News ki dunya

Islamabad : The Cardiac Centre at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences received over 120,000 patients suffering from various heart problems in 2018 that is alarming because the number shows well over 25 per cent increase in number of heart patients as compared to patients reported in the previous year, in 2017.Data collected by ‘The News’ on Monday has revealed that a total of 5,200 angiographies were done in one year at the PIMS cardiac centre while a total of 1,600 stents were passed. In one year, a total of 30,000 echocardiography tests were done on patients to monitor functioning of hearts and valves and over 500 Exercise tolerance testing were done to identify signs of coronary artery disease.An estimated 25 per cent increase in number of heart patients recorded in 2018 can be attributed to increase in facilities and awareness among public on various aspects of heart problems, said Head of Cardiac Centre at PIMS Professor Naeem Malik while talking to ‘The News’ on Monday.He said

‘The News’ wishes its readers a very happy New Year. This year has come to an end and it will take away all the pain and mistakes that have been made. Now you have a brand new beginning to look forward to, so make the most of it. There is something exciting about making new resolutions to better our lives and those of others – a will to do better than the year that has gone. There must be something inside of us that needs to forget the past and start anew, hence a ‘New Year’ for a new beginning. The Romans were the first to realise this and January was named after their god, Janus, who is pictured with two heads, one looking forward, the other back, symbolising the old and the new. Today we look on the New Year as a time of hope and change and a time to make plans for the future.As we celebrate, let us wish that peace and prosperity are the hallmarks of the year throughout the world, especially in those countries which have suffered conflicts and disasters - particularly the natural di

Islamabad: A cop of the Islamabad police was gunned down, the other wounded critically when a gang of robbers opened firing on police party Monday, police said.A gang of dacoits entered into a House no. 578, Street, 69, Sector I/8-4, and held the residents at gun point. The gangsters started collecting valuables after getting keys from the house master, police quoting complainant, said.Meanwhile, a family member informed the area police and two bile-riding cops – Waseem and Arif - reached the scene entered into the house. The gangsters retaliated and opened firing at the policemen, consequently, both the cops sustained multiple bullets in different parts of their bodies and both fell down. The police said both the cops were shifted to PIMS hospital but one of them identified as Waseem succumbed to his injuries on his way to hospital while Arif was admitted in critical condition.The gangsters fled way from the scene. The police have taken up the case and started raids to arrest the kill

Islamabad: Two-rain spells forecast by Pakistan Meteorological Department from today (Tuesday) to Sunday with a gap of one day (Thursday) will help subside the dense foggy conditions prevailing in plain areas of Punjab, upper Sindh and Peshawar Division.The met office said a shallow westerly wave has entered the western parts of the country and likely to grip upper parts of the country from Tuesday. This system will produce rain with snowfall over the hills at scattered places in Quetta, Zhob, Kohat, Malakand, Hazara divisions, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir from Tuesday to Wednesday.Light rain is also expected at isolated places in Peshawar, Mardan, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Lahore, Rawalpindi divisions and Islamabad during the said period. The system would be followed by another westerly wave on Friday that will produce more rain with snowfall over hills from Friday to Sunday. Rain with snowfall over the hills is expected at scattered places in Malakand, Hazara Raw

Islamabad : The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) has called upon the government to ensure that the compliant taxpayers were not burdened with new taxes in the forthcoming new mini-budget as putting more tax burden on the regular taxpayers for enhancing tax revenue would prove counterproductive and discourage tax culture in the country.Ahmed Hassan Moughal, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry said that the government was making preparations to announce its second supplementary budget within less than five months after presenting first supplementary budget in September 2018 to increase revenue collection and reduce fiscal deficit, but it should avoid imposing new taxes on the existing taxpayers and should instead focus on broadening the tax net that was the wise approach to improve tax revenue collection.He said that despite tall claims for broadening the tax net, successive governments in Pakistan have not been able to increase the tax base due to

Islamabad : Graduation ceremony of the 45th batch of PAF Finishing School was held here on Monday at the Officers' Mess, PAF Complex.Begum Samina Abbas Khattak was the chief guest at the occasion. Begum Tazeen Mujahid, president, Pakistan Air Force Women Association and patron-in-chief of PAF Finishing School, Islamabad was also present at the occasion. The chief guest awarded certificates to the graduating students.Addressing at the occasion, Begum Samina Abbas Khattak lauded the contributions made by this institution in grooming the womenfolk of our country. She highlighted the significance of education for the women who are responsible of raising the future generations, contributing to nation building and managing domestic affairs.She added that the training programme being imparted at this unique institution helps in progressive mental development of the women of our country. Established in 1996, PAF Finishing School is the first of its kind in Asia, which offers various course

