PHC rejects police probe in Uzma Ayub Case

Source Pakistan Observer

Peshawar—The Peshawar High Court here on Thursday ordered inclusion of 7-Anti Terrorism Act against the accused in murder case of brother of alleged gang rape victim in Karak district and rejected the enquiry report of DIG Enquiry and Investigation, Sultan Hanif Orakzai.

A two-member bench of PHC, Comprising Chief Justice, Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth took strong exception over the DIG enquiry report and ruled that why contempt of court proceeding should not be initiated against him for presenting such report that was not based on facts.

The court directed DIG Kohat Idrees Khan to continue probe of the alleged gang rape case of Uzma Ayub and clod blooded murder of his brother, Alamzaib in Karak district. The court ordered inclusion of 7-ATA against the accused in the murder case of Alamzaib and adjourned the case till January 17, 2012.

IGP KPK Muhammad Akbar Khan Hoti and Secretary Health also appeared in the court with direction of conducting of DNA Test of the unborn baby of gang rape victim after the birth to ascertain factual position. The PHC had taken strong notice of police negligence in the case and had suspended DPO Karak after killing of Uzma Ayub brother in Karak courts.

The court had also directed IGP Khyber Pakthunkhwa, Muhammad Akbar Khan Hoti to serve a show-cause notice on DIG, Kohat for not reaching on the spot after report of the incident. The Court directed strict action against police officials found guilty in the case and submission of enquiry report within seven days before the court. The court also directed government Khyber Pakthunkhwa to provide foolproof security to Uzma Ayub and her family in Peshawar.

Tribal elder shot dead in Kohat

Source Dawn

Unidentified motorcyclists shot dead a tribal elder of Orakzai Agency in Bosti Banda area of Kohat district on Thursday.
Police said that the assailants managed to escape after killing the tribal elder, however, they left behind their motorcycle, bearing registration number RLA-4672.
The Bilitang police station impounded the motorcycle and launched search for the arrest of the unidentified killers after registering a case against them.
Earlier this week, two motorcyclists had killed a leader of Sunni Supreme Council of Hangu district and injured his companion in an ambush in the same area.
In Khyber Agency, two alleged kidnappers were killed and two others arrested after exchange of fire with security forces in Jamrud tehsil on Thursday.
An official handout said that a gang of kidnappers opened firing on a joint team of security forces and khasadars when they raided a house in Saparee area early in the morning.
Two kidnappers identified as Amir and Hayat Mir were killed while two others arrested after a shootout, the handout said.
The security forces also recovered Sadeequllah, a resident of Peshawar, who had been kidnapped for ransom. The kidnappers were demanding Rs10 million for his release.
Meanwhile, Khasadar Force recovered the body of a driver from Gudar Kallay in Jamrud on Thursday.
Officials said that the body had torture marks. The deceased was identified as Talib Jan, a resident of Landi Kotal. His body was later handed over to his relatives.

Uzma Ayub case: action taken against 25 cops

Source The News

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Kohat Range Masood Khan Afridi on Monday said that action had been taken against 25 policemen in the Uzma Ayub rape case and murder of her brother Alamzeb.

Talking to family members of Uzma Ayub at the office of Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Takht Nusrati, here, the DIG said that all possible help would be extended to the affected family. He said that Alamzeb murder case was being probed thoroughly and a monitoring committee had also been formed to oversee the performance of the inquiry committee.

The official said so far 25 police officials had been taken to task and action would be taken against others as well. He directed the police to ensure security of the affected family and asked them to inform the police if they needed any sort of help.

Shia-Sunni peace jirga leader killed in Kohat

Source Central Asia Online

Attackers December 26 fatally shot a leading member of the Shia-Sunni Peace Jirga of Hangu, Maulana Niazbar, and injured his companion, Maulana Zeenatullah, on the Indus Highway in Kohat, media reported.
Armed men riding motorbikes opened fire on Niazbar, who is a member of the Sunni Supreme Council in Hangu District and who had come to Kohat to attend two separate jirgas. He died on the spot.
Zeenatullah, a resident of the Jarma area in Kohat, was hospitalised in Peshawar in serious condition.

Afghan refugees in trouble as banned via Kohat Tunnel

Source Online News

Afghan refugees residing in 20 various camps in southern districts of Khyber Pakhrunkhwa (KP) are in worse conditions due to blockade of their travel through Kohat Tunnel.
The refugees with Proof of Registration (PoR) card are compelled to stay at their makeshifts or travel through a very long route passing near Attock to Peshawar and they are facing various business and social problems, Afghan refugees in the area complained via telephone.
Their movement via Kohat Tunnel was banned in Muharram and it is still persisting that put them in awkward conditions as it is very difficult to reach a funeral to its destination besides other problems.
The Afghan Ambassador, Omer Daudzai had raised the issue with Governor Barrister Syed Masood Kausar about two weeks ago and he had promised to resolve it.
�Yes we had taken up the issue with the governor to facilitate millions of the refugees as they are facing problems in their routine life due to ban on their movement via Kohat Tunnel and he had promised to raise the issue in the official meeting,� Zardasht Shams, Press Attach� of Afghan embassy, told Online Tuesday.
The agency tried to contact provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar but he did not respond.
When Commissioner Afghan Refugees in KP Arbab Arshad was contacted for his official version he said that the question should be asked from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority. �Afghan refugees are not my subject, I have no concern with them� he said when he was informed for clearance that the question is not related to IDPs but rather to Afghan refugees.
Nevertheless, UNHCR head in Peshawar Office Ahmed Warsame told Online his Organization believes in freedom of movement of the refugees and has taken up the issue with the Secretary for SAFRON Habibullah Khan, who would respond in next few days.
�The secretary had promised to resolve the problem soon,� he said.
About 70 refugees� camps are located across the KP and 1.7 million Afghan refugees are still living in Pakistan.
The authorities concerned had imposed ban on the movement via Kohat Tunnel from the security point of view in Muharram-ul-Haram but now the situation is being reassessed and soon a decision would be taken in this connection, said official sources on condition of anonymity.
Several terrorists� attacks and bomb blasts against the check posts of the tunnel and inside the strategic tunnel of Kohat that connects Peshawar to Karachi, were carried out in the last three years.

KIMS affiliated with Khyber Medical University

Source Dawn

The Kohat Institute of Medical Sciences has been formally affiliated with Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, to fulfill a longstanding demand of the students.
Officials on Thursday said the affiliation of Kohat Institute of Medical Sciences was transferred from the Kohat University of Science and Technology to the Khyber Medical University at a ceremony held at Governor House in Peshawar.
KMU vice-chancellor Prof Dr Hafeezullah and KUST vice-chancellor Prof Dr Nasir Jamal Khattak signed the transfer deed.
Minister for Health Syed Zahir Ali Shah, Minister for Higher Education Qazi Mohammad Asad, provincial secretaries of the respective departments were also present.

Gang of smugglers busted in Kohat

Source Dawn

Police here have busted a gang involved in smuggling of non-custom paid vehicles from tribal areas to settled areas of the country.
Officials said that the police were checking papers of vehicles at Jozara area at the Kohat-Hangu border when a Toyota Hiace was stopped for examination of its registration, which was found fake along with its number (LES-6582).
The police party arrested Umeriaz Khan and Mohammad Tayyab, residents of Mamshi area of Bannu district, who tried to flee but were intercepted after a little chase.
During interrogation, the accused said that they were being followed by the gang leader in a car, who returned back to Hangu after their arrest.
The police said that the accused revealed that they were in the business of bringing non-custom paid vehicles from tribal areas, bordering Afghanistan, preparing fake registration
papers and selling them to potential buyers in settled areas.
An intelligence officer confided to this correspondent that the tribesmen smuggled vehicles for personal use in Fata where they were exempted from tax. He said that a cartel also existed that smuggled such vehicles to other parts of the country with the connivance of customs staff and police.
He claimed that the charges for non-custom paid vehicle’s entry to Kohat varied at different checkposts. He said that there were three main police checkposts where the staff charged up to Rs8,000 per vehicle. He said that the smugglers who carried such vehicles to Punjab had been paying up to Rs200,000 on average at checkpost depending on model of the
vehicle.

Iftikhar Gilani, former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister join PTI

Source Business Recorder

Syed Iftikhar Hussain Gilani, former law minister and founding member of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) along with former minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Iftikharuddin Khatak from his hometown Kohat joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday, PTI chief Imran Khan welcomed the new entrants into his party's fold, saying that his party, which is an explosive and fast combination of 'youth and experience' is on its way to victory.

When asked how PTI, which has a unique mixture of young talent and the experienced bigwigs, can bring a change in the country, Imran said, "our worst government will be better than the best governance of the present rulers."Terming PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif's demand for early elections as rhetoric, Imran said he should ask his party members to resign from the assemblies if he really wanted to get rid of the present rulers.

These are the two parties [PPP, PML-N], he added, which are afraid of PTI's rising popularity and busy in criticising people who refused to be part of them."Both PPP and PML-N tried their level best to onboard people who have joined PTI, when they refused, they have started calling them leftovers, turncoats and what not," he added.

He went on saying that PML-N was not running any campaign against PPP rather it was befooling masses through statements for early polls, which is far away from reality."The PML-N instead of criticising PPP, is targeting PTI...this is a joint drama of both the parties in their bid to malign PTI, in which they have been miserably failed," he maintained.

About his Kasur rally, in which people stole the chairs, he said, "people have become frustrated and if poverty kept on increasing at this record level, the day is not far when it will make them rebels." About memo scandal, he said it was a very serious issue and the apex court should dig out all the details so that the truth will come out.About his planned rally in Karachi on December 25, he said there were reports that Sindh High Court has barred the party from holding the rally.

