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Candidates seek large tribes support for general elections in Peshawar

By
Iqra Yousaf Iqra Yousaf
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0
PESHAWAR, Jan 21 (APP):The candidates of different political parties and independent heavyweights started approaching strong baradaries (tribes) to get their support to win general elections in 2024 as Peshawar witnessed a tough electoral contest on 5 NA, and 14 PK seats.
Besides veteran politicians and independent candidates, the political stalwarts sought the support of different tribes including Wazir, Mehsud, Khattak, Khalil, Shalmani, Afridi, Mohmand and Safi tribes to national and provincial assemblies seats in their respective areas.
ANP leader, Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour,  who is contesting election for a record 11 times from Peshawar’s NA-32 ( previously called NA-1) has also started contacting influential tribes and baradaries to get an edge over rival candidates.
Bilour, who had won the election against Benazir Bhutto Shaheed in 1990, is being challenged by Independent candidate Asif Khan, a PTI nominee.
Abidullah Yousafzai of PPP, Hussain Madani of JUIF, Sher Rehman of PMLN and Tariq Mateen of Jumat-e-Islami are also flexing muscles on NA-32 Peshawar.
In the 2018 general election, Shaukat Ali of PTI was elected MNA after defeating Ghulam Bilour. Former prime minister Imran Khan also won the seat in the by-election in 2022 while Bilour was the runner-up.
Political observers said that a tough electoral battle is expected between Ghulam Bilour and independent candidate Asif Khan after former MNA Shoukat Ali quited PTI.
As the February 8, 2024 election is approaching, the candidates contesting against 5 national assembly and 13 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly seats have accelerated the election campaign and addressed rallies and corner meetings on Sunday.
In the 2018 general election, the politically fertile Peshawar had 14 representatives in the KP Assembly, however, it lost one seat in the wake of fresh delimitation in the 2024 election.
The candidates of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had won all the five NA seats from Peshawar in the 2018 election. However, three of them are no longer part of the party. The PTI nominees are contesting the polls as independent candidates after it lost its iconic electoral symbol ‘bat’.
Former speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Kiramatullah Chagharmati of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is contesting against former MNA Noor Alam Khan of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) and ex-MNA Sajid Nawaz of PTI as independent candidate on NA 28 Peshawar-1 in 2024 election.
Former provincial minister Hafiz Hashmat of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Muhammad Fayyaz Khan of Awami National Party (ANP) are also in the run for NA-28.
Former MNA Arbab Amir Ayub who won the 2018 election on the PTI ticket is again candidate of the PTI as an independent candidate while other frontrunners included former MPA Saqibullah Chamkani of ANP, Akhundzada Irfanullah Shah of JUIF, Malik Amjad Awan of PPP and Ghulam Muhiyuddin of Jumat e Islami on NA 29 Peshawar-11.
In NA-30 Peshawar, former PTI MNA Shandana Gulzar is contesting against Nasir Musazai of JUIF, Arbab Zain Umar of ANP, Raees Khan of PMLN, Kashif Azam of JI and Misbahuddin of PPP.
Nasir Musazai won the polls from the area in 2018 as the candidate of PTI but he joined the JUIF last year. Shandana was elected MNA on a reserved seat for women in 2018.
Similarly on NA-31 Peshawar, former MNA Arbab Sher Ali of PTI is contesting against former federal minister Arbab Alamgir of PPP, Pir Haroon Shah of ANP, Muhammad Saeed Jan of JUIF, Sobia Shahid of PMLN and Imdad Khalil of JI.
Arbab Sher Ali was elected MNA from this constituency in the 2018 general election as a PTI contender. Arbab Alamgir also remained MNA from this constituency in 2008; both were trying to get support from strong baradaries.
Besides billboards and panaflexes, the candidates have also installed posters and banners on all roads, squares, bazaars and streets to attract voters’ attention. Mashallah Jehangi, a hub of printing and advertising businesses in Peshawar attracted roaring business courtesy of the 2024 General Election.
The printers hired extra labourers to meet the pressing demands of the candidates. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PTI Parliamentarians has emerged as a new political party with leaders like veteran politicians and former Chief  Ministers Pervez Khattak and Mahmood Khan who can surprise many on the polling day especially in Nowshera and Swat being their native districts.