Rawalpindi : Regional Transport Authority (RTA) on Monday warned the transporters to avoid overcharging fares from the commuters else strict action would be taken against the rules violators.Talking to APP, RTA Secretary Khalid Yameen Satti said, stern action would be taken against the transporters found overcharging and overloading the passengers.The staff concerned have been directed to check overcharging and overloading of passengers in public transport.The checking would be carried out randomly at different places, he added.The transporters especially after suspension of gas supply to the CNG stations had started charging exorbitant fares on some routes, he said adding, the checking would be carried out randomly at different places.Action in accordance with the law would be taken against the rules violators and excess fares would be returned to the passengers.To a question, he informed that a meeting was arranged in this regard and the transporters had been directed to display the

Islamabad : The new admissions (Spring 2019) from Metric to PhD level of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) will begin on February 1. During the new admissions, teachers training programmes will also be introduced, a press release on Monday said.As per the policy of the Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zia-Ul-Qayyum, major focus will be laid on the quality education, improving contents development and delivery system.In carrying out the academic programmes, smart use of new technology will be applied intensively.The AIOU primarily focuses on the educational needs of masses by providing quality education at their doorsteps all over the country and by blurring spatial and temporal boundaries. Currently, the university offers unique educational opportunities to a huge proportion of nearly 1.4 million students in a diverse and dynamic range of programmes starting from Matriculation to the PhD level.The University exclusively focuses on enhancing female literacy ratio so that women can perform thei

Islamabad : Under the dynamic leadership of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal, NAB Rawalpindi received 7,841 complaints during 2018 and most of them were disposed off as per law. These numbers of complaints were higher ever in the history of NAB Rawalpindi as compared to last five years.Complaint verification Cell (CVC), NAB Rawalpindi conducted various Complaints Verifications, inquiries and investigations and filed 50 corruption references in the respected Accountability Courts during 2018 and recovered Rs. 218 million from corrupt elements and dispersed among the various government departments and effectees of various housing societies/cooperative societies etc. NAB Rawalpindi arrested 50 accused persons in 2018 which is highest ever number for NAB Rawalpindi in any year.In different cases, NAB Rawalpindi has filed Reference against Yousaf Raza Gillani, ex-prime minister in illegal publicity campaign through M/s Midas Pvt Ltd and attempt to cause

Political tensions are mounting between the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)-led federal government and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) government in Sindh after the Centre has placed the name of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and some ministers on the Exit Control List (ECL) as it has already brought ministerial and administrative work in the province to a halt.The PPP and the CM have rejected the Joint Investigation Report (JIT) report on money laundering and fake accounts, which if proved, will have serious consequences for both PPP leadership and Sindh government. If proved otherwise, it will raised serious questions about the accountability process, as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has already rejected the the process against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as biased and one-sided. So, it is either sham democracy or sham accountability.The Sindh CM, on the eve of the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to Karachi about a month back, had told me that due

‘Shaking Hands with Clenched Fists’ by Dr Asma Shakir Khawaja is the first academic account which represents Pakistan’s narrative on the India-Pakistan relations. The content of the book encompasses Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) and bilateral relations between both India and Pakistan, therefore, this book would provide pertinent insights to peace builders, policymakers, government officials, students, researchers, social scientists, historians and scholars of international relations. Moreover, it is a most critically required effort to fill the void in the existing body of knowledge on this important subject i.e. Pakistan’s perspective which had so far remained amiss. ‘Shaking Hands with Clenched Fists’ is vital as it is expected to balance the existing one-sided or biased views on the subject and holistically shed light on the bilateral relations between India and Pakistan.The author categorically explains the historical perspective of political, economic and social affairs of t

PESHAWAR: Inspector General of Police Salahuddin Khan Mahsud has appreciated the performance of Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) Peshawar.According to a Police Department handout, the IGP said the laboratory has disposed of around 65,439 cases during the current year and sent it to the respective districts. There is no pendency at the FSL.It may be recalled that efforts are going on to make the laboratory state-of-the-art. All available resources are being utilized for that.An official website www.kpfsl.gov.pk has been launched to streamline the working of various disciplines of the laboratory. The Standard Operating Procedures for operating the equipment, training of experts, forensic examination and compiling of the forensic reports are there.The website contains details of various labs, forensic services available, SOPs for identification, collection and packing of physical and circumstantial evidence and show status/date of dispatch of forensic reports.The website not only shows t