"We respect the decisions of the court, but will challenge the issue in the Supreme Court as we are responsible citizens and there is no harm in holding a peaceful rally," he added.He said that public mobilisation was need of the hour as people were desperate for change and had become fed of these rulers.

About ban on dual nationality holders to contest elections in the country, Imran said his party would seek a review of ECP decisions, as it may be prudent to deprive expatriates to play their due role in country's politics.He said that it would be unjust with the expatriates, who contribute billions of dollars to their motherland every year and they should be encouraged to play active role in country's politics.

Speaking on the occasion, Iftikhar Gilani said that he saw Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's reflection in Imran that was why he opted to join PTI.

"I have quit the politics just because of these politicians, and today it is the leadership of Imran Khan, which forced me to become active in politics once again," he added.

KUST students protest lack of equipment at labs

Source The News

The students of the Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST) enrolled in the Electrical Engineering Department boycotted classes on Wednesday and staged protest against the administration for not installing equipment at the laboratories.

Talking to The News, third year students of the Electrical Engineering Department said the equipment for the laboratories had been purchased two months ago by the KUST management. However, they alleged that the delay by the administration to install the equipment and establish proper laboratories compelled them to boycott classes since last Monday.

The protesters added that practical work at the laboratories for the engineering students was the mandatory requirement of the Higher Education Commission. They said their registration was delayed due to absence of proper laboratories and it could delay award of degrees to them upon completion of the course.

Former PHC chief justice Syed Ibn Ali joins ANP

Source Pakistan Today

Prominent political and social figure from Kohat, former Peshawar High Court chief justice (r) Syed Ibn Ali on Thursday announced resignation from the Pakistan People’s Party and association to the Awami National Party in the presence of ANP provincial President Afraseyab Khattak and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti at the CM’s House.
Justice (r) Ali termed his inclusion in the “caravan of Bacha Khan and Wali Khan” a good omen for the Pakhtuns, adding that the current state of the region demanded unity among Pakhtuns.
The chief minister said the ANP was the real representative party of the Pakhtuns, adding that Justice (r) Ali’s life was open and spotless. Paying tribute to Justice (r) Ali on his services for unity among Muslims, Hoti said Islamic brotherhood and religious harmony flourished in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa particularly in southern districts. He said external elements tried to sow the seeds of dissent, adding that these evil designs could be thwarted through collective efforts. He said anti-state elements were trying different excuses for tarnishing the unity among the people and were aiming to wreak havoc and devastation, adding that there was no room for their conspiracies.

6 arrested from patwaris’ offices

Source The News

The anti-corruption department Thursday arrested six persons from various offices of the patwaris (revenue officials) and recovered fake land documents from their possession, sources said.

Inspector Sattar Khan Khattak, the anti-corruption’s Kohat circle in-charge, said that his unit had received complaints from the public that some persons were illegally working as assistants to the patwaris at their offices in Kohat district.

He said a team raided the offices and arrested six persons identified as Imam Al Hussain, Abu Bakr, Mehtab Ali, Pir Badshah, Yasir and Israr and seized fake records from their possession. He said the arrested persons were produced before the court, which handed them to the anti-corruption police on one-day remand. After the incident, the patwaris announced pen-down strike for an indefinite period.

Child among four hurt in Hangu clinic blast

Source Dawn

Four persons, including a girl child, were injured in a remote controlled bomb blast at the private clinic of a lady doctor in Hangu city on Thursday.
The main gate, waiting rooms and boundary wall of the clinic were badly damaged in the explosion. The lady doctor remained unhurt in the blast, however, her assistant received injuries.
Police said that the remote controlled device had been planted at the gate of the clinic and it exploded when several patients were waiting for their turn for medical checkup. The clinic is situated in Bahadar Garhi area of Hangu city.
The injured child, Sayam, who had come to the clinic for treatment, was in serious condition, doctors said. The other people, who suffered injuries from the splinters of the gate, were identified as paramedic Khayal Mohammad, Abdul Lateef and Naeem Shah. “All the three injured are in their teens,” sources said.
They were being treated at the district headquarters hospital by the surgeons of Medics Sans Frontiers, which had its own operation theatre and emergency room inside the building.
The bomb disposal squad said that the device could be approximately two kilograms heavy because its blast was very huge and jolted the surrounding houses and buildings.
Security in the region was beefed up to avoid any untoward incident owing to the daylong visit of Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to Kohat and Orakzai Agency on Thursday.
In Peshawar, a bomb blast destroyed a portion of a house owned by a tribesman at Saadat Town in Rasheed Garhi area on Thursday morning, police said.
According to police the explosive device was planted beside the house of Saadat Khan Mohmand, who has shifted from Mohmanad Agency and dealing in property business.
An official of Yakatoot police station said that the complainant avoided to nominate anyone in the case and said that he had not enmity with anyone. Quoting the complainant, police said that his family had got no threats and he was unable to blame anyone for the blast.
An official of the bomb disposal unit said that about 800 grams explosives, packed in a canister, were used in the blast.
He said it was a time bomb but it seemed that the device exploded before its time and people remained unhurt.
About the Wednesday`s blast in Nasir Mohmand Surgical Hospital in Gulbahar, the official said that experts found no proof about use of explosives in it. It was surely a gas explosion, he said.

Six injured in roadside Kohat blast

Source The News

Six persons sustained injuries in a roadside blast in the Frontier Region Darra Adamkhel on Monday, official sources said.

The sources said that a passenger coach, on way to Bannu from Peshawar, was targeted with a remote-controlled explosion in Akhorwal area in Darra Adamkhel. Six passengers were injured when militants triggered the explosion at 9 am.

The injured were taken to hospitals in Peshawar, the sources added. The sources said that an important government official who had travelled on the road minutes before the explosion was apparently the target.

Meanwhile, the militants fired 44 rockets on villages in Jawakai and Akhorwal areas on Wednesday but no casualty was reported in the attacks, official and local sources said.

KP minister escapes attempt on life in Kohat

Source The Nation

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Housing, Malik Amjad Afridi, escaped a life attempt on Monday, as some unidentified armed persons opened fire at his bulletproof vehicle in Billitang area of district Kohat. Sources said that minister was on his way in his vehicle when armed persons attacked him, adding owing to bulletproof vehicle, he survived. They said one of the bullets hit the windscreen of his vehicle.
Malik Amjad Afridi was elected Member of Provincial Assembly from PK-37 in February 2008 general elections as an independent candidate. Later he joined Awami National Party and he was given the portfolio of ministry of housing. District Police Officer, Kohat, Mubarik Zeb said that militants fired three sniper shots at his vehicle, out of which one hit the car's windscreen slightly damaging it.
He said the militants were hidden in the mountainous Bilitang area of Kohat.
Talking to local journalists, Afridi said he had no enmity with anyone and the attackers might be those who had attacked his father two years back. He said that involvement of militants could not be ruled out in this incident.
It is worth mentioning here that Haji Shamim Afridi, the father of Amjad, was injured in a life attempt while his gunman was killed when some armed persons attacked him in his hometown two years back. He had rushed to PIMS, Islamabad, where he was provided with medical treatment.
Shamim was close associate of former slain governor Balochistan Nawab Akbar Bugti and was also an active member of his Jamhuri Watan Paty.

Tehsil status sought for gas-rich Shakardarra

Source Dawn

ocial and political circles of Shakardarra have demanded tehsil status for their town, saying that the government has not provided even basic necessities of life such as drinking water to the residents despite earning huge profits from the local oil and gas resources.
They said that they had formed an organisation `Sabit Qadam` to strive for getting their rights after they were disappointed by hollow promises of the administration, OGDCL and parliamentarians to solve their problems.
Speaking at a jirga, former nazim of Shakardarra Abdur Rasheed Khattak said that drinking water was being supplied to residents of the town on daily basis through tankers for last seven years and there was no permanent system. He said that work on water supply scheme had been stopped since long for unknown reasons.
He lamented that the area still did not have any college and a hospital while MPA from the area is busy launching small projects like construction of streets.
Former union council nazim Gul Rehman said that Karrappa-Shakardarra road had been damaged due to use of substandard material in its construction. He said that there was no proper drainage system in the bazaar, which turned into a pool of water during rains.
He claimed that the increasing pollution due to massive oil and gas exploratory work was causing several diseases among the residents, but the small hospital of the area lacked sufficient staff and medicines to provide them timely treatment. He demanded appointment of specialist doctors and giving tehsil headquarters hospital status to the local basic health unit.
Another political worker, Riazur Rehman, said that the district administration did not pay attention to their problems despite their protests.
He also complained that their public representatives never raised their problems in the provincial and national assemblies.
Mohammad Younis, president of the OGDCL`s contract employees, blamed the MPA from the area for their problems and claimed that he did not listen to their grievances.
A social worker, Mumtaz Hussain, said that the government had promised to construct a grid station in Shakardarra and the MPAs and MNAs were making announcements in this regard since 2007 to overcome the problem of low voltage and line losses, but the project was yet to be started.

Truck carrying weapons seized near Kohat tunnel

Source The News

Police and security forces have arrested two alleged terrorists and seized the truck laden with huge amount of weapons near Kohat tunnel which was moving from Darra Adam Khel to Karachi, Geo News reported.

According to the details, police and security forces foiled a terror bid near Kohat tunnel by recovering huge amount pf weapons from the truck.

During the operation, two suspects Muhammad Raza and Allah Bakhs, belonged to Lakki Marwat, were also arrested.