One held for killing police constable

By
Iqra Yousaf Iqra Yousaf
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0
Accused
MULTAN, Jan 21 (APP):Police have arrested an accused for killing police constable over some issues about two weeks ago in premises of Qadarpur Raan police station here on Sunday.
According to police sources, Constable Sajid Pervez s/o Muhammad Ashfaq resident of Muhallah Jindwah Qadarpur Raan was present in marriage ceremony of his cousin when accused Muhammad Waseem s/o Muhammad Basheer entered the marriage hall with a weapon in his hand. He opened fires at Sajid Pervez, killed him on the spot and himself managed to escape from the scene.
The police team reached the spot and started the investigations into the incident while a case number 26/24 under section 302 was registered against the accused.
Taking notice of the incident, City Police Officer (CPO) Sadiq Ali formed a special team under the supervision of SP Gulgasht Division Ayaz Hussain to arrest the criminal. The police team arrested the accused Waseem and recovered weapon from his possession, however, the accused confessed that he killed Sajid Pervez for informing the police about his involvement in drug peddling. Further investigations were underway from the accused, police sources added.

EPA team inspects 383 vehicles, indicates diesel HTV major smoke contributor

By
Iqra Yousaf Iqra Yousaf
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0
smoke
ISLAMABAD, Jan 21 (APP):The Environmental Monitoring Team of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) and the Islamabad Traffic Police conducted a week-long Vehicular Emission Control and Monitoring Campaign from January 9 to 17 across the federal capital.
During the campaign, a total of 383 vehicles were inspected across various categories, including 80 buses, 47 vans, 30 cars, 120 minitrucks, 93 trucks, and 13 tractors.
However, heavy transport vehicles (HTV) using diesel fuel were identified as the primary contributors to smoke emissions, with fines imposed on 27% of the vehicles, a news release said.
A rigorous test of soot carbon smoke emissions led to the imposition of 105 fines on vehicles exceeding the National Environmental Quality Standard (NEQS) emission levels by over 40% against the Ringelmann scale.
The initiative aimed to address the growing concern about air pollution in Islamabad caused by vehicular emissions. The basic objective of the survey was to ascertain the factual position of vehicular emissions during the dry spell of winter and their contribution to the formulation of smog in the current fog episode.
Air pollution, a significant environmental issue, refers to harmful substances in the air that can adversely affect human health, animals, and the overall ecosystem. One major contributor to air pollution is vehicular emissions, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, particulate matter, and soot carbon. Soot carbon, emitted from diesel vehicles, contributes to air pollution and poses serious health risks.
According to Article 11 of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997, “no person shall discharge or is allowed to discharge or emit any effluent, waste, air pollutant, or noise in any amount, concentration, or level that is in excess of the National Environmental Quality Standard.”
The campaign was initiated under the direction of Farzana Altaf Shah, Director General, Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, and headed by Dr. Zaigham Abbas, Director (Lab/NEQS), Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination.
The campaign strategically covered seven locations across Islamabad, each carefully chosen to monitor and control vehicular emissions effectively. These locations are G-14 Srinagar Highway Islamabad (this location serves as a major gateway into the capital city), GT Road near I-14 Islamabad (an essential entry point connecting GT Road to Islamabad), Srinagar Highway G-9, Exit Point Islamabad (monitoring emissions at a key exit point from the city), Islamabad Express Highway, and PWD Exit from Islamabad (a crucial exit point towards Rawat). 9th Avenue Islamabad, I-9 Entry Point (this location regulates vehicles entering from Rawalpindi), Shahpur Bypass Bharakahu Islamabad (monitoring emissions at the Shahpur Bypass entry), D-Chowk, and Abpara Chowk Islamabad (centrally located in the heart of the city, ensuring comprehensive monitoring).
This collaborative effort exemplifies the commitment of the Pak-EPA and Islamabad Traffic Police towards sustainable urban living. The success of the campaign underscores the importance of ongoing monitoring and enforcement in addressing air quality concerns in the capital city.
By tackling vehicular emissions head-on, this initiative paves the way for a healthier environment and sets a precedent for future endeavours in environmental protection.

President for blacklisting bank fraudsters, directs banks to refund Rs 2.74 million to victims

By
Irfan Khan
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0

ISLAMABAD, Jan 21 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi has asked the Banking Mohtasib to take up the matter of banking frauds with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to get the essential standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued, so that the proven fraudulent personnel’s CNICs could be blacklisted, placed at the central negative list, besides ensuring that no banking/financial facility could be extended to them by the banking industry.

The president issued these directions while rejecting two separate representations filed by the United Bank Ltd (UBL) and Bank Alfalah Ltd (BAL) directing the banks to pay Rs 1.9 million and Rs 0.744 million respectively to their customers who fell victim to online banking fraud at the hands of fraudsters, President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press release.

As per details, Qaiser Mehmood who was holding an account with UBL received a call from a number resembling the Bank’s helpline and the caller advised him to activate his disabled digital banking app.

He activated his app, after which Rs 2 million were transferred from his account through multiple transactions.

Similarly, Brigadier (retd) Muhammad Arif Shaikh received a call from fraudsters asking him for his banking credentials to remove some technical flaws from his account.

Later, an amount of Rs 994,000 were transferred from his account through 19 transactions.