NOWSHERA: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) provincial President Amir Muqam said here Monday that the way the country was being run may lead to a huge disaster.“The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and other political parties can do politics if this country remains intact. Saving Pakistan must be our priority,” he maintained. “The rulers are busy with machinations to crush the opposition,” he said while talking to reporters. Amir Muqam visited Nowshera to share the grief of the family of nine-year old Manahil, who was recently killed after being subjected to sexual assault. PML-N district head Ikhtiyar Wali and other party workers accompanied Amir Muqam.The PML-N leader demanded the government to bring the accused to justice forthwith and provide relief to the grief-stricken family. He criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan for not visiting the family of the nine-year old girl who was killed after being subjected to rape in Nowshera. Th

KHAR: Sector Commander North Brigadier Naeem Akbar Raja on Monday said that the Frontier Corps (FC) had played a key role in the restoration of peace. Addressing the passing-out parade of the 26th batch, he said that FC’s history was full of sacrifices and bravery.Bajaur Deputy Commissioner Usman Mehsud, Commandant Bajaur Scouts Col Rehman Qadir and other civil and military officials were present on the occasion.Brigadier Naeem told the 360 recruits that they were going to shoulder a great responsibility of defending the country’s geographical borders.He said that the training would enable the soldiers to cope with the challenges in the line of duty. from The News International - Peshawar http://bit.ly/2s3JO5s

JARANWALA: The electioneering at the bar association has started here. As many as 504 voters will cast their votes in the election. Both the rival groups have started their internal meetings to finalise their candidates. Several candidates have filed their nomination papers for different slots. from The News International - Peshawar http://bit.ly/2LGq54v

PESHAWAR: The year 2018 proved the worst for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa transgender community as six of them were killed and eight gang-raped, according to the police records.In Peshawar, Nazo was killed allegedly by her boyfriend, Sadaqat. The Pishtakhara Police Station personnel said that a police patrol van arrested one Muhammad Farooq for carrying a bag containing human organs. During interrogation, Farooq told the police that his friend Sadaqat had allegedly killed Nazo in his flat and later chopped up her body using an axe. The organs were then stuffed into a bag for burial. Based on the information provided by Farooq, the police arrested Sadaqat and recovered the remaining body parts, the axe and a pistol with bullets.Sadaqat told the police that he had spent a lot of money on Nazo but a contention arose when Nazo refused to continue her relationship with him. A 25-year-old transgender, Alisha, succumbed to her injuries after she was shot eight times by a disgruntled man in the jurisdic

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday ordered the release of Tahreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) members on bail.A single bench of Justice Ijaz Anwar Khan issued the release order of five TLP members.They had been detained under Section 3 of MPO or Maintenance of Public Order after the protest by the TLP workers in Kohat and Mardan against the acquittal of a Christian woman Asia Bibi of the blasphemy charges. Public property was damaged during the protest.The court ordered the release of Mamoor Khattak, Khalid Moeen, Abid Hussain, Engr Asfandyar and Sar Buland Khan.They were detained under 3 MPO on the orders of deputy commissioners of Kohat and Mardan. They were being kept at the Central Prison Dera Ismail Khan and Central Prison Mardan.During the hearing, the petitioners’ lawyers, Shabir Hussain Gigyani, Amin Khattak and Gul Hussain submitted that their clients were detained under the MPO on the charges of being members of the TLP and participating in protests against the jud

MULTAN: The federal government has assigned a special task to the Ministry of National Food Security to implement an exclusive action plan for cotton-2019 to achieve Prime Minister Imran Khan’s target of 15 million bales production.The ministry has devised a three-point strategy to achieve the goals. In the first step, the ministry would make efforts to enhance the under-cultivated area of cotton and ensure the sowing of cotton in the targeted area. In the second step, the ministry will ensure the provision of pure and quality seed of cotton to the growers. In the third step, the ministry will focus on the quality of pesticides.Ministry’s secretary Dr M Popalzai has said that cotton prepared by the research institutes had the wide potential to grow and give maximum production. He assured the agriculture scientists that the ministry would improve the administrative affairs of the CCRI besides promotion of the researchers.Cotton Commissioner Dr Khalid Abdullah said the country can achiev

NOWSHERA: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial Secretary Information and Member National Assembly (MNA) Dr Imran Khattak said on Monday that Prime Minister Imran Khan had the ability to steer the country out of the prevailing crises.Addressing a public gathering here, he said that the government was taking measures to provide relief to the people. He said the days of those, who had looted the national wealth, had been numbered. from The News International - Peshawar http://bit.ly/2LGq0Of

PESHAWAR: The Federation of All Pakistan Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter has threatened to launch pen down strike if the government failed to resolve their genuine problems.This was announced at the general body meeting of the association held here with its provincial president Prof Dr Iqbal Munir in the chair.The participants of the meeting flayed the attitude of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) towards professors. They demanded the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of these cases and order an inquiry. The participants called for a halt to the humiliation of professors.The meeting urged the government to ensure the early appointment of regular vice-chancellors of some public sector universities in the province. from The News International - Peshawar http://bit.ly/2s1F9Rp