According to the police, both the suspects were taking truck from Darra Adam Khel to Karachi. Recovered weapons included 15 Kalashnikovs, 82 Pistols, 100 magazines, 7270 bullets.

MOL organizes free camp at Hoti Banda

Source Pakistan Observer

MOL Pakistan, a Hungarian company in collaboration with Al-Shifa Eye Trust Hospital organized a free-eye-camp at Hoti Banda, Tehsil Lachi in district Kohat to commemorate World White Cane Safety Day. The camp was part of the series of such events held by the MOL Pakistan for the welfare of the local community. MOL Pakistan has already organized three free eye camps covering three districts of Kohat Division in its TAL Block at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, which benefited 2,146 patients including women and children through provision of free eye operations, services, spectacles and medicine.

In the recent free-eye camp a total of 264 patients were examined including 135 male and 129 female and 70 patients were recommended for operation. Some 256 persons were provided spectacles and 80 were referred to the hospital for advance examination. As many as 20 patients ready for operation on the spot were taken to the Al-Shifa Eye Hospital in Kohat. The aim of the camps was to provide tertiary level specialized medical care at the doorstep of the poor community of the area, besides, creating a sense of awareness in the local community for adopting healthy life styles especially, regarding eye care and to draw attention of the general public towards the problems faced by the blind.

MOL Pakistan fulfills its commitment towards the local communities through establishing schools, awarding of scholarships to students and provision of donations to flood affected people.

`Corruption` stops work on Kohat monuments

Source Dawn

District coordination officer Shahidullah Khan has stopped work on two monuments being built here at a cost Rs6.6 million due to alleged corruption and wastage of public funds.
One of the monuments is attributed to the founder of Khudai Khidmatgar Tehrik, late Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, and the other to a less known leader of the movement.
Sources quoted the DCO as saying that the actual cost of the monument of a little known khudai khidmatgar, Shehanshah Wali, which was being constructed at the old bus stand chowk, was not more than Rs300,000. However, the authorities had approved Rs3.6 million from the fund of MNA Khursheed Begum for its construction.
A local leader of Awami National Party, Shahabullah, had proposed the construction of one monument in Hangu chowk having three pillars and a globe atop them with a sketch of Abdul Ghaffar Khan.
When asked about the matter, Shahabullah said that according to his proposal the sketch of the leader had to be adorned with gold and silver work and the cost of the project was calculated to be Rs3 million.
Asked about spending money on such projects, he justified it by saying that Abdul Ghaffar Khan was their spiritual and political leader and moreover it was the government of ANP in the province.
The intellectuals and majority of the people of Kohat have been demanding of the government to build a monument or dedicate any corner of university hall to the legendary poet late Ahmed Faraz and former West Pakistan chief justice late Mohammad Rustam Kayani, but such suggestions were ignored.
When the city fathers demolished the famous and historical Jinnah library and constructed a commercial plaza it forced Ahmed Faraz to remorsefully announce that he would not come to his hometown, Kohat, in his life.

Committee fails to submit report in stipulated time

Source The News

The inquiry committee formed by the chief minister to probe the case of a teenage girl reportedly kidnapped a year ago and repeatedly raped by several persons, including policemen, has failed to submit its report in the stipulated time.

The committee is working at a snail s pace while the girl, Uzma Ayub, is pleading that her life is in danger and is seeking timely justice.

On October 5, Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti directed the inquiry committee headed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa home secretary and having the AIG Police Investigation and Kohat commissioner as members to submit its findings to the government within a week. But the committee took nine days to just record the statement of Uzma Ayub and her brother Alamzeb.

Sources told The News here on Sunday that the committee did complete the identification process on October 14. On the occasion, Uzma Ayub accused Station House Officers Pir Mohsin Shah and Amir Khan and Sub-Inspector Hakeem of arresting her. She also identified the other accused including Nazar Khan, Karim and Dr Iqbal.

The sources said Naseebullah, who is serving in the army and is the main accused in the case, did not appear before the inquiry committee.

Uzma Ayub informed the committee that there were some injury marks on the body of Sub-Inspector Hakeem, who according to her was one of the rapists. The committee also collected information from the accused and recorded their statements.

The police officers in their defence alleged that Uzma Ayub s brother was also involved in some cases. In reply, her brother Alamzeb presented the record of these cases and said he was charged in only one case in 2005 when one of his relatives implicated him. He stressed that he was acquitted in the case after 18 months.

Alamzeb reminded that when he along with his mother raised voice against the injustice with his sister, the police in 2010 implicated him in a mobile phone theft case and also in the case of an untraceable vehicle in Kohat. He said the police were still victimising his family for going public with the complaint against the cops. He said that those who helped their family were also being implicated in false cases.

Alamzeb claimed that the police implicated their lawyer Afsar Khan in false cases for helping their family and filing an application under Section 22A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) against the accused in the kidnapping and rape case of his sister. He said the police also tortured their lawyer Afsar Khan mentally, physically and financially. After immense pressure, he said, the lawyer abandoned the case.

It may be added that the Child Welfare & Protection Commission and CSO members from Shirkat Gah, Blue Veins, NET, SPARC, Aurat Foundation, ABKT, Khwendo Kor and CRSD are providing legal aid to Uzma Ayub and her family.

These organisations held an emergency meeting when the news of Uzma Ayub s plight appeared in the media and decided to independently probe the incident. The Child Welfare & Protection Commission and CSO members inquiry report also revealed that Uzma Ayub was innocent and had been wronged.

It demanded exemplary punishment to all the accused in the case. It is now up to the government to ensure that the inquiry committee formed by the chief minister completes its work and justice is delivered to Uzma Ayub and her family.

Hundreds protest hike in robberies in Kohat

Source Dawn

Hundreds of people on Sunday took to the streets to protest against police failure to curb increasing dacoities in the city which claimed life of a house owner recently. They blocked the main Bazaar-i-Mustafa road for several hours.
The protesters were holding placards inscribed with slogans against the DIG, Kohat region, DPO and the administration for their failure to control crimes in the Kohat city especially dacoities.
The protesters demanded expulsion of some ‘corrupt’ police officials from the district who had been serving here for several years and had ‘developed links with smugglers, gamblers, thieves and extortionists’.
The protest was addressed by former MNA Javed Ibraheem Paracha, former naib nazim of urban-I Asghar Ayub, president of Tajir action committee Haji Abid Paracha, secretary general of bazaar Israr Shinwari and other prominent figures of the city.
Javed Ibraheem Paracha said dacoits took away gold and money from the house of a retired brigadier in Muhallah Parachgan; deprived the family of Haris of 21 tolas of gold and killed the owner of a house who scuffled with dacoits three days back in the same vicinity. Similarly, in a daring attempt dacoits took away a motorcycle from inside a house of one Sajid.
He alleged that police were hand in glove with the criminals while the high ups and the provincial government were least concerned to the threats to the lives and property of the people.
Asghar Ayub gave a 3-day deadline to the police for the arrest of the killers after which they would launch an indefinite strike.

Woman, child hurt in rocket attack

Source Dawn

A woman and a child were injured in rockets fired by militants at residential area of Ara Khel in the frontier region of Kohat on Saturday night.Official sources said the militants fired five rockets at the Ara Khel village from the mountain of Darra Adamkhel town. One of it exploded at a house and injured a woman and a child who were shifted to a local basic health unit. Their names could not be ascertained.
The military retaliated by firing at the alleged hideouts of the militants in the said mountain with artillery but no damage was caused on the other side. The militants have been firing rockets in the area for the last one year, which has forced the tribal families to migrate to Kohat district.
Several tribesmen have been killed in IED blasts hitting vehicles and rocket attacks. — Correspondent

Masked men kill passenger, injure three in Kohat

Source Dawn

Unidentified masked armed persons killed a tribesman and injured three others in Marai area here on Monday.
Sources said that gunmen stopped a passenger coach going to Orakzai Agency and forced the commuters to get off the vehicle. They shot dead a passenger and injured three others, they added.
The injured were shifted to a local hospital in Ustarzai village. The Ustarzai police, when contacted, said that things were not clear yet and they were investigating the incident to register a case.
Sources said that the passenger coach bearing registration number 1085-Peshawar was carrying commuters from Hangu via Kohat to Tirah in lower Orakzai Agency when two motorcyclists intercepted it and forced the passengers to disembark from the vehicle for identification.
“There were also families in the vehicle. One of the passengers exchanged hot words with the masked men, who opened fire at them,” they added. Arsala Khan, a resident of Orakzai Agency, was killed while Sakhiullah, his seven-year-old daughter Ayesha and Said Khan were injured in the firing. All the victims belong to Mishti Mela tribe of Orakzai Agency.
The child was referred to KDA headquarter hospital from Ustarzai hospital.
Sources said that the attackers disappeared on their motorcycle after committing the crime into the nearby mountainous area, infested with thick jungles. The Marai village is situated near the border of the troubled Orakzai Agency where security forces had launched operation against militants in March 2010.
Officials claimed that the lower part of the tribal region was safe as it was cleared of militants in September last with the help of tribesmen.
However, local sources said that militants were still present in some areas.
Militants were still attacking convoys of security forces and passenger coaches on Hangu-Parachinar Highway and in tribal area, they said.

