Tag: Peshawar

  • KP govt allots Rs50 million to restore Kapoor Haveli, other historical buildings

    KP govt allots Rs50 million to restore Kapoor Haveli, other historical buildings

    The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has allotted Rs 50 million for the renovation and restoration of 15 historical sites in the province including the Kapoor Haveli and Dilip Kumar’s house located in Peshawar’s historical Qissa Khwani Bazaar.

    According to a report in The Express Tribune, the ancestral homes of Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar are among the 15 historical sites recently identified for restoration by the KP government. It is pertinent to mention here that while Kumar’s residence was declared protected heritage by the Directorate of Archaeology and Tourism in 2013 and later a protected monument, under the Antiquity Act 1997, the Kapoor Haveli was reported to have been converted into a museum in 2012. Despite the special status awarded to the buildings, little to no attention was paid to them and the former residences of the Bollywood stars currently stand in dilapidated conditions. Officials have often cited a lack of resources and funds and legalities surrounding buildings’ ownership as the reason behind their dismal condition.

    But as per the latest details, the archaeology department of the province has forwarded a recommendation to Chief Minister Mahmood Khan under which the provincial government will buy the two buildings and restore them.

    “The buildings’ ownership had been a long-standing hurdle in the way of their restoration. Certain individuals had claimed their right over the historic properties and there had also been attempted demolitions in the past. But now that the Directorate of Archaeology and Tourism has decided to buy the building and start the long overdue renovation work, the buildings are also expected to open their doors to tourists in the near future,” an official of the archaeology department told the publication, adding that the buildings hold great historic value.

    Kapoor Haveli located in Dhakki Munawwar Shah locality is the birthplace of Raj Kapoor, who is considered to be the greatest showman of the subcontinent cinema.

    Directorate of Archaeology Director Dr Abdul Samad also shared that restoration work at Peshawar’s ancient Mahabat Khan Mosque is already underway.

    Meanwhile, the Awami National Party (ANP) on Friday urged the KP government to acquire and preserve the historic Kapoor Haveli.

    In a statement, the party’s provincial spokesperson Samar Haroon Bilour said that the archaeology department was not taking any action to preserve the Kapoor Haveli, adding that the provincial government had been claiming that it had allocated funds for its preservation. Bilour said these claims were incorrect as the building was still private property and funds cannot be allocated for private property. She also offered assistance to the KP government in the conservation of this heritage site.

    Earlier in 2018, Rishi Kapoor had requested the Government of Pakistan to preserve his ancestral home and convert it into a museum.

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi, at that time, had said, “There was a call from Rishi Kapoor. He requested that his family’s home in Peshawar should be made into a museum or some sort of institution. We have accepted his request.”

    Read more – Rishi Kapoor’s unfulfilled wish: a visit to Pakistan

    Similarly, Shehryar Afridi, who was serving as the Interior Minister at that time had shared that the actor had called him personally with his request.

    “He had called me and talked about making his ancestral home into a museum. Now the federal and provincial governments are working on this and will transform the house into a museum soon,” Afridi had stated.

    Rishi had last visited Pakistan with Shashi Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor in 1990. They had travelled to Peshawar to see their family’s house and also took some soil from the house to keep their heritage intact. In 2017, Rishi had expressed his desire to visit Pakistan again before he dies but his wish remained unfulfilled as he passed away in April 2020.

  • Eight school teachers in Peshawar test positive for coronavirus

    Eight school teachers in Peshawar test positive for coronavirus

    Eight teachers of Government Higher Secondary School Rashkai in Peshawar have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

    According to the Elementary and Secondary Education Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the infected teachers have been sent to their homes on 15 days leave.

    Meanwhile, academic activities are ongoing under strict precautionary measures.

    Earlier on Tuesday, an educational institute in Islamabad had been sealed after coronavirus cases were reported there.

  • Motorway Incident: Protests for justice in your city

    Motorway Incident: Protests for justice in your city

    On Tuesday night, two robbers reportedly gang-raped a mother of two on the Motorway within Gujjarpura police’s jurisdiction. The incident has sparked outrage among the citizens, with people criticising the authorities and the police officials for not doing their job properly and “protecting us”. Countrywide protests are being organised to express solidarity with the victim and demand justice for her.