CHITRAL: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) provincial head Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan said on Monday that the rulers should take advantage of youth energies if they were really interested in fighting corruption.He was addressing the prize distribution ceremony of a quiz show arranged by the JI’s Youth Wing.The JI leader said that the youth were an asset to the nation and the government should channelise their energies for the development of the country.He said the youth made up a large percentage of the country ’s population so there was a dire need to provide education and job opportunities to them. from The News International - Peshawar http://bit.ly/2LGpZKb

KALAYA: The poets and other literati of the Orakzai tribal district on Monday asked the government to announce monthly stipend for them.A literary session (Mushaira) was arranged by Aman Adabi Chaman here.A number of poets and other literati including Riaz Nashad, Syed Jamil Johar Orakzai, Amir Orakzai attended it.Speaking on the occasion, Pakhtun Adabi Karwan Hangu President Syed Jamil Johar said poets were faced with financial problems.He hoped that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government would extend financial support to the poets and artistes. from The News International - Peshawar http://bit.ly/2s1F7cf

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has directed authorities concerned to review all legal aspects and include all stakeholders views in any proposed legislation and amendment of laws before and during the parliamentary party session.He was addressing the participants of a meeting at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, said an official handout.Minister for Finance Taimur Salim Jhagra, Minister for Law Sultan Mohammad Khan, Minister for Information Shaukat Yousafzai, Minister for Revenue Shakeel Ahmad, Minister for Communication & Works Akbar Ayub, MPAs of Malakand division, Additional Chief Secretary Shehzad Bangash, Secretary Finance Shakeel Qadar, the advocate general of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and secretaries concerned attended the meeting.The participants were briefed about the proposed laws already tabled in the provincial assembly.The meeting was informed that the proposed legislation for the erstwhile provincially administered tribal areas (Pata) tabled in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

MULTAN: The Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) consumers Monday faced nuisance when their electric appliances broke down due to unabated tripping and low voltage at Wapda Town sub-division.The Mepco complaint centre at Wapda Town sub-division did not allegedly attend a single call of the complainants. Mepco failed to ensure normal voltage, said a consumer Abdul Saboor.Consumers have complained that unannounced and prolonged low voltages continue to mar normal life at Wapda Town sub-division, making it difficult for the people to smoothly carry out their routine affairs."The compressor of my fridge and water pump motor was burnt when suddenly the voltage went extremely low in the morning. The Mepco authorities refused to give any compensation for his Rs16,000 loss," complained a consumer M Saeed of Shalimar West Colony.Residents of New Shalimar, Lasorriwala have also protested against the Mepco. They complained that they were experiencing critically low voltage due to no pr

FAISALABAD: Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Faisalabad Monday booked five Wasa officers and the manager of a construction company for inflicting a colossal loss of Rs6.4 million to the government.Talking to this scribe, ACE Regional Director Shafqat Ullah Mushtaq said that the ACE started inquiry on the written complaint of M Amin, accounts officer of the FDA, against Deputy Director Wasim Ahmed Hashmi, Deputy Manager (Engineering) M Aslam Zia, Assistant Director (Construction) Ahmad Tatla, Assistant Director (Construction) Rana Khalid, (RDD Audit) Ejaz Sidhu, M Raza and Ahmed Raza, manager of a construction company of Laki Marwat.During the Inquiry, it was revealed that the five accused officers of the Wasa had paid rupees Rs6.4 million to the manager of the company without constructing and remodeling of the Paharang Drain Nullah near Faisalabad, inflicting huge financial loss to the government.Lawyers' strike enters 50th day: The strike of Faisalabad lawyers for the establish

TOBA TEK SINGH: A man was killed and two injured in head-on collision between a mini truck a and a car on Sunday night here. Ali, Hamza and Arshad were coming from Gojra to Toba. When they reached near Chak 286/JB, a mini truck hit their car. Ali was killed on the spot while Hamza and Arshad received injuries. from The News International - Peshawar http://bit.ly/2s1FmEb

NOWSHERA: The wife of a social worker Ali Gohar Khan passed away on Monday. The deceased will be laid to rest at Shaidu today (Tuesday). She was the mother of Afrasiab Khan, Mahtab Khan and Shahzad Khan. from The News International - Peshawar http://bit.ly/2LJjRkv