Four of family killed in Kohat

Source Dawn

A man and three other members of his family were gunned down allegedly by his sons from his second wife over a property dispute in Garhi Dhodiwal here on Wednesday.
Police said that the head of the family, Mustafa, was shot in the head, while his wife, Shah Sultana, 16-year-old son Murtaza and 11-year-old daughter Tayyaba had apparently been strangled and then shot.
The investigation official said that Mustafa had been shot dead while the others were strangled before being shot to make it look like a domestic dispute.
The police and the neighbours also believed that Murtaza had committed suicide after killing his family.
However, after detailed investigation, police learnt that the seven stepsons of Murtaza from his other wife were missing from their homes and despite many phone calls none of them replied. They have been nominated in the FIR and declared absconders.
Meanwhile, the bodies of the slain members of the family were shifted to KDA hospital for autopsy and police was still awaiting the medical report on Friday.
According to sources, the accused entered the house soon after iftar on the chand raat and killed the whole family after exchanging hot words with their father and fled away.
The names of the accused sons of Mustafa are Khalil, Tahir, Abdul Hameed, Rasheed, Jalil and Mudassar. They were enraged after their father gifted all property to his late son Murtaza.

Accident keeps Indus Highway blocked for five hours

Source The News

The Indus Highway remained blocked for five hours after a collision between a trailer and a truck, creating problems for the people travelling between Peshawar and Kohat. Long queues of vehicles were seen on both sides of the road. The commuters found it difficult to get to their destinations.

A person sustained injuries in the collision on the Indus Highway in Darra Adamkhel. Eyewitnesses said the trailer (TLA-449) rammed into the truck (C2313) at Abbas Chowk, leaving its driver, whose name could not be ascertained, injured.

Meanwhile, residents in Darra Adamkhel have asked the authorities to help rebuild the bridges blown up by the militants. They said the destroyed bridges also contributed to the traffic snarls as the people could not take alternative routes in case of the blockage of the Indus Highway due to traffic accidents.

Freed miners still trapped in Tirah

Source Dawn

Four miners, who were kidnapped from Darra Adamkhel along with their 12 colleagues, have been released from kidnappers but they are still trapped in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency owing to blockade of routes in the tribal region, according to sources.
They said that the kidnapped miners were released from the custody of their captors by a tribal lashkar of Kokikhel on August 17. “They are still in the protection of Kokikhel tribe but they cannot be shifted to Peshawar as it is feared that warring militant
groups may kidnap them again,” sources said.
The 12 other kidnapped miners were released few days ago after reportedly payment of huge ransom. The trapped miners include Fazl-i-Haq, Raheemullah, Bakhzada and Taimoor Khan. Their unconditional release is attributed to an operation conducted by Kokikhel tribe in Tirah valley against militants.
The arrival of the victims to their homes was being delayed owing to several reasons, sources said, adding they had been taken far deep into Tirah valley unlike their 12 other colleagues.
“Now they cannot be brought back to Darra Adamkhel or Peshawar through Bara due to safety reasons. There are several armed groups that can try to kidnap them again,” said tribal elders. The elders of Kokikhel tribe have decided to take the released miners to Afghanistan and bring them back through Torkham border to Peshawar and hand them over to government.
It may be recalled that Tariq Afridi group of Taliban Pakistan had allegedly abducted 16 miners from Akhorwal area of Darra Adamkhel on the night of June 10 and whisked them away to remote Tirah valley.
Twelve of the victims were released after 67 days of captivity following successful negotiations among militants, mine owners and Kokikhel elders. The released miners were found in the same place from where they had been kidnapped in Darra Adamkhel. The Kokikhel elders negotiated on behalf of the victims with Tariq Afridi group and also destroyed some of his camps in Tirah valley, according to local sources.
The political administration of Darra Adamkhel, however, told Dawn that all the 16 abducted miners had been released and sent to their homes in Shangla district.Later, it was said that four of kidnapped miners had been freed by militants in Khyber Agency and they would reach their homes within 24 hours. But they are still in Khyber Agency.

Kidnappers kill ex-army officer, cop in Kohat

Source Dawn

Unidentified persons killed a retired army officer after kidnapping him at gunpoint from Defence Colony here on Saturday.
A policeman was killed and two others, including an assistant sub-inspector, were injured during exchange of fire with the kidnappers when they tried to stop their car at Dhoda Chowk.
Eyewitnesses and police said that Col (retired) Shakeel Ahmed Tariq was going to mosque to offer morning prayers when few armed men came in a car and kidnapped him at gunpoint.
The kidnappers also wrapped him in a black burqa, they said, adding that the vehicle was bearing a fake registration number, Islamabad-850.
They said that the armed men tried to whisk away the retired officer to some unspecified place through Dhodha route. They reached Indus Highway Indus Highway but a patrolling vehicle stopped their car as the entire city was sealed after police control room informed law enforcers about the incident.
The kidnappers opened indiscriminate firing at the police patrolling vehicle and killed a constable identified as Amjid Ali Shah. Sub-inspector Chinar Gul and constable Adnan were injured in the incident.
The injured policemen were rushed to KDA hospital for treatment.
After some time police rescue teams started search operation in the area and found the abandoned vehicle of kidnappers at Zero Point on Indus Highway. Police found a dead body wrapped in a burqa in the rear seats of the car.
The family members confirmed that the dead body was of retired kidnapped colonel.
The assassinated retired officer was scheduled to go to Dubai through a flight at 10am on Saturday to meet his family members. His funeral will be held at 10am here on Sunday.
The funeral prayers for the killed constable, a resident of Mandoori village of Kohat, were offered in Kohat Police Lines. Kohat DIG and DPO laid floral wreaths at the coffin of the constable.
Colonel (retired) Shakeel Ahmed Tariq of armoured corps of Pakistan Army had served as president of Inter-Services Selection Board (ISSB) for eight years.
He also served in Military Intelligence as a major. Presently he was running a private academy for imparting training to boys to qualify tests of ISSB.
He was the son of Major (retired) Jalil Shah and brother of Nadra provincial director Col (retired) Aqeel Ahmed. He left behind a window and four children, who are living in Dubai.

Angry protesters take Pesco officials hostage

Source Dawn

The infuriated consumers made three Pesco officials hostage along with their vehicle during a protest demonstration against loadshedding in Sherkot area here on Sunday.

The protesters also blocked Parachinar highway for more than three hours to every kind of traffic. However, they released the officials on the assurance of police that power transformer in the area would be repaired.

Police said that Sherkot people paid three times for repair of a faulty transformer and demanded installation of more transformers.

The protesters complained that Pesco officials were demanding money for repair of the transformer for fourth time. “They refused to repair the transformer when we declined to pay more money to them,” they alleged.

Police assured the protesters that the transformer would be repaired by Pesco and it would try to resolve the problem of low voltage.

In some parts of the city, electricity remained suspended for 20 hours owing to delay in replacement of faulty transformers.

The residents alleged that Pesco had made it a routine to demand hefty amount for repair and replacement of the transformers.

The SDO, when contacted on Saturday night, said that that emergency staff would be available on Sunday replace the transformers. The staff was replacing a transformer in the city and other would be changed on Sunday, he said.The Pesco staff came in the afternoon after 16 hours to Mohallah Sikandar Khan Shaheed to replace the damaged transformer, residents said.

They said they had to suffer in the extreme hot weather while fasting as a result of the delay.

“The Wapda team agreed to take the transformer for repairing and demanded Rs19,000 from us,” they said. However, after intervention of some influential people they promised to bring it back in the evening free of cost. But the transformer was not installed despite lodging several complaints with the said SDO till filing of this report. The transformer developed a fault around 9am on Saturday.

The people, who had generators, spend Rs1,000 on petrol to run them in absence of transformer for such a long time. The problem has caused acute shortage of drinking water in the city.

Sometime back, Pesco staff charged money for repair of a transformer from villagers of Muhammadzai area and even then replaced it after five days.

Earlier, the transformers used to be stocked at divisional headquarters but due to unknown reasons the government decided to dump them at the main workshop in Nowshera.

Now, in case of immediate replacement, officials prefer to repair transformers at a private workshop with consumers’ money instead of sending them to Nowshera as it can take at least three days.

“The politicians have make things worst by making announcements about provision of electricity to the remotest areas of their constituencies to get public support during elections,” consumers said.

They added that Wapda had installed poles and hundreds of new transformers but it could hardly provide electricity owing to power shortfall.

Cop shot dead in Kohat

Source The News

A cop was killed and another sustained injuries when militants opened fire on a police party near the New Bus Terminal on Saturday evening, sources said.

The sources said that a Rider Squad of the Mills Area Police Post was on patrol when militants opened fire on it, killing Constable Basheer and injuring Constable Tanveer.

Following the incident, the police cordoned off the area but no arrest was reported yet.

Meanwhile, the police found a body in the waiting room of the Bus Terminal here on Saturday.

The sources said that acting on a tip-off, the police reached the spot and took the body of Ashraf Khan, son of Khani and resident of Mianwali district, into custody. The police also found a pistol near the body and it was presumed that the man committed suicide.