    Lahore

    #MotorwayIncident: A Protest for Justice

    Date: 12th September, 2020 (Saturday)

    Time: 05:00 PM

    Venue: Liberty Round About

    Peace Protest For Motorway Rape And Transgender Murders

    Date: 13th September, 2020 (Sunday)

    Time: 04:00 PM

    Venue: Liberty Round About

    Also Read; VIDEO: Police blame mother-of-three survivor for gang-rape, say ‘she should have taken GT Road’

    Islamabad

    Protest against patriarchal brutalities

    Date: 12th September, 2020

    Time: 04:00 PM

    Venue: Islamabad Press Club

    Karachi

    Mera Jism Meri Marzi – Protest Against Patriarchal Violence

    Date: 12th September 2020

    Time: 04:00 PM

    Venue: Karachi Press Club

  • Two brothers from Peshawar make Pakistan’s ‘first’ ultralight helicopter

    Two brothers from Peshawar make Pakistan’s ‘first’ ultralight helicopter

    Two brothers from Peshawar, Qazi Sajjad Ahmed and Qazi Tufail Ahmed have built Pakistan’s ‘first’ ultralight helicopter.

    The two brothers, who belong to Landhi Arbab, a village on the outskirts of the provincial capital, have demonstrated its capability through a successful lift-off.

    Talking to a private news outlet, Qazi Sajjad Ahmed said, “I had watched a James Bond film in 1978, which inspired me to design an ultralight aircraft.” 

    “In 2005, I had submitted a request to the [then] prime minister for financial assistance for accomplishing the feat, which was forwarded to the Pakistan Army. I received a letter from the ministry of defense production and was subsequently interviewed by a major.”

    Sajjad told that the helicopter has been built at a cost of over Rs 1.5 million and can fly up to 6,000 feet. 

    He further said that it can also be used for aerial spraying. While the government acquired special aircraft from Turkey to spray pesticides on locust-infested areas, his helicopter can do so at a cheaper cost.

    The aircraft has been registered with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCCA). Tufail, who is a professional pilot, has requested for government support to bring further improvements to their aircraft.

  • Tigress gives birth to two cubs at Peshawar Zoo

    An African-origin tigress at Peshawar Zoo has given birth to two healthy cubs on Monday.

    As per reports, the zoo administration said the gender of the cubs could not be determined for 15 days but both the cubs are healthy.

    The management of the zoo is providing extra care to the cubs.

    Meanwhile, citizens also rushed to the zoo to see the newborn cubs.

    Earlier this year, a lioness had given birth to twin cubs at Verhari Zoo. District Wildlife Officer (DWO) Mian Munir Ahmed had confirmed that the lioness had given birth to twin healthy cubs after 12 years.

    With the addition of the newborn twin cubs, Vehari Zoo became the first Zoo of South Punjab to house seven lions.

  • Elderly blasphemy accused shot dead in court

    Elderly blasphemy accused shot dead in court

    An elderly man was killed during the hearing of a blasphemy case against him at the Peshawar Judicial Complex on Wednesday.

    A case had been registered against the deceased under blasphemy laws. The accused was brought to court from Peshawar Central Jail.

    Tahir Ahmed Naseem, 47, a resident of Pishtakhara, appeared before the court of Judge Shaukatullah when a man barged in and opened fire on him.

    He was a US citizen and the US State Department’s Twitter account for South Asia tweeted about the incident.

    “During the hearing of the case, the complainant said that the accused was an Ahmadi and asked him to recite the Kalima-e-Tayyaba,” according to a lawyer who was present in the courtroom at the time of the incident. He added that the complainant then fired at the elderly man and killed him.

    The 24-year-old shooter, Khalid, was arrested by the police on the spot. He is said to be a resident of Board Bazaar.

    The judicial complex is situated in a high-security zone on the main Khyber Road in the cantonment area where the provincial assembly building, the Peshawar High Court, chief minister’s secretariat and Governor House are also situated. Security at the main gate and inside the judicial complex is also high.

    Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Mohammad Ali Gandapur and SSP (Operations) Mansoor Aman visited the courtroom where the man was killed.

    “At the moment we have little information but we have started investigation into the killing,” the CCPO said. Aman added that the weapon has also been recovered.

    Police shifted the body of the deceased to the Khyber Medical University for post-mortem.

    They said a first information report (FIR) had been registered against the deceased in 2018.

    According to the FIR, the complainant alleged that the deceased belong to the Ahmadi community and “befriended him on Facebook” and in subsequent conversations, claimed that he was the “fourteenth Mujaddid”.

    “He then invited me to have a discussion with him at a mall in the city where he started talking about his belief,” the complainant said in the FIR, going on to make more allegations.