KARACHI: Even after Supreme Court-ordered mass anti-encroachment drive in Karachi’s Saddar area as well as other localities, there exist more than dozens of areas where encroachment still persists reportedly. One such area is the Qalandaria Chowk in Karachi’s Central District where a charitable Blood Bank named Hussaini Blood Bank, Green Shield Public School and a Madrassah are at the risk of encroachers that hinder the routine life to a great extent.Shedding light on the matter, Chief Pathologist-Hussaini Blood bank Dr Omer Daraz said, “Main entrances of the Blood bank, school and a Madrassah have been encroached by the city’s Timber Mafia. When asked to remove the encroachments, they threaten us.” Dr Daraz stated that more than 1500 children suffering from blood disorders seek treatment daily at the blood bank. However, these encroachments create obstruction for them. Furthermore, 700 staff members who provide medical assistance to these patients also face problem while reaching the

PESHAWAR: Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, who is conducting judicial inquiry into the Army Public School (APS) attack, has visited the school to inspect the place of occurrence before finalising his report.Imranullah Khan, the focal person for the Judicial Commission, told The News that two days ago Justice Muhammad Ibrahim visited the school to inspect the hall and other places where the terrorists indiscriminately shot at the students, teachers and other staff.He said the head of the commission inspected the places of occurrence in the school along with members of his team consisting of commission’s registrar Imanullah Wazir, Ajmal Tahir and Imranullah.The commission was briefed about the incident by Brigadier Shakirullah and Brigadier Aamir, he added.Imranullah said that the time had been extended twice for finalising the inquiry report.First the commission sought time for recording statements of a large number of parents and injured students, he said.He added the time had been exten

NOWSHERA: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Sherpao said on Sunday the process of accountability should be carried out in a transparent manner.He was speaking at the condolence reference for deceased party leader Kifayat Ali Advocate here.Paying tribute to Kifayat Ali, he said the party would always remember him for his services for the cause of democracy.Aftab Sherpao said the way the process of accountability was being carried out would lead to political tension. He said the rulers were creating problems for those who had brought them into power.“The way the Parliament is being run will have negative impact on the political situation in the country,” he remarked.The QWP leader said the foreign minister recently visited four countries but the outcome of his visits was not known.He criticised the provincial government for wasting millions of rupees on the establishment of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission (KPEC) which was recently abolished.“The KPEC cost the provincial ex

MINGORA: The two-day snow festival at the Malam Jabba ski resort ended on Sunday. Several fun-filled activities were held that fascinated the people.The people enjoyed skiing, snow tubing, snowboarding, ice skating and snow sledging. Playland had been set up for the children.The event was aimed at promoting and reviving tourism in the scenic Swat valley. Youngsters were also seen dancing to the drumbeat amid a spectacular display of fireworks.Foreign tourists were also seen enjoying the activities at the festival. They also appreciated the beauty of Swat.Food stalls and barbecues had been set up to provide good quality meals to the tourists.The stall of local cuisines, handcrafts, traditional dresses had also been established. The organisers said that the snow festival was held with the view to tell the world that peace had been restored in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the rest of the country.Child dies in road mishap: A child was killed when-a tractor-trolley hit him in Takhta Band area on

MARDAN: Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan (Awkum) faculty member Aamir Akbar, who is currently perusing PhD in Computer Science from Aston University, has developed a method to improve battery life of mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, by minimising the power consumption of mobile apps by as much as 60 percent.The research, published in Transactions on Emerging Telecommunications Technologies Journal, presents a solution that integrates mobile computing with cloud computing, with tools developed to identify the most power-hungry parts of a mobile app and then moves them to the cloud using a technique called code-o?oading.Using the code-offloading technique, the power-hungry parts of the mobile-cloud hybrid application are ?rst identi?ed, and then o?oaded to the cloud and executed there, instead of on the device itself. As they execute on the cloud instead of the mobile device, the device’s own components are not used, power is saved which prolongs the battery life.The doc

MANSEHRA: Provincial president of All Primary Teachers Association Azizullah Khan has threatened to launch an agitation if the government doesn’t accept the charter of demands.“We are optimistic that the government will accept our demands including the upgrading of the basic pay scales and timescale. And if it deviates from its commitments, we will launch a protest movement,” said Azizullah Khan. He was speaking at the oath-taking ceremony of office-bearers of district chapter of All Primary Teachers Association in Chaterplain on Sunday.Azizullah Khan said the teachers of primary schools were demanding upgrading of their basic pay scale from 7 to 12 and government should incorporate it in their service structure. He said that children of over 80 percent primary teachers were getting education at the government schools.Drive against timber smugglers: The Siran Forest Division would arrest over 134 alleged smugglers of green gold in order to curb deforestation in the district, an officia