Doctor kidnapped in Kohat

Source Dawn

Unidentified armed men kidnapped a doctor along with his driver at gunpoint in Lachi town of the district on Thursday.
The driver was, however, recovered and a kidnapper was injured in encounter with police during search operation in the area. The car of the doctor was also found abandoned near a dam.
According to a statement issued by the district police officer, Dr Javed Ali Shah was still missing and efforts were underway  for his safe recovery.
Officials said that exchange of fire took place in Ghurzandi area and one of the kidnappers identified as Ahmed Niaz, a resident of North Waziristan, was arrested by police in injured condition.
The operation, launched for recovery of kidnapped doctor, was suspended due to darkness and would be resumed in the morning.
Police said that Dr Javed was going to regional health centre for duty with his driver Gul Sahib in his car bearing registration number ID-780 when unidentified persons stopped them and took them away at gunpoint.
Later, District Police Officer Mubarek Zeb Khan arrived at the scene along with police force and launched a search operation in the mountainous region for recovery of kidnapped persons.
They found the car abandoned near Darmalak Dam which was taken into custody and all possible routes of the kidnappers were sealed.
Officials said that it was not possible to trace the kidnapped persons in Lachi town because it was surrounded by mountains.
A health technician was also kidnapped from his quarter near a basic health centre in Dodi Banda in the limits of Lachi police few days ago. He had not been recovered.
Police said that Ghurzandi area of Lachi was infested with criminals and militants and their main source of earning was robberies and kidnappings for ransom.
In the past several operations had been conducted by army and police to flush out criminals from the area but they came back after some time because it was considered a safe route to tribal areas of North and South Waziristan agencies.
Meanwhile, three persons were injured when their rivals opened fire at their car near Rawalpindi Interchange on Thursday.
A car bearing registration number MNP-6521 was coming from Peshawar when four armed men opened fire at it near the interchange on Indus Highway. Bakhtiar, Roman and Zawar Khan sustained bullet injuries in the incidents. They were shifted
to KDA hospital for treatment.

Militants free Darra miners after 67 days

Source Dawn

The miners, who had been kidnapped from Akhorwal area of Darra Adamkhel, were released by their captors after 67 days.
The political administration, soon after kidnapping of 16 miners, had declared that they were not being kept in Darra Adamkhel. It had also constituted a jirga to negotiate a deal with the kidnappers for safe release of abducted miners.
Officials were tight-lipped about disclosing the contents of the agreement between the jirga of mine owners and the abductors that led to release of the kidnapped miners.
Reliable sources confided to Dawn that 12 of the miners were released in Akhorwal area of Darra Adamkhel while four of them would be freed from Khyber Agency on Wednesday. “The release was made possible through a deal reached between the local commander of Taliban and mine owners,” they said.
Officials said that 12 miners had reached their homes in Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while remaining four would be sent to their homes soon after their release.
The tribesmen believed that the victims were abducted by Taliban and taken to Khyber Agency.

Petty dispute claim life in Kohat

Source Pakistan Observer

One person was killed over a petty dispute in Jangal Khel area of District Kohat on Saturday.

According to detail, there was old property dispute between the two groups which resulting killing of Haji Gul when he was coming out from his house situated in village Dare Nalayain of Jangal Khel, District Kohat. Haji Gul was killed on the stop in the jurisdiction of Police Station Jangal Khel, Kohat while two accused mentioned in the FIR Sattar Khan and Sardar Khan, made their escape from the scene.

One killed as shell hits house in Darra Adam Khel

Source The News

A man was killed and seven other persons sustained injuries when mortar shells fired by the militants hit houses in the Akhorwal area in Darra Adamkhel on Wednesday, official sources said. The sources said militants fired 25 mortar shells at the Atariwal village in Akhorwal area. One of the shells hit a house, killing Lal Faqir. Seven other persons sustained critical injuries in the attack. Some of the injured were identified as Muhammad Iqbal and Dr Shahid Khan. Security forces targetted the hideouts of the militants in the hilly area of Khormatang village but there were yet no reports of casualties.

Orakzai, Kurram IDPs start settling in Kohat

Source Dawn

Accusing the provincial government of discrimination, several non-governmental organisations have critcised the double standards being followed while taking care of more than 546,000 internally displaced persons from Orakzai and Kurram Agencies living in Kohat since 2007.
The government established camps and provided regular food for Swat and Malakand IDPs when military operations were launched there but no camp was set up in Kohat for the people migrating from Orakzai, Kurram and Hangu, they alleged.
According to official record, 23,000 families have been displaced from lower Orakzai and 55,000 from upper Orakzai owing to fighting between security forces and militants. They are residing in different areas of Kohat. The report said that 9,944 registered families, consisting of 69,608 individuals, left Sadda tehsil of Kurram Agency for safer places recently. More than 300 displaced families of Kurram Agency have also settled in Kohat.
Ziaullah Khan Bangash, the managing director of an NGO, told Dawn that the Provincial Disaster Management Cell did not
provide proper tents and food to those displaced persons despite their repeated reminders.
“Our request for shifting of all household items and tents, given to Swat IDPs, to Kohat has also been turned down,” he added.
He said that IDPs in Kohat and Hangu were not provided with relief items and food even before the start of the holy month of
Ramazan. “The enthusiasm of local philanthropists, who generously provide food and money especially during Ramazan, is also dying down with the passing of time,” he said.
Mr Bangash alleged that relevant departments were not utilising their funds according to the requirements of needy people.
“In Hangu district, where camps have been established for IDPs unlike Kohat, the affected people have been protesting lack of medicines, food and gas for the last one year,” he added.
He said that after the twin suicide attacks on a registration centre in Kacha Pakha area of Kohat on April 17, 210, IDPs were entering Kohat without registration.
“There is no functional registration point in Kohat at present and IDPs from FR Kohat, Hangu, Orakzai and Kurram are entering Kohat freely,” he said.
Most of these IDPs have bought properties and settled in Jarma, Muhammadzai permanently as they have little hope of returning to their hometowns.
Mr Bangash said that 21,000 families returned to Orakzai Agency in three phases but they were again fleeing the restive region.
The government had told tribesmen in March 2010 when the operation was launched that Orakzai Agency would be cleared of
militants within one year but clashes were intensifying there, he added.
An official, on condition of anonymity, said that three families were entering Kohat from the frontier region and other tribal parts every day. “These new colonies of tribesmen need police stations and mobile vehicles to monitor their activities but the
government has limited resources,” he said.
The exodus of IDPs has resulted in population explosion in Kohat, putting extra burden on local transport and educational institutions.
“There is need for special centres to provide counselling to displaced children and rid them of the bitter memories of violence,” said a displaced tribesman.

Ex-nazim, 5 others held for attack on Lachi police

Source Dawn

A local court here on Wednesday remanded former union council nazim of Lachi tehsil and his five supporters in police custody for two days for attacking the police station.
The ex-nazim, Fawad Khan, and his relative Sohail had forcibly entered the Lachi police station to get his relative released after he was arrested on unspecified charges late on Tuesday night. According to reports, they had also exchanged hot words with the station house officer and other policemen and resorted to firing in the air.
Meanwhile, the people of the area surrounded the police station and pelted stones at the police as a result of which SHO Khanullah and two policemen received injuries. Some accused in the police lockup also got injured in the fighting.
The protesters later blocked the Indus Highway and demanded the release of the suspect Hidayatullah. The police overpowered them and arrested Fawad, Manzoor, Waseem, Faisal, Abid and Nazeer for interfering in police affairs, firing, beating policemen and blocking the Indus Highway.
The elders of the area reached the police station and initiated talks with the police officers for the release of the nazim and his men, who are said to be influential landlords of the area. The negotiations continued for several hours, but the police high ups ordered that the accused should be arrested and proper FIR lodged against them. Later, the police registered cases against several people who had blocked the highway and raids were being conducted for their arrest

Man burns wife to death in Kohat

Source Dawn

A man on Tuesday allegedly burnt to death his wife after having a brawl with her in Mir Ahmed Khan here and fled.
The police said Fayyaz who was married to Madeeha two years back had very tense relation with his wife and used to beat her.
On Tuesday he sprinkled kerosene oil on her and burnt her to death. He tried to burry her without post mortem but his in-laws got suspicious and took the body to hospital for autopsy. Doctors confirmed that she had been burnt to death and had not died a natural death. The police registered murder case against Fayyaz and launched investigations.

MOL, OGDCL provide soft loan of Rs 700m

Source Pakistan Observer

Managing Director MOL Pakistan, Erno Liptak said that OGDCL and MOL have provided Rs.700 million soft loan to the National Highway Authority (NHA) for the early completion of new Khushal Garh Bridge.

Talking to media, he said that the joint venture partners were glad that the dream for a new Khushal Garh bridge on the River Indus would become a reality in the near future, said a press release issued here.

He said each infrastructure project not only creates new jobs, but also opens up new opportunities for economic development.

“The new bridge will provide quicker and easier access for the people traveling between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab through Kohat Road on one hand and on the other it will help further enhance oil and gas exploration activities in the area.” He said that they are glad to be a part of this project of significant economic and strategic importance for Pakistan.

New Khushalgarh bridge to bring prosperity: Alamgir

Source The News

Federal Minister for Communications Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan Khalil said Thursday that the construction of new bridge at Khushalgarh will bring a new era progress and prosperity in the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He expressed these views while addressing a public gathering on the occasion of ground breaking ceremony of the bridge performed by Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani. The minister in his address said that this 373 meters long bridge will be a two-lane bridge which can be converted into four lanes in future to accommodate the traffic pressure. He said this Rs24 billion project will be completed in 24 months, and MOL Pakistan and OGDCL will provide assistance to the National Highway Authority (NHA) in this project.

Arbab Alamgir said after the discovery of oil and gas reserves in Kohat, this bridge will be of importance in transporting crude oil to Attock Oil Refinery. The minister said the present democratic government, which is moving forward with the vision of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, has launched development projects throughout the country without any discrimination.

He said that the completion of new two-lane Khushalgarh bridge will bring revolutionary changes in the area and not only the people of the area will benefit from it but it will also boost trade, tourism, industry and agriculture of the country.