They had asked their respective banks to refund their money, but to no avail.  Feeling aggrieved, they separately approached the Banking Ombudsman to get relief.

The Ombudsman directed the banks to refund the lost amounts to the customers. The banks, then, separately filed representations against the Ombudsman’s decisions with the President.

The president held personal hearing of the cases, and having listened to the parties and going through the available record, decided the cases in the complainants’ favour.

He observed that the banks were found non-compliant with the SBP’s directives regarding the implementation of monitoring systems to detect fraudulent transactions.

He said that multiple consecutive transactions were conducted but it did not raise alerts and allowed the money to pass through the system.

He noted that the banks also failed to establish the legitimacy of transactions in terms of Section 41 of the Payment System and Electronic Fund Transfers Act, 2007.

The president said that the banks failed to submit any proof of compliance with the directions of SBP despite being given ample opportunity and concluded that malpractice and maladministration stood established on part of the banks and they were liable to make good the financial loss of the complainants.

President Alvi, therefore, rejected the representations of UBL and BAL and directed them to pay Rs1,998,500 and Rs744,000 to the complainants.

 

Returning of foreign from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continue

By
Iqra Yousaf Iqra Yousaf
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0
PESHAWAR, Jan 21 (APP):The return of the foreign illegals residing in Peshawar and other districts all across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continued without any break, and on Sunday, 233 people were sent to Afghanistan via the Torkham border.
According to details, a total of 6623 migrants were sent to Afghanistan, and another 5299 immigrants from Pakhtunkhwa, 138 from Islamabad, 1152 from Punjab, and 34 from Azad Kashmir were sent to Afghanistan.
A total of 275,169 people have been deported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Afghanistan through Peshawar and the Torkham border.
Efforts are on to send migrants to Afghanistan from Peshawar, other borders, and Angoor Adda in Kharlachi. A total of 3956 people were sent to Afghanistan via the Angoor Adda border, while 698 people were sent to Afghanistan from the Kharlachi border.
The official of the Home and Tribal Affairs, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, disclosed when contacted that 2,79,842 people have been sent to Afghanistan from the three borders of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, so far.

Thick fog forces motorway closures, disrupts traffic across north, south Zones

By
NNPS Desk
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0
APP09-020124 ISLAMABAD: January 02 – A view of thick fog that engulfs the whole city during morning time in the Federal Capital. APP/IFD/MAF/TZD/FHA

ISLAMABAD, Jan 21 (APP): A blanket of dense fog has wreaked havoc on major motorways in the North, South Zones, leading to road closures and strategic diversions from the Peshawar to Islamabad stretch on M1, M2, M4, M5, M11, M-14, E35 and commuters are grappling with limited visibility, prompting authorities to take decisive measures.

The motorway spokesman said on Sunday that adverse weather conditions had thrown several key motorways in North Pakistan into chaos as thick fog engulfed major stretches from the M1 Peshawar to Islamabad Motorway to the Swat Expressway and beyond, commuters faced disruptions and diversions due to reduced visibility. The National Highway and Motorway Police (NHMP) has issued comprehensive update on the affected routes and the latest traffic management measures.

The M1 Motorway, connecting Peshawar to Islamabad, witnesses a complete closure from Islamabad Toll Plaza (KM 351) to Peshawar Toll Plaza (KM 498) due to dense fog. The limited visibility of 40-50 meters prompts authorities to divert northbound traffic from Islamabad Toll Plaza.

The traffic at southbound on the E35, from Burhan to Thakot is diverted from JhariKas to GT Road (KM 18) due to challenging foggy conditions as navigating through the thick fog becomes a significant challenge for commuters.

The dense fog persists on the M2 North Motorway from Islamabad (KM 350) to Kalar Kahar (KM 242), significantly reducing visibility to 200-300 meters. The challenging conditions prompt cautionary measures for drivers on this stretch.

M14 Hakla to D.I.Khan, northbound traffic at the M14 Motorway is diverted from Kharpa (KM 74) due to thick fog, leading to a complete closure from Hakla (KM 000) to Kharpa (KM 74) for both north and southbound lanes. The foggy conditions persist as of the latest update on January 21, 2024, at 08:41.

The motorists traveling on Swat Expressway experience diversion of southbound traffic from KM 19 due to fog at 10:13:31 am. The limited visibility adds to the challenges faced by commuters in this region.

Motorways authorities said that sections of the M2-South faced closures, including the stretch from Ravi Toll Plaza (KM 12) to Kot Momin (KM 162) due to fog at the roadside of the northbound lanes. Additionally, the closure of lanes from River Chenab Bridge (KM 132) to River Chenab Bridge due to a vehicle breakdown further compounded the traffic situation.