SWABI: A cop of the Elite Force was martyred and two others, including a passerby, were injured when unidentified gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire on them at Kalu Khan village in the district on Wednesday, police sources said. The sources said that two personnel of the Elite Force identified as Farhan and Pervez were going home on leave when the gunmen fired at them. The two policemen and a passerby identified as Ayaz were injured in the firing. The gunmen fled the scene. The injured were rushed to a hospital in Swabi. However, Farhan succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital. The other two injured, who were later referred to a hospital in Peshawar, were stated to be out of danger. District Police Officer Syed Khalid Hamdani arrived at the crime scene along with a contingent of the police and carried out a search operation. The funeral prayer of the martyred cop was offered at the Police Lines in Swabi. A large number of cops and police officers attended it. Later the body

NOWSHERA: A 14-year-old girl was killed while her father and brother suffered burns injuries in an explosion caused by a gas leakage at Watar village in the district. It was learnt the family of one Rifaqat left the gas heater on while they fell asleep. Gas accumulated in the room which caused the explosion. As a result, the roof of the room collapsed. Rifaqat and his son Abbas were injured while his daughter Maryam died in the incident. After the explosion, the local people rushed to the site and pulled out the victims. The injured were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Rifaqat is a daily wager and lives at a rented house. from The News International - Peshawar http://bit.ly/2StwsuC

PESHAWAR: The historic educational institution of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Islamia Collegiate School got first woman principal of its 105 years long meritorious educational history. Mrs Zohra Tauqir, a very senior teacher of the Islamia Collegiate School (ICS), broke the chronological record of male successors as principals of this oldest seat of learning at matriculation level in the province. As many as 14 men became principals of this school in a single chain of succession since March 1913 when the Islamia Collegiate School had its beginning. She possesses a rich teaching and administrative experience. She has done her M Phil on the application of recreational mathematics at the school level mathematics teaching. from The News International - Peshawar http://bit.ly/2AmBp1e

BARA: Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and others on Sunday visited the residence of Federal Minister Noorul Haq Qadri in Landikotal subdivision of Khyber tribal district and offered condolences over the death of Qadri’s father.Besides Pervez Khattak, provincial ministers Atif Khan, Kamran Bangash, former governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and commissioner Peshawar Shahab Ali Shah also visited Noorul Haq Qadri residence and offered condolences. They prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and give patience to the bereaved family. from The News International - Peshawar http://bit.ly/2Sy7gDy

MULTAN: The basic health units (BHUs) and rural health centres (RHCs) are facing acute shortage of medicines due to which patients are suffering. According to District Health Office (DHO), a notification regarding the purchase of essential medicines and surgical instruments for district and tehsil health institutions, issued in October last year by DG Health Lahore, which was yet to be implemented. It will take six to eight months to complete procedure for supplying medicines at BHUs, RHCs and those at district level like Shahbaz Sharif District Hospital, Fatima Jinnah Hospital and Civil Hospital, as it pursued lengthy procedure like issuing tenders, approval from different authority, securing quotations from concerned parties etc, the official sources said. When contacted, Drug Inspector Bosan Town Rao Sajid said that delay in supply of medicines happened during the interim government.Punjab govt decides to expand e-credit scheme: The Punjab government Sunday decided to expand ongoing

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) provincial president Amir Muqam has rejected the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s claim of accountability and challenged the government to open the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project case if it was sincere in ‘ehtesab.’Talking to reporters at the Peshawar Press Club on Sunday where he had come to felicitate the newly-elected office-bearers, Amir Muqam said there should be no double-standards and accountability should be across-the-board.Challenging the government, he said the BRT project cost had reached Rs70 billion and was still incomplete. The project contract was awarded on 25 percent higher rate just for commissions, he added.The PML-N leader alleged that hundreds of acres of land in Malam Jabba was given to favourites of the PTI and billions of rupees embezzlement in BRT was not noticed by anyone.The government, instead of providing any relief to the masses, has increased their miseries though unprecedented price-hike, he added.Amir Muq

LAHORE: Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has disposed of assortment of adulterated and unwholesome food valued at Rs311.577 million during the current year.Officials said food authority inspected 479,838 food businesses and shut down 6,495 sites for failing to meet the standards of Punjab Pure Food Regulations 2018. PFA also served 277,800 improvement notices on minor issues.This was revealed in the annual performance report of PFA Operations and its Vigilance Wing here on Sunday. According to details, the enforcement teams of the PFA conducted 152,063 raids in Lahore, 207,088 in Rawalpindi and 71,495 outlets in Multan.In south Punjab (Muzaffargarh Zone), PFA visited 49,192 food sites during 2018. Muhammad Usman said that PFA stopped the production of 1,334 food businesses by serving Emergency Prohibition Orders (EPOs) across Punjab so far. In 2018, as many as 126,805 E-food licences were issued to food business operators with the help of PFA. The purpose of the inspection was to ensure the