PM’s Kohat public rally cancelled

Source Dawn

The public gathering arranged for Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani after the foundation stone-laying ceremony of new Khushalgarh Bridge on Thursday (today) at the farmhouse of Provincial Minister for Housing Amjad Khan Afridi in Kohat has been cancelled due to political rivalry, Dawn has learnt reliably.
Mr Amjad had invited the prime minister to his farmhouse at a lunch after inaugurating work on the new bridge. However, MNA Dilawar Shah strongly objected to the programme and took the plea that as the function was of federal government the prime minister should stay at his hurja for a lunch.
The foundation stone-laying ceremony of the new bridge would start at 9am on Thursday (today), according to the invitation cards issued on behalf of the housing minister. The lunch programme of the prime minister at the farmhouse mentioned in press cards had been removed with a black marker after the official cancellation of the programme.
Confusion prevailed here about the PM’s programme as both the political leaders issued invitations about the lunch to people at their respective places. Even they verbally told the people that they were hopeful that the gathering would be held in Kohat.
Both the MNA and the housing minister belonged to the ANP.
Some local leaders said that security and pressing engagements of the prime minister could be a reason for cancellation of the public meeting in Kohat.

Ministry decides payment of 5pc bonus for oil, gas producing areas

Source Pakistan Observer

Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources has decided to grant production bonus to those districts where oil and gas reserves have been discovered, said White Paper 2011-12 of the Finance Department Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for financial.

The funds will be spent through Petroleum’s Social Development Committees (PSDC) comprising MNAs Chairmen, MPAs Tehsil Taluka Nazims, district Nazim members, DCO (Secretary) of the district and two representative of the Exploration and Production (E&P) Company Member/ Vice Chairman.

Secretary of the PSDC (DSO) will open and administer a joint bank account with the title Petroleum’s Social Development Fund (PSDF), to be operated by District Coordination Officer and the Executive District Officer (EDO) Finance and Planning for the purpose of funding projects identified by the PSDC through the production bonus payable by the E&P Company.

All those E&P companies who are obligated to pay production bonus to the government for infrastructure development of the area will deposit the production bonus directly in the bank account of the Secretary (DCO) of the PSDF in consultation with the Director General, Petroleum Concessions (DGPC). The proceeds of first production bonus against Tal black of MOL was US $ 5,00,000 (Rs. 29.486 million), which had already been deposited in the account of DCO Karak and DCO Hangu during the year of 2008-09.

Second production bonus against the Tal Block of MOL was US $ one million (RS. 85.809 m), which had been deposited in the account of DCO Karak and Hangu amounting to Rs. 66.963 million and Rs.18.846 million respectively during the financial year 2010-11. Third bonus of US $ 1.5 million may become payable against the said block during next financial year of 2011- 12, the will be directly paid by the respective Exploration and Production (E& P ) company to the concerned Districts Governments under the existing guidelines of productions bonus.

The Provincial Government has also decided to transfer 5 per-cent shares of receipts on account of Oil and Gas receivable from Federal Government to the respective districts where well head of Oil and Gas are located. In this connection report of the committee headed by the Chief Secretary, KPK regarding utilization of 5 per sent share has been approved by the Provincial Cabinet. The said 5 per sent share will be over and above the size of District and Provincial ADP and will be utilized on Electricity, Supply of Gas, Education, Technical Education, Water Supply Schemes, Roads and Health facilities.

Utilization of 5 per cent share in the socio-economic condition of the area. For the financial year of 2010-11 a sum of Rs.225.185 has already been allocated and released to concern Districts i.e. Kohat and Karak as 5 per sent share of royalty on oil, gas Excise Duty on Natural Gas and Gas Development Surcharge. Moreover the last installment of Rs.42.071 million is also paid to Sui Northern Gas Pipeline from the provision of 5 per cent share from the current financial year for providing, gas facilities to the natives of the district Karak and Kohat which has approved by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources of the Federal Govt.

Beside Hydel resources, the Province of KPK has been blessed with large reserves of Oil and Gas. After 18th amendment Provincial Govt. has equal share with the Federal Govt. in all the forth coming production regarding Oil and Gas. Keeping in view the Eighteenth amendment Provincial Cabinet has given the approval of establishment of Oil and Gas Exploration Company. The company will be registered soon with the Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan and other relevant institutions.

After registration this company will be such as OGDCL, MOL and PPL in different blocks. In compliance with the decision of Peshawar High Court under Article 158 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, all the commercial undertakings like CNG etc in the Province are exempted from loadshedding.

Afghans, IDPs overstaying their hospitality

Source Dawn

The prolonged stay of Afghan refugees and internally displaced persons from tribal regions has created social and economic problems besides posing threat to peace of the district, locals complain.
The elders of internally displaced persons say that police ask them to submit personal guarantees that they will not indulge in terrorist activities during their stay in the district, but they have been refusing.
The locals said that prolonged stay of IDPs had resulted in increase in rents of houses, land and shops besides creating joblessness in the area.
On the other hand, IDPs, once welcomed by the locals with open heart, blame government for its failure in flushing out terrorists from their tribal agencies during the last several years.
The IDPs from Kurram and Orakzai agencies, Hangu district, Waziristan Agency, Darra Adamkhel, Malakand and Swat have been living in Kohat for the last four years. They have set up new settlements on Indus Highway by occupying or buying land from the local people.
Locals alleged that some of the IDPs joined militant groups and were creating law and order situation in the district.
“They have also converted University Road and Indus Road Bypass up to Zero Point into a no-go-area,” locals alleged.
Recently, police arrested a group of Taliban, allegedly involved in making suicide jackets and improvised explosive devices, from the area. An electricity transformer was also recovered from the house. Locals said that new seminaries and mosques were being built in the areas where IDPs lived.
Sources said that militants had also entered the district in the guise of IDPs and were posing threat to peace of the area.
In addition, there are thousands of Afghan refugees, who have permanently settled near the mountains of Darra Adamkhel and some parts of the city without any kind of restriction on their movement.
Some of the Afghan refugees have bought homes in the city and shops in the costly main bazaar. They have made huge investment in cloth, fruit and transport businesses besides establishing small factories of shoes and other outlets.
The officials concerned, when contacted, were unable to give accurate figures of IDPs living in the district. However, locals said that their number exceeded 200,000.
Owing to uncertain situation in the conflict zones, the IDPs are reluctant to go back to their homes. Same is the case with Afghans.

Taliban commander arrested in Kohat

Source Central Asia Online

A Taliban militant commander, Mata Mir, was arrested during a police encounter in Kohat June 10, media reported.

According to Express Tribune, police raided an area near Dhal Bhazadi and arrested the militant commander.

Mir belongs to Tehrik-e-Taliban and has been involved in several incidents of target killings and terrorism in the country, media added.

Militants kidnap 18 miners from Darra

Source Dawn

About 100 armed militants belonging to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attacked heavily-guarded Darra Adamkhel and kidnapped 18 coalminers from Akhorwal area late on Friday night.
0fficials said that the TTP of Tariq Afridi group, which supports Hakeemullah Mehsud, penetrated into the area in the night from Tora Chinna area, which connects Darra Adamkhel with Khyber Agency.
They abducted 26 miners some of whom were also armed. Some people showed resistance and fired at the militants and escaped from their custody, but 18 men were taken away to Khyber Agency.
The security forces and political administration learnt about the incident on Saturday morning and conducted a search operation for the recovery of the kidnapped miners, who were taken across the tribal borders by that time.
The coalmines were taken over by the armed lashkar of the area when the TTP started collecting monthly tax from the miners and asked them to stop providing any kind of assistance to the army or the political administration. The sources said that the TTP had been killing and kidnapping people of those tribes in the past, who ferried food and water to the security forces trenched in the high mountains.
They said that lashkar men had refused to fulfill their demands and challenged their atrocities in Darra Adamkhel. They said that the opponent Momin Khan Afridi group, which leads the lashkar, had been asking the TTP to end their terror in Darra and threats to the local parliamentarians and businessmen because they were innocent and could not afford to support any side.
The sources said that the TTP of Tariq Afridi tried to kill his opponent, Momin Afridi, and his commanders in a suicide attack at a mosque during Friday prayers in Atariwal area. But Momin Afridi was not present in the area on that day.
Later, the TTP in a telephonic message warned the tribesmen of Atariwal to stop supporting Momin Afridi otherwise more attacks would be conducted against his tribe. The Atariwal sub-tribe of Momin Afridi group lives in the main Akhorwal area of Darra Adamkhel from where 18 miners had been kidnapped.
Momin Khan Afridi group formed a parallel Islami Taliban Momin Afridi Group in 2008 to flush out the TTP.

Two killed, seven hurt: Jaish factions fight over mosques

KUST VC defends action against protesting students 16 students sent to jail

Afghan mobile SIMs active in Kohat

People block Kohat-Bannu road for man`s recovery

Source Dawn

Workers of Khattak Ittehad blocked the Kohat-Bannu road in Banda Daud Shah tehsil here on Monday to protest against the failure of police to trace and recover a kidnapped man.

Unidentified people have kidnapped Usman, resident of Terri Shaggi, from Banda Daud Shah on June 21. The protesters threatened to expand their protest to other parts of the district if Mr Usman was not recovered within 24 hours. They alleged that the police had been patronising kidnappers in the district.
The KI leaders and workers gathered at Terri Chowk in the morning and blocked the Kohat-Bannu road for traffic for two hours. They raised slogans against the police for failing to control kidnapping incidents in the area.
Speaking on the occasion, KI president Maulana Mir Zaqeem, general secretary Fareed Azam and others said that the police had failed to put hand on the kidnappers and provide security to the people. JUI-F CRITICISED:
Former provincial minister and PML-N leader Malik Zafar Azam has alleged that JUI-F MNA Mufti Ajmal and MPA Malik Qasim Khan were involved in misappropriation of development funds.
Speaking at a public meeting here on Monday, Mr Azam said that the MPA had misappropriated Rs30 million funds and that he had the full support of Mufti Ajmal. He also demanded probe into the misuse of funds.

