Health employees hold rally

PESHAWAR, Feb 19: Health department employees on Tuesday boycotted their duties, held a rally and observed a sit-in outside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly against the delay in acceptance of their charter of demands.

They suspended their routine work in Lady Reading Hospital, Khyber Teaching Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex and came to the assembly building in processions.

The protesters holding banners and placards inscribed with their demands were led by head of the Health Employees Coordination Council Dr Musa Kaleem. He told reporters despite repeated appeals the government failed to accept a charter of demands presented by the health employees.

He demanded of the government to accept the demands which also include service structure, professional allowance and protection to health workers across the province. He also demanded jobs quota for the employees’ relatives and provision of facilities for the patients. A committee was formed to hold negotiations with the chief minister. —Bureau Report

JUI’s potential poll candidates

KARAK, Feb 19: JUI-F, Karak chapter, has sent names of 12 potential candidates to the party’s parliamentary committee to contest election on the one national and two provincial assembly seats from the district.

A member of JUI-F district executive council informed this correspondent on condition of anonymity that the candidates for the NA-15 included sitting MNA Mufti Mohammad Ajmal, Mufti Sardar, Maulana Fazlullah and Mufti Hayat.

He said the candidates for PK-40 included Javaid Iqbal Khattak, Maulana Ismael Haqqani, Aman Gul and Sirajul Islam, while candidates for PK-41 are Ayub Khattak, former tehsil Karak nazim Haji Abdur Rehman, Fakhar Sayab and Maulana Tariq Khan.

The sources said the party’s district executive council didn’t consider the name of MPA Malik Qasim Khattak ‘for ignoring ideological workers and promoting a culture of divide and rule in the party’. —Correspondent

Importance of girls education

SWABI, Feb 19: Tanzeem Huqooqul Ibad (THI), a welfare body of Gadoon, organised a walk here on Tuesday to create awareness about importance of girls education.

The participants gathered at the Ulta bus stop and marched on the roads holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans to provide adequate educational facilities to the youngsters of Gadoon Amazai. Dr Aqeel Farooqi, THI patron-in-chief, led the walk.

Dr Aqeel said there were only four government high schools in the Gadoon belt, making it difficult for the girls to acquire education. He said it became very difficult for the girls to move on foot to the schools in far-flung regions.

He said more educational institutions should be established in the district, especially in Gadoon, providing an opportunity to the girls to get education which is a prerequisite for development and prosperity. —Correspondent

Science fair concludes

SWABI, Feb 19: A three-day science fair concluded at the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology on Tuesday.

The fair was organised by the GIK Institute’s Science Society. Attended by the students from all over the country, the fair was divided in college and university level competitions.

The students displayed their research projects and participated in different segments of the competition. Dr Shoaib Khan of Centre for Advanced Studies in Engineering (CASE) was the chief guest in the prize distribution ceremony.

Dr Shoaib visited the projects and lauded the approach of the students and their level of motivation. He said the fair was an important forum which encouraged the youth to share their knowledge and ideas with each other. He called for regular holding of such fairs at college and university levels. —Correspondent

Spreading true message of Islam

PESHAWAR, Feb 19: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Minister Sardar Hussain Babak has called upon the religious scholars and ulema to play their due role in spreading the true message of Islam which requires every Muslim to seek knowledge.

The minister was speaking as the chief guest at the annual prize distribution ceremony of Peshawar Public School and College Warsak Road on Tuesday. A large number of students and parents participated at the function.

The minister decorated Sher Alam Shinwari, senior English teacher, with a shield and a commendatory certificate for his volunteer services at the senior hostel for the last many years and supporting a talented student who is the son of a poor bus driver.  The minister also announced a daylong trip for the participants and prize winners in various academic and co-curricular activities of the school. —Bureau Report

Transfers and postings

PESHAWAR, Feb 19: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Tuesday ordered postings and transfers of senior police officers.

Dr Mohammad Suleman (BS-20), Commandant in the Elite Force of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was transferred and posted as DIG of police’s special branch, against the vacant post. Similarly, Tariq Javed (BS-20), DIG police headquarters, was transferred and posted as DIG police (E&I).

Mohammad Yamin Khan (BS-19), DIG police (E&I), will work as DIG police (operations) in his own pay and scale, and Mohammad Iqbal (BS-18), AIG Establishment and CPO Peshawar, will work as DIG police (headquarters) in his own pay and scale, according to a handout issued here. —Bureau Report