LAHORE: Lahore Transport Company (LTC) organised an awareness training session with the cooperation of its Turkish private transport operator platform for drivers, fare collectors, route keepers and related staff recently. According to a press release, the training programme was aimed to improve services and operations of high occupancy public service buses in the city. from The News International - Peshawar http://bit.ly/2Sy7drm

PESHAWAR: The father of Afghanistan’s cricket star Rashid Khan died here Sunday. Haji Khalil was an Afghan refugee living in Pakistan since long. He will be buried in Shahkas in Jamrud in Khyber tribal district. Rashid Khan, the well-known Afghan spinner, like other Afghan cricketers learnt his cricket in Pakistan. Many Afghan cricketers still live in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan with their families. Cricket was unknown in Afghanistan and the Afghan refugees living in Pakistan took the game to their country. The Afghan team has done very well in international cricket. from The News International - Peshawar http://bit.ly/2AjmiWs

PESHAWAR: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has directed the concerned officials to rebuild the tombs of two famous Pashto and Persian poets buried in Pakistan and India. According to Afghan sources, President Ghani ordered that the tombs of Pashto poet Hamid Mashokhel Mohmand, who is buried in Peshawar, and Persian poet Hazrat Mirza Abdul Qadir Bedil, whose grave is in New Delhi, be rebuilt using funds of the Afghanistan government. from The News International - Peshawar http://bit.ly/2StRRnJ

LAHORE: Pakistan Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has expressed satisfaction with the performance of Principal Ameer Uddin Medical College and Lahore General Hospital Prof. Mohammad Tayyab and said that after his posting there were visible changes and the institutions had improved significantly. He expressed these views while addressing at the convocation of Services Institute of Medical College as the chief guest at Alhamra, according to a press release issued here on Sunday. The chief justice expressed hope that Ameer Uddin Medical College and Lahore General Hospital headed by Prof. Mohammad Tayyab would continue to perform efficiently and serve patients in a befitting manner. Principal PGMI, Ameer Uddin Medical College and Lahore General Hospital Prof. Mohammad Tayyab expressed his gratitude to the chief justice of Pakistan and assured him that he with his team would continue efforts with more spirit and more better results would be achieved in the coming days. from The News Interna

LAHORE: Cold wave continued to prevail in the city here on Sunday while Met office predicted similar weather conditions for the next 24 hours. Met officials said continental air is likely to prevail over most parts of the country during next two days. They said foggy conditions are likely to continue in plains of Punjab, upper Sindh and Peshawar during morning/night hours. Cold and dry weather is expected in most parts. Very cold, dry weather in night hours and frost in morning hours is expected in upper parts of the country. Sunday's lowest minimum temperature was recorded at Skardu where mercury dropped down to -14°C and maximum in Lahore was 19.1°C. from The News International - Peshawar http://bit.ly/2SuqKIU

NOWSHERA: Widow of a journalist from Pabbi, Maulana Syedul Abrar, passed away on Sunday. Her funeral prayer will be offered today (Monday) at 10 am in Dag Behsud on the Cherat Road in Pabbi tehsil of the Nowshera district. The deceased was the mother of journalists Khairul Abrar and Roohul Abrar, Maulana Noorul Abrar, Muhammad Abrar, Bashirul Abrar, Zahidul Abrar and Hasnul Abrar. from The News International - Peshawar http://bit.ly/2AmIrTQ

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said the Excise and Taxation Department would be strengthened. A handout said that he was presiding over a meeting.The chief minister agreed to merge Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority into Excise Department to generate more revenue and enhance its performance.He also decided to hand over the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority to Excise Department initially for six months on a trial basis.Spokesman of provincial government Ajmal Khan Wazir, DG Excise and others attended the meeting. The meeting was briefed about the performance of Excise and Taxation Department, especially tax recovery, license fee, new laws, punishment, responsibilities of the Excise Department after the 18th Amendment.The meeting was proposed that narcotics should be treated only by the Excise Department.However, it was further proposed that the Excise Department would take help from the police force until its own force was raised.The department will raise its own force withi

LAHORE: A 70-year-old woman died of burns she suffered at her home in Shera Kot area on Sunday.Police said Perveen Bibi went to bed with a burning cigarette. Her blanket caught a fire. Her screams alerted other family members who struggled with the flames and shifted her to a nearby hospital where she died.Couple robbed: In an incident of street crime , a newly-wed couple was robbed of jewelry worth Rs 0.4 million in broad daylight by two persons .Hammad Abdul Razzaq, a resident of Ferozepark, Shadbagh, who along with his wife was going to meet relatives, was intercepted by two persons on a motorbike, who took away gold bangles, rings from the wife of Hammad at gunpoint and fled from the scene. The police reached the spot after sometime and a case was registered. The local police also received CCTV footage of the incident. Hammad, who got married recently, has appealed the SP City Division to take notice of the incident.dies in accident: A 40-year-old man was killed by a speeding van i