    The deceased was charged under Section 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups), Section 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), Section 295-B (defiling etc. of the Holy Quran), Section 295-C (use of derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad PBUH) and Section 298 (uttering words etc., with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

  • Peshawar High Court allows woman to change her sex

    Peshawar High Court allows woman to change her sex

    The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday granted a young woman permission to undergo sex reassignment surgery (SRS) to become a man and directed the administration of Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) to facilitate her.

    According to a report in Dawn, the order was issued by a division bench, which heard a petition filed by the woman requesting the court to allow her the surgery. The case was discussed in detail in light of the Constitution, transgender rights act and other medico-legal aspects.

    The petitioner’s lawyer Saifullah Muhib Kakakhel argued that it is the woman’s constitutional right to opt for any surgery or procedure to change her sex as per her desire. He added that Section 2 of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018 also gives permission to his client to have her gender changed.

    According to Kakakhel, the petitioner was diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a condition that involves a conflict between a person’s internal gender identity and the biological sex assigned to them at birth and that it can be treated through SRS. He told the court that his client felt and acted like a man since childhood, even though she looked like a woman because of which she suffered great mental stress.

    After examining the case in detail, the bench granted the petitioner the permission and ordered the HMC to facilitate her and present a report on the matter within three months. The report is to detail the sexual status of the petitioner and whether it is possible for her to undergo sex reassignment surgery as well as the risks involved; the medico-legal aspects of the case and how the hospital can facilitate the petitioner.

    Read more – Peshawar’s Sunheri Masjid allows women to offer prayers after two decades

    This is not the first time courts in Pakistan are hearing such a case. In 2015, a resident of Kohat successfully transitioned from female to male after undergoing surgery at a local hospital and later got engaged to a childhood friend. In the same year, two sisters in Chakwal had a sex change after doctors declared them male following a physical examination.

  • 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”.

  • VIDEO: Peshawar doctor celebrates 71-year-old coronavirus patient’s birthday

    VIDEO: Peshawar doctor celebrates 71-year-old coronavirus patient’s birthday

    A doctor working at the coronavirus ward brought a cake to celebrate the birthday of a 71-year-old patient to fulfill his wish as he is away from his family.

    A video, doing rounds on social media, shows a patient in Abbottabad Medical Complex, clapping and cutting his birthday cake with the health professional standing by his side.

    Finance and Health Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Taimur Jhagra also shared the video with a caption: “Something to make everyone smile.”

    Doctors and other healthcare professionals have been praised across Pakistan and all over the world for the sacrifice and commitment they have shown by treating the virus patients while putting their lives at risk.

    Pakistan has reported 108,317 cases of COVID-19 so far.

  • Cash reward for catching stray dogs in Peshawar

    Cash reward for catching stray dogs in Peshawar

    To control the increase in the population of stray dogs in Peshawar, the Peshawar Livestock Department has decided to neuter the animals instead of culling them and is offering a cash reward of Rs 200 to anyone who brings in a stray dog to the department.

    Read more – Heartwarming video shows Punjab cop feeding stray dogs

    According to a report in The Express Tribune, the decision was taken after residents of the provincial capital complained about an increase in the population of stray dogs in the city. According to a survey by the Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP), there are approximately 7,500 to 10,000 stray dogs in the Peshawar district alone.

    KP Livestock Department Director Dr Syed Masoom Ali Shah, while discussing the matter said: “We have to change the mindset of killing stray dogs, which is a common practice.” He added that the population of stray dogs can be controlled by neutering them.

    Dr Masoom revealed that a special centre, which can operate up to 100 dogs in a day, has been set up for this purpose.

    He shared that the dogs will be neutered and sterilised by conducting an operation and will then be released back onto the streets. Before releasing the dog, a collar with reflectors will be fixed around its neck and a tattoo would be printed on its ear as a mark that the dog has been operated upon.

    “The project is first ever in Pakistan and will not only serve in maintaining public health through containing rabies but would also stop the cruel practice of culling of stray dogs through shooting and poisoning,” Dr Masoom said.

    Read more – Rare striped hyena rescued in DI Khan

    Dr Masoom further remarked that “the objective of the cash reward is to involve those who have lost livelihoods due to the coronavirus lockdown in an activity that aims at ensuring better public health and safety.”

    However, the doctor advised people to be careful while catching a dog as it can bite them. He said a stray dog can easily be coaxed by offering it some food, patting on the head and then tying it with a rope.

    While stray dogs are a “nuisance” to the public across the country, the recommendation to cull them had sparked outrage across the country with activists and animal lovers demanding the government to adopt more humane measures to control their population.