacs in Haq Mehr, while different demands are made for dowry,” said Dr Sajjad, adding: “People criticise when the first step is taken against the norm but our work is appreciated by all so far and I think the world has come a long way so we must move forward.”

    Naila said that she is now in a relationship with not only her husband but also with the books.

    “I have a lot of books in my bedroom and other rooms in my house. We have put some books in the cupboards but many are still in cartons. I will set those up after my wedding rituals,” she shared.