LAHORE : “Kathak is the only classical dance form which is still evolving, absorbing new influences and redefining itself with the passage of every decade, that’s why it is one of the most popular traditional dance art in the world and most importantly Kathak is a secular art form.It does not have any boundary, specific religion or a particular area. Kathak’s roots can be traced back to 400BC; however, it evolved significantly and became a refined art form in the 10th century”, said the well-known cultural commentator and writer Ally Adnan while talking about the art of Katha and Kathak in an enriching conversation session with students at the Institute for Art and Culture (IAC).Talking about conventional dance forms, Ally said that the Bharatnatium and Odissi are very rigid art forms in comparison with Kathak, which had great influence from Muslim civilisation as well. He added that Kathak gained esthetic beauty during the Mughal rule. Its intricate costumes, including Pishwas and Ang

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Liaqat Baloch has demanded that the names of all corrupt persons should be put on the ECL. People had been expecting a ruthless accountability and recovery of plundered public money from the corrupt, but the government showed lack of sincerity in this respect due to which the youth, the masses and the business community were getting disappointed, he said while addressing a public gathering here Sunday. He demanded the government bring all the corrupt people, especially the 436 persons named in the Panama Leaks to the dock to satisfy the people. He said gas shortage had worsened in the extreme cold weather besides the sharp increase in LPG prices causing hardships for every household. He said the plunderers of public money did not deserve any leniency. He said that the names of all corrupt persons should be put on the ECL. He said the present government was talking of the State of Madina but was not ready to adopt that path. He said that a leade

LAHORE: Like other parts of the country, a ceremony to mark the Foundation Day of PML-N was held at the provincial metropolis here on Sunday in which the party workers, supporters and elected parliamentarians participated.The central ceremony of the city was held at the party’s Naseerabad office where MPAs and MNAs belonging to PML-N paid tributes to the party leadership for their sacrifices to strengthen democracy in the country. On this occasion, the speakers also paid tributes to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. They said the day demanded the party workers and leaders to reaffirm commitment to the party and serving the masses in the best possible way. In his address, the PML-N Lahore president and MNA Pervaiz Malik said Pakistan witnessed great development and progress during the tenures of Nawaz Sharif. He said Nawaz Sharif eliminated terrorism from the country and termed him a leader who had won hearts of the people.MNA Shaista Pervaiz Malik speaking on the occasion remembered la

PESHAWAR: Former provincial minister and Jamaat-e-Islami Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Inayatullah Khan said on Sunday that 80 percent of the Musharraf regime ministers were part of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) cabinet and termed its claim of accountability as wrong.“Closing of the Ehtesab Commission shows failure of the government and while the PTI had celebrated the establishment of the so-called accountability body, it was shut down without any result,” he said while talking to the media at the Peshawar Press Club.Inayatullah said that JI believes in accountability but the ongoing ‘ehtesab’ of the government was partial and not fair.He said they had raised objections to the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, which later proved right. Millions of rupees were spent on the plantation, beautification and construction of a service road on GT Road, but all the beautification measures went waste due to construction work on the BRT.The JI leader said the opposition had no option exce

NOWSHERA: The Nowshera police on Sunday claimed to make progress in the sexual assault and killing case of 9-year-old Manahil as 10 suspects were arrested and DNA samples collected from over 100 persons and sent to a forensic lab for analysis.District Police Officer Mansoor Aman told reporters that the 9-member police investigation team constituted to probe the case had arrested 10 suspected persons from the Nawan Killay village. He said investigation had been launched along the scientific lines to work out the case.The senior cop said sniffer dogs were being used for the investigation to reach to the culprits while work on the geo-fencing had been expedited. The DPO said it had been learnt that a friend, Mamoona, accompanied Manahil who took curry from her teacher’s house to her relative home but Manahil went missing on the way back. It is worth mentioning here that Manahil, daughter of Shah Said, a poor labourer, was killed after being subjected to sexual assault recently. Her body w

PESHAWAR: Whether one should call it ignorance of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Dr Hisham Inamullah or his lack of commitment with his responsibility, there is severe shortage of the anti-rabies vaccine in the public sector health institutions despite his claim to have provided the vaccine to all hospitals of the province.When this correspondent politely reminded the minister if he can check with the secretary health or other officials before making such a claim as dog bite victims were facing serious problems due to lack of anti-rabies vaccine in the hospitals, he stuck to his statement and said he had personally verified provision of the stocks to all hospitals of KP.However, a senior official of the provincial Health Department clarified three days after the health minister’s claim that he was in fact referring to a notification issued by the director general health services on December 3, 2018 to all the district health officers (DHOs) to ensure availability of anti-rabies vac