MANSEHRA: Vice-Chancellor of the Haripur University Dr Shafiqur Rehman on Monday voiced concern about the growing incidence of suicide among students and urged parents, teachers, civil society and authorities to join hands to address the factors, which are forcing youths to end their lives.

He told a parents day function at the Mansehra Public School and College here that ‘unjustified’ academic burden was taking its toll on the mental health of over 70 per cent of students.

Dr Rehman said educating children was the people’s religious and national duty, so why parents and teachers pressured students to obtain good grades and positions in exams and thus, causing them mental stress.

The VC said private educational institutions were helping the government further the cause of learning. He advocated conceptual education in the country.

Asks parents, teachers, civil society to take corrective steps

MPSC director Shahjehan Khan Swati said he had established the educational institution three and a half decades ago with a focus on women’seducation and even set up a separate college for women.

Principal Umar Gul Khan said the college had collaborations with international educational institutions.

Students highlighted national issues through dramatic plays, speeches and skits.

The Highest Achiever’s Award was given away to Alishba Khan, who did well in the recent FSc exam.

WINTER RELIEF: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre on Monday began the distribution of the winter relief goods to flood victims in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority.

The winter kits were given away to families in Mansehra, Chitral, Swat, Upper Dir and Dera Ismail Khan districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to a news release.

The KSRelief said its relief goods included 50,000 polyester quilts and 25,000 warm clothes and shawls and they would benefit more than 175,000 people in 14 districts.

Meanwhile, chairman of tehsil, village and neighbourhood councils on Monday demanded of the government to notify Tanawal tehsil.

“The chief minister had announced before the last local body elections that Tanawal would be made a tehsil, but it hasn’t happened even six months later,” tehsil chairman Sheikh Mohammad Shafee told a meeting in Pulrah area.

The participants, including local body representatives from Pulrah and Lassan Nawab areas, warned if the chief minister didn’t fulfil his promise, the people settled in Tanawal region won’t vote for the ruling PTI in the next elections.

HELD: The police arrested eight men here on Monday over motorcycle theft and robberies.

Additional superintendent of police Arif Javed told reporters here that the arrests came during a clampdown on robberies in Mansehra city and its suburbs.

He also disclosed the seizure of eleven stolen motorcycles, gold ornaments, mobile phones and other valuables.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2022