Oil company employees freed after six months

Source Dawn

The engineer and driver of the Hungarian oil and gas exploration company, MOL, who were kidnapped from here six months ago, have been released, sources told Dawn on Wednesday.

The MOL Company officials while confirming the release of engineer, Abdur Rasheed, and driver, Moin Khan, did not disclose the tribal area from where they were released, and only said they were not allowed by their head office to comment on the case, the sources said.
A convoy of the MOL Company was going to inspect the Marozai gas project in Lachi on January 20, 2011 when unknown gunmen opened fire at it from the mountains of Ghurzandi. Six people, including four FC men who were escorting the convoy, were killed in the ambush. The kidnappers abducted the engineer and the driver of the MOL Company.
The law-enforcement agencies carried out a search operation but did not find any trace of the abductees. The Lachi police registered the case against unknown terrorists on the complaint of one of the FC men.
The MOL Company said the victims were released from tribal agency whose name could not be disclosed due to security reasons. The victims had reached their homes and were in good health, officials said.
KIDNAPPED: Police are yet to get released a brother-in-law of the SHO of Riaz Shaheed police station, who was kidnapped along with the brother of the police officer by the Mishti tribe of the Orakzai Agency a few days ago. The tribesmen later shot dead Ajmeel-ul-Hussain, bother of the SHO Aqeeq Hussain, whose body was recovered in the fields of Maraiwam area.
The sources said the family of the SHO had an old land dispute with the Mishti tribe.
The nephew of Amil Hussain, the kidnapped brother-in-law of the SHO, told the Ustarzai police that the Mishti tribe was involved in the case which had a land dispute with their family. The police have contacted the tribal administration to arrest the accused.
Meanwhile, the physical training instructor of Iqraa Public School and College was shot dead near his house in Hafizabad on Wednesday.
INVESTIGATION: Deputy inspector general of police, Kohat region, has said the inefficiency in investigation of cases is leading to many criminals getting off the hook.
Addressing a high-level meeting to review law and order situation in the three districts of the Kohat division on Wednesday DIG Mohammad Masood Afridi sought stronger cooperation and trust among the police, intelligence agencies and the public for curbing the crime, according to a press release.
Meanwhile, a man was hot dead in Jarma area by unknown armed people the other day.
The deceased, Saifur Rehman was coming out of a mosque when armed men fired at him with automatic weapons.

Forces thwart militants’ plan to attack Kohat

Source Dawn

The security forces foiled a plan of militants to attack Kohat and recovered huge quantity of weapons from a house and a mosque during a clandestine operation here on Monday, sources said.


They said that security forces received information that militants were planning to attack different places in Kohat. The security forces were informed that militants had dumped huge quantity of heavy weapons under the ground in a house and a mosque at Shahu Khel, an area near the border between Hangu and Orakzai Agency, for the purpose, they added.

They said that security forces raided the places but militants managed to escape into the nearby jungle. However, security forces dug the ground in the house and mosque and recovered 75 MMRK guns, 82 MM mortar guns, 86 rockets of MMRK, 29 rockets of 7 RPG, 20 rockets of RRK, huge quantity of automatic weapons and thousands of cartridges of machinegun.

Meanwhile, nine truckers, who were kidnapped from Thall-Parachinar Road in lower Kurram Agency on Sunday, were released by their captors, officials said.

A convoy of trucks coming from Parachinar was attacked on the main road at Charkhel village. The attackers set six trucks on fire and kidnapped 10 drivers. Two others were wounded in the incident.
Sources said that the kidnappers set free nine drivers after interrogation while one was still in their custody.

Jail admin finds jirga more effective than law

Source Dawn

The administration of Kohat jail has resorted to traditional way of convening a jirga to defuse sectarian tension among prisoners instead of taking legal action against the inmates, who clashed with each other two day ago, according to well-placed sources.

Seventeen prisoners were injured when Shia and Sunni inmates of the jail clashed on Sunday over chalking of controversial slogans on the walls of jail barracks.
“After ending the fighting, SSP Atiqullah Wazir, DSP Ihsanullah Khan, jail superintendent Aitezaz Jadoon, other senior officials and representatives of Shia and Sunni prisoners held a jirga to find out solution to the ongoing sectarian tension in the prison,” sources said.
The prisoners assured the administration that they would not indulge in wall chalking, which hurt the feelings of the rival sect, and live together peacefully in future.
The administration also cleared the wall chalking, which caused clash between the two groups of prisoners, and decided to search the inmates every month to confiscate illegal items from them.
The jail staff also recovered sharp edge tools and knives, made from cutting ghee tins, from both the groups of prisoners.
The district administration deployed 20 more policemen to monitor activities of the prisoners. It had already detailed 20 policemen for security of the jail earlier due to shortage of prisoner staff.
Meanwhile, the injured prisoners were discharged from hospitals and sent back to their lockups on Monday.
It is worth mentioning that local journalists received phone calls from prisoners, belonging to both groups, after the clashes. The prisoners spread rumours about killing of their colleagues. They also said that jail administration started clean-up operation in the prison. However, prison authorities denied the reports.Sources said that prisoners were not only possessing cellular phones but hashish was also sold in the jail openly. The prisoners used to talk to their families and friends by cellular phones and also ran drug business, a jail official confided.

Power politics seen behind Kohat power woes

Source Dawn

The electricity consumers in the city are facing long outages and persistent low voltage problem due to delay in completion of the Kohat Development Authority (KDA) township grid station project, which was approved in 2004 to divide the load among three parts of the city.

When contacted, officials of Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) told this correspondent that the city III part had been the worst affected by loadshedding because of sharing the additional burden of KDA town and some other areas.
They said that there was only one grid station built in 1973 for the city whereas the load had tripled since then. Many new towns had emerged in the city`s surroundings, but no new grid was built for the burgeoning population.
During investigations, it was revealed that of the two grid stations approved for Kohat one had been built in Bannu on the orders of former chief minister Mohammad Akram Durrani of the JUI-F and another at Daudkhel in Punjab.
Keeping in view the demand of people, the government had approved a grid station for the KDA township in 2004, which was expected to be completed in 2006.
The KDA had allotted 50 kanals to the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) for the new 132-KV grid station, which raised the hopes for the solution to the long-standing problem of low voltage in KDA township, Kohat city comprising six sub-divisions, Darra Adamkhel and Hangu.
But work on the project had not been completed as yet while former state minister for water and power Amir Muqam had repeatedly said that funds were approved for the project.
When contacted, technical staff of Pesco said that normally a grid station was energized within six months, but the KDA project had been lying pending for the last seven years.
The consumers are suffering power outages in addition to the routine loadshedding of over 10 hours, as parliamentarians in connivance with the officials have been doing politics over the provision of electricity and transformers to different areas. The officials said that power breakdowns were being caused because the present system could not bear load and dozens of transformers were needed in the city and rural areas to overcome the problem.
Consumers are being told to contact their elected representatives for provision of more transformers to ensure smooth power supply.
According to an official at the city complaint office, Kohat city had been divided into three parts and the extra load had been shared by the city-III part, which was the main reason for frequent power disruptions in the area.
He said that each of the two phases of the city near Bannu gate and government public school tripped more than five times a day and the removal of fault during odd hours took two to three hours.
A few months ago, MNA Pir Dilawar Shah inaugurated a 200-KV transformer in Bazaar-i-Mustafa on people`s demand. However, after a fortnight the Pesco officials removed the transformer and when people complained to the MNA he reportedly also ordered the removal of the inauguration plaque from the site.
Similarly, consumers have been asked to collect money for buying and installation of heavy transformer in the Hindu mohallah chowk after the parliamentarians refused to approve it for them.

Firecrackers injure three children

Source Dawn

Three children received injuries when abandoned firecrackers exploded in Muslimabad area here on Wednesday.

The Bomb Disposal Squad said that a huge quantity of firecrackers was left abandoned at a garbage dump. The children found the firecrackers and started playing with them, they said. They added that the firecrackers exploded and injuring three children.
The injured children included six-year-old Najad Khan, nine-year-old Majid and minor Munsif. They were shifted to women and children hospital, where doctors said they were in stable condition.
Meanwhile, the anti-corruption department caught the assistant director of Kohat Development Authority red-handed while taking bribe on Wednesday.

Hangu blast death toll hits 38

Source The News


Death toll in the Hangu suicide bombing rose to 38 as two more among the injured succumbed to their injuries and another four bodies were recovered from the debris of the collapsed buildings on Friday, local sources said.

The sources said the number of those injured in the bombing stood at 56. The injured were under treatment at a number of hospitals in Hangu, Kohat and Peshawar. Conditions at the government hospital in Hangu were stated to be inadequate to cope with the rush of the injured on the day of the blast.

As many as 30 shops, hotels, the building of the Hangu Press Club, the offices of a private cellular company, district courts and a police station were destroyed in the deadly explosion. Scenes of destruction were still evident all over the place a day after the explosion.

Residents lamented the slow pace of rescue work and the government’s indifference to their plight. They pointed out that only one excavator and one tractor-trolley were available for the rescue operation.

The people doing rescue work and visiting the place to see the destruction mostly blamed outsiders for the blast and said inimical powers were trying to harm Pakistan. Out of fear or other reasons, not many people were blaming the Taliban for the attack even though they had claimed responsibility for the bombing.