Encouragingly, the M3 Motorway from Lahore to Abdul Hakeem reports clear roads and weather conditions at 10:23 am, providing a respite for travelers in the region.

At M11 Mehmood Booti to Sambrial Toll Plaza Sialkot, partial cloud cover is reported on the M11 Motorway from Mehmood Booti (KM 00) to Sambrial Toll Plaza (KM 91), indicating relatively stable weather conditions for commuters.

In the Central-II Zone of the M4 Motorway, the road and weather remain clear as of 08:29 am. However, in the Sub-Sector M4 from Abdul Hakeem (KM 89) to Sher Shah (KM 00), the weather remains cloudy, he added.

Meanwhile at M5, cloudy weather persists from Sher Shah Multan (KM 772) to Zahir Pir (KM 579), potentially affecting visibility for commuters in the region.

Challenges arise on the M5 Motorway from Zahir Pir (KM 579) to Rohri Toll Plaza (KM 386), leading to road closures from Ryk (KM 578) to Rohri (KM 386) due to dense fog. Southbound traffic is diverted from Rahim Yar Khan (KM 559) to ensure safety amidst challenging conditions.

In the face of these weather-induced challenges, commuters are advised to exercise caution, follow diversions, and stay updated on the latest road conditions. Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, and further updates will be provided as conditions evolve.

Motorway closes temporarily due to Fog

By
Iqra Yousaf Iqra Yousaf
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0
PESHAWAR, Jan 21 (APP):Peshawar Motorway M1, from Peshawar to Islamabad temporarily closed along with the Swat Expressway from Colonel Sher Khan to Ismailia.
The purpose of closing the motorway is to prevent accidents and protect the life and property of the users of the motorway, said the spokesperson of the Motorway Police. Citizens are requested to avoid unnecessary travel during foggy hours, Spokesman Motorway Police said.
Complete your journey in daylight and reach your destination before the onset of fog, Spokesman Motorway Police. Use fog lights in vehicles, Spokesman Motorway Police advised the citizens as said.
The spokesman also advised the citizens to avoid speeding and keep a proper distance from the next vehicle more than usual. Information can be obtained from the Motorway Police helpline 130 before starting the journey, Spokesman Motorway Police said.
Apart from this, the latest information can also be obtained from the official social media account of the National Highways and Motorway Police, a spokesperson of the Motorway Police said.

KP hospitals faces financial difficulties

By
Iqra Yousaf Iqra Yousaf
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0
PESHAWAR, Jan 21 (APP):The hospitals of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa face severe shortage of medicines, revealed a document issued by the Director General Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa here Sunday.
The hospitals of the province face shortage of immunoglobulins, anti-rabies vaccine and emergency drugs, the documents said. Non-availability of snakebite vaccine may lead to deaths, the document said. According to the document, no order has been so far placed for procurement of medicines due to non-availability of funds.
The DG Health Services KP apprised the Secretary Health about financial difficulties of the hospitals through a letter available here.
In his letter, he said, Rs. 9 billion are urgently needed to solve the shortage of medicines and there is arrears of 2.67 billion rupees for purchase of medicines. Arrears and additional Rs 6 billion to be released while the Finance Department has given a budget of 99.77 million rupees in 2022 and 2023, the document disclosed. However, the letter says the budget of Rs 99.77 million cannot overcome the shortage of medicines.

Security beefed up in Bahawalpur

By
Iqra Yousaf Iqra Yousaf
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0
BAHAWALPUR, Jan 21 (APP):Following the directions of Inspector General Police, Punjab, foolproof security measures have been taken in Bahawalpur like other restricts of the province.
The spokesman for Bahawalpur police told on Sunday that the office of IGP Punjab had directed to take security measures in the province. Following the directives of IGP Punjab, District Police Officer Bahawalpur, Syed Muhammad Abbas has directed to increase the patrolling on roads and provide required and adequate security to important installations, he said.
He said that security had been increased at religious places, markets, bazaars and government installations.
It is the duty of the district police to maintain law and order in the district, said the DPO Bahawalpur.

Bahawalpur to be made industrial city: Alwari

By
Iqra Yousaf Iqra Yousaf
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0
BAHAWALPUR, Jan 21 (APP): Renowned intellectual, former parliamentarian and candidate for NA-168 Bahawalpur, Syed Tabish Alwari has said that after winning in the general elections, he would make efforts to make Bahawalpur an industrial city.
Talking to media persons here Sunday, he said that industrialization made any region prosperous, adding that it was need of the hour to put efforts to make Bahawalpur an industrial city. “If people support me, I will make serious efforts to make this region an industrial zone,” he said.
Syed Tabish Alwari demanded of the government to declare Bahawalpur a tax-free zone in order to draw attention of local and foreign investors who wanted to invest in different sectors in Pakistan.
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