Category: Peshawar

Peshawar:Stage singer Resham Khan was gunned down by her husband in the Nowshera Kalan area of Nowshera, said police sources.

Accused Fawad, shot dead 35-year-old Resham over a domestic dispute, said the sources, adding further probe was under way.

Peshawar: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has started probe into corruption in Peshawar bus rapid transport project here Monday.

A NAB team spent three hours in the office of PDA and collected evidences’ and records of the alleged corruption.

It may be noted that the Peshawar High Court (PHC) had ordered the NAB to initiate probe into this ‘shaky and shady’ project.

Peshawar: The National Accountability Bureau Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has decided to initiate legal action against corrupt elements in different government departments.

This decision was taken during a meeting in Peshawar on Sarurday with Director General NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Farmanullah Khan in the chair.

The meeting approved initiating inquiry against corrupt officials of Peshawar Electricity Supply Company, Public Works, Local Government, Tourism, Forest and Health Departments for misuse of authority and embezzlement of funds.

Peshawar: Peshawar High Court (PHC) here Thursday ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to initiate a probe into alleged bungling in bus rapid project of Peshawar.

As per details, a division bench of PHC, comprising high court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth and Justice Musarrat Hilali, has directed NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to probe the alleged irregularities in the Peshawar Sustainable Bus Rapid Transit Corridor (BRT) Project.

The court order stated that only 50% of the work has been completed as yet but the project was supposed to be completed by June 24.

The deadline for completion of the BRT project was repeatedly extended. The first deadline was April 20, which was extended by a month to May 20. Initially, Rs49.3 billion was approved for the project, but the cost was later revised to Rs67.9 billion due to several delays in the project.

The court said it had been informed that the project’s contract was awarded to a firm that had been black-listed in other provinces in the same kind of work.

“The amount has been allocated for this project without considering the fact that other projects were also necessary and important for public purposes,” read the order.

The delays in the project, as well as other issues relating to the Peshawar BRT, were deemed “shady and shaky” by the court.

The court told NAB to investigate the matter and submit a report before the next hearing, which is scheduled for September 5.

In its order, the judges said they feel it is “appropriate to refer the matter to the NAB authorities” to conduct a proper investigation.

PESHAWAR: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Saturday suspended his election campaign for two days due to the terrorist attack in Mastung and in solidarity with martyrs of Mastung.

“After two days, Bilawal will resume his election campaign from Rawalpindi,” said Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Spokesman to Chairman PPP. Senator Khokhar said that despite security concerns, PPP chairman will go to Punjab and other parts of the country.
Bilawal visited his constituency in Malakand today and met local PPP leadership but suspended his election campaign in NA-8 in solidarity with the people of Balochistan. Bhutto was told not to leave Peshawar Cantt by security officials. Despite the cancellation of jalsa in Malakand, thousands gathered in Malakand when Chairman PPP arrived there. In his short speech, Bilawal said, “Although I wanted to talk about various political and local issues, I will not because I have announced my solidarity with the people of Mastung. I will come again to Malakand after the elections whether I win this seat or not.” He asked his supporters to defeat the terrorists by voting for the PPP on Election Day. Chairman PPP will spend the night in Malakand.

“Those leaders who have shown no remorse for the martyrs of Mastung are not fit to be called national leaders. To be a national leader, you need to be sensitive and have pain for the nation,” said Senator Khokhar. Khokhar further said that it is not possible that on the one hand we are burying 130 martyrs and on the other we are holding jalsas. The PPP stands with the people of Pakistan, not vested interests.

Peshawar/ Bannu: At least four people died and 40 others injured when a bomb planted in a motorcycle went off near the rally of Jamait Ulema-e-Islam- Fazl (JUI-F) leader Akram Durrani at Bannu on Friday.

The rally of Durrani, who is a Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) alliance candidate, was going to attend a corner meeting when the explosive devise hit it. Bodies and inured were shifted to local hospital.

Durrani fortunately remained unhurt.

Previously, Awami National Party (ANP) candidate Haroon Bilour was killed in a suicide attack on his corner meeting in Peshawar.

Peshawar: The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) has immediately restricted the use of mercury dental fillings for children below 15 throughout the province to protect them from catching serious diseases.

Directorate-General of Health Services, KPK, in its notification (2405-70/Dev:/General File(SDPI) Dental) dated July 10, 2018 and addressed to all district health officers, medical superintendents, Dean of Khyber College of Dentistry, Peshawar and quarters concerned says: “All health workers in the dentistry unit of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province are requested to restrict and do not prefer mercury dental fillings for children below the age of 15 years in KPK to safeguard their health at their very early age with immediate effect.”

The action has been taken in the backdrop of a research-based campaign launched by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in print and social media throughout the country to ban or restrict the use of mercury dental amalgam, especially for children to safeguard their health.

SDPI has warmly welcomed the provincial government’s initiative to safeguard children’s health, at their very early age. “We are confident that the step taken in the very right direction would go a long way in phasing out dental mercury amalgam use not only in Pakistan but also in our neighboring countries, says Dr. Mahmood Khwaja, Senior Advisor on Chemicals and Sustainable Industrial Development, SDPI.

Mercury is a toxic substance and its use in all silver-coloured dental fillings has been linked to environmental harm, as well as increased risks of Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, infertility, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and many other adverse health conditions. The use of viable mercury free alternatives for dental fillings is rapidly on the increase in many countries, including Pakistan. Children are more vulnerable to this substance as its use causes neurological and reproductive problems, and damages kidneys and features.

To protect human health and environment from emission from mercury and mercury compounds, global governments adopted Minamata convention on mercury to which more than 128 countries including Pakistan have signed and 93 countries have also ratified the convention, says a relase