District Coordination Officer Abdul Rasheed said that a black pick-up vehicle carrying 600 kilograms of explosives was used in the bombing. He said the vehicle had come from Thall to Hangu and clues had been found to hunt down the perpetrators of the sabotage act. The official said the owner of the vehicle had been identified and the engine had been found.

Abdul Rasheed said Hangu was surrounded by three tribal agencies due to which the militants were taking shelter there after carrying out acts of subversion. He said security had been beefed up to check the activities of anti-state elements and prevent repetition of such incidents.

Meanwhile, Ehsanullah Ehsan, a spokesman for the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan threatened to continue attacking government installations. He warned the people to avoid milling around government offices. He had earlier claimed responsibility for the Hangu bombing.

ANALYSIS: FATA University — a long way to go

Source Daily Times

by Farhat Taj


Reportedly, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has approved the establishment of a university in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The estimated cost of the project is three billion rupees. The university will be constructed in the frontier region (FR) of Kohat, a part of FATA.

One should cautiously welcome the move. This is a long overdue development. A university and other institutions of higher education should have been established in FATA decades ago. But there are some important issues in the way of the coming into being of the university as well as its functioning as a seat of learning, if and when it comes into being.

In the near past, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government made a move to establish two universities in FATA, one in the Sunni-dominated town of Sadda in Kurram and the other in the Shia-dominated town of Parachinar in Kurram. The then vice chancellor of the Islamic College, Peshawar, visited both towns in connection with the ongoing work for the establishment of the universities. Two government buildings, one each in Parachinar and Sadda, were acquired and staff was recruited. Even the students’ admission process began on both campuses. Suddenly, the FATA secretariat refused to hand over the government buildings in Parachinar and Sadda for university purposes. The tribal leaders from Kurram said that due to pressure from “vested interests” in the FATA secretariat, the government abandoned the whole plan. Keeping in view this event, one wonders whether the newly announced university will ever become a reality.

The new university is in the initial stages of paperwork. A PC-1 has yet to be produced and the site for construction has to be arranged for in the region. It may take a long time before it is built. But the biggest hurdle is the poor security in FATA. The Taliban as well as Pakistan Army have bombed countless schools in FATA. The two have also occupied the buildings of educational institutions in the tribal areas that have been converted into bases for the security forces or the Taliban. The Government Degree College in Darra Adam Khel has been occupied by the security forces for the last three years and no educational activity has taken place since then. The most precious state property in FR Kohat, the Kohat tunnel, built with Japanese cooperation, has been attacked more than once by the Taliban.

It may take some years before the university building is constructed. One may like to hope that by that time the security situation would have been improved in FATA and, consequently, the university will not be harmed. Unfortunately, this hope seems to be very frail at least at this point in time. The insecurity in FATA is not merely a function of internal tribal dynamics. It is caused by and linked to powerful external factors concerning the ongoing war on terror in the wider Af-Pak region. There are no clear prospects of the end of the war on terror at this point in time. Will the university be established even if security does not improve in the years to come? Economically, it is not a viable idea to build the university to be bombed by the Taliban or the security forces, or occupied by one of them and the subsequent misuse of the building. Above all, with many, if not most, people in FATA living as internally displaced people (IDPs) outside the tribal areas, who will study in the university?

Freedom of thought and expression are part and parcel of productive scholarly activity in a university. Dr Pervez Hoodhboy, a well-know scholar and social activist in Pakistan has been arguing that the Pakistani educational system, shaped by deeply conservative social and cultural values, discourages critical thinking. This is largely because of the systematic state encouragement of narrow religious ideas at the cost of critical thinking at all levels of the state, including public educational institutions. State encouragement of narrow religious ideas has always been one step ahead in FATA due to its strategic location near Afghanistan.

Moreover, FATA stands excluded from the formal legal framework of Pakistan, including the fundamental rights guaranteed in the constitution of Pakistan. Will the state authorities, civil and military, based in FATA allow genuine freedom of thought and expression in the area? They have been encouraging bigoted religious thought by suppressing any alternative ideas. In the last few years, some people from Bajaur told me that they had been stopped by the political authorities from starting a monthly magazine from the area to spread human rights and secular ideas. It would be, thus, appropriate to end the legal isolation of FATA before the university began to work. This would remove the unchallengeable powers of the state authorities to hinder freedom of thought and expression in FATA.

One must note that non-Muslim (Sikh and Hindu) and ethnic (Kurram Punjabis) minorities have been peacefully living in FATA for generations. This suggests that, historically, the people of FATA have had a tradition of peacefully coexisting with other ideas and value systems. Moreover, Ghaffar Khan’s non-violent movement, that aimed to unite the tribes on the lines of modern social organisation, has also had an impact on FATA. These two attributes of the tribal areas stand intact, although violated in the ongoing militancy. These indigenous attributes, if bolstered by a supportive state environment, would hopefully encourage freedom of thought and expression leading to critical thinking in the proposed tribal seat of learning.

The third issue concerns all the universities in Pakistan and will affect the would be university in FATA as well if the appropriate academic considerations are not taken care of. Dr Hoodhboy has long been elaborating that university education in Pakistan is far behind international standards. Most of the research papers written by Pakistani authors have zero citation in the global research community. Teachers and students of Pakistani universities are considered backward by international standards in terms of basic subject understanding.

In this dismal context, it is important that the educational authorities in FATA make all necessary allowances for better academic planning and management in the proposed FATA University so that it becomes a high standard seat of learning rather than just another public university in Pakistan that counts for nothing significant in international scholarly circles.

17 prisoners injured in Kohat jail sectarian clash

Source Pakistan Observer


Seventeen prisoners were injured in a sectarian clash in Kohat Jail on Sunday, police said. The clash started at 8:00am when the prisoners belonging to Sunni and Shia sects exchanged hot words over some issue. Seventeen prisoners were injured in the clash who were shifted to the hospital situated inside the jail premises for treatment. Heavy contingents of police soon reached the jail and brought the situation under control. The injured included 10 from the Shia sect and seven from the Sunni sect, who belong to Kohat, Hangu, Orakzai Agency and Tirah Valley. A local jirga was negotiating with the prisoners to settle the dispute.

Three shot dead for honour in Kohat

Source Dawn

Three persons, including two women, were killed in two separate incidents in the name of honour here on Saturday, police said.

According to police in the first incident, the father and brother of a 24-year-old married woman along with two other armed men entered into a house in Jabar area of Gumbat police station on Rawalpindi road.
They sprayed the woman and her husband Farhatullah with bullets for marrying without the consent of her family. The attackers managed to escape, police said, adding they were declared proclaimed offenders.
The residents said that both the victims had recently married in a court in Karachi and were receiving threats. They were living in Karachi for last many years and recently shifted to Jabar for the safety of their lives, they said.
Police said that the attackers also came from Karachi to kill the couple. The Gumbat police registered murder cases against the accused on the complaint of the mother of Farhatullah and launched investigations.
Meanwhile, the husband and brother of a woman shot her dead inside her home in Darrewal Banda, police said.
They alleged that the brother and husband of the woman killed but they were trying to portray it as case of blind murder.
The Riaz Khan police station registered cases against the accused after arresting them and launched investigations.

Kohat University 45 PhD Scholars Face Uncertain Future

Source Dawn



The future of 45 scholars of Kohat University of Science and Technology, studying abroad, hangs in the balance owing to unusual delay in the payment of fourth year expenses of their extended PhD programme by Higher Education Commission.
The scholars, through a letter, brought the matter in the notice of university administration few months ago and requested for more payment besides demanding extension in leaves. Their three-year leaves expired last year.
The KUST syndicate resolved the problem of their extended stay by approving their leaves. The vice-chancellor, who was in constant contact with the officials concerned, hoped that HEC would save the future of the students and make payment without further delay keeping in view the serious nature of the case.
The KUST had taken up the issue with HEC two months ago and demanded of it Rs7 million as payment of last year fees of the scholars, who were pursuing their PhDs in Germany and United Kingdom.
According to sources, KUST had sent 26 scholars to UK and 19 to Germany for three-year PhD programme. The university and the HEC had signed three years agreement with the foreign universities concerned. The monthly fees in pound sterling were being regularly sent to the scholars for the last three years and their visas were also refreshed every year.
The director finance of KUST, Amjad, when contacted, confirmed that the scholars were facing financial problems. “The PhD programme was originally approved for three year according to PC-1 document. The universities had said that they offered three years PhD programme after which the agreement was duly signed between HEC and the universities,” he said.
But unfortunately the three years programme was converted into four years owing to delay in approval of thesis of students by their supervisors, he added.
The universities demanded payment for the fourth year and made it clear that if fees were not paid the students would not be granted degrees and the UK and Germany governments would have to deport them.
The 12th meeting of the syndicate of KUST approved the extended leaves of the 45 students and informed the foreign universities that payment was in the pipeline and would be made very soon. The approval to the extended leaves was made fortnight back.
The HEC had told KUST last year that according to PC-1 it had cleared all the payment for three years and was not in a position to bear expenses for the extended period.
Amjad said that the students required payment up to October 2011 to complete and submit their thesis but for further payment HEC and KUST would have to prepare fresh PC-1 if the former agreed to bear the expenses. The HEC had not made any decision about more payment as yet and the matter was being regularly taken up by KUST to save the future of the teachers, who had been sent for PhD.
Another official at the university regretted that owing to drastic cut in HEC budget and its uncertain future, it was very difficult to make such a huge payment.
Moreover, the decision to devolve HEC to provinces was also not clear therefore payment of fees of the scholars seemed almost impossible for the time being, he added.