Day: July 11, 2026

Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department has accelerated its preparations for prevention of cervical cancer through the introduction of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

As a starting point, a catch-up campaign will be launched across the province in November 2026, which aims to protect girls against cervical cancer by providing the HPV vaccine free of cost to all eligible girls aged 9-14 years.

This campaign will target approximately 2.9 million girls aged 9-14 years across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Of these, around 1.6 million are school-going girls, while 1.3 million are out-of-school girls.

Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related illness and death among women worldwide, yet it is also one of the most preventable. The disease is caused primarily by persistent infection with the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a common virus passed through skin-to-skin contact.

Globally, cervical cancer claims more than 350,000 lives each year, with the overwhelming majority of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries where screening and treatment remain limited.

In Pakistan, cervical cancer is among the leading cancers affecting women, with an estimated over 5,000 new cases and more than 3,000 deaths every year.

To ensure every eligible girl is reached, Health Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has adopted two complementary vaccination strategies.

School-going girls will receive the vaccine through vaccination sessions conducted in both public and private schools.

Out-of-school girls will be vaccinated through outreach sessions in communities, mobile vaccination teams serving hard-to-reach and underserved areas and fixed vaccination sites at public health facilities.

The Health Department has established a comprehensive coordination mechanism to ensure the successful implementation of the campaign.

A Provincial Steering Committee, chaired by Secretary Health has been constituted to provide strategic guidance and oversight.

A Technical Committee, chaired by Director General Health Services, KP has also been established to lead technical planning, implementation and inter-sectoral coordination.

Representatives from all relevant government departments have been nominated to support campaign implementation, including the Elementary and Secondary Education Department, Higher Education Department, Private Schools Regulatory Authority, Auqaf Department, Social Welfare Department, Local Government Department and Information Department.

Provincial and district focal persons from the Education Department and other line departments have also been designated to ensure close coordination and smooth implementation throughout the campaign.

Leading professional bodies have also been engaged to lend their technical support and credibility to the campaign, including the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Pakistan (SOGP) and the Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA).

Their involvement reinforces the strong medical consensus on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine and its role in preventing cervical cancer.

Community awareness and public confidence are central to the success of this campaign. A comprehensive communication and community engagement strategy has been developed to educate parents, teachers, religious scholars, community leaders, and the general public about cervical cancer, the role of HPV in causing the disease, and the safety and effectiveness of the HPV vaccine.

Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials-including posters, banners, brochures, radio messages, social media content and other awareness materials-have been developed and will be disseminated before and during the campaign.

Civil society organizations (CSOs) have also been engaged to support community mobilization and awareness activities.

Working closely with local communities, they will help address misconceptions, build public confidence, and encourage parents and caregivers to vaccinate their eligible daughters.

Director General Health Services, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dr. Shaheen Afridi urged parents, teachers, community leaders, religious scholars and all stakeholders to actively support the campaign and ensure that every eligible girl receives the HPV vaccine.

She emphasized that the vaccine is safe, effective and provides long-lasting protection against the types of HPV responsible for the majority of cervical cancer cases.

She noted that introducing the HPV vaccine represents a major public health milestone and a significant investment in protecting the health and future of girls across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Director EPI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dr. Muhammad Sohail Farooqi, reaffirmed EPI’s commitment to expanding access to life-saving vaccines and protecting children and adolescents from vaccine-preventable diseases across the province.

He added that, through strong government leadership and with the support of civil society organizations, educational institutions, health workers, community leaders, and parents, EPI aims to achieve high vaccination coverage during the Vaccination Campaign beginning in November 2026, contributing to Pakistan’s long-term goal of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem.

Faisalabad: The agriculture experts have advised the cotton growers to adopt special crop management measures during the monsoon season as moderate rainfall is beneficial for cotton growth, but the prolonged waterlogging can severely damage the crop, reduce nutrient uptake and adversely affect yield.

A spokesman for Agriculture (Extension) Department said that normal rainfall supports healthy vegetative growth and improves flowering and boll formation in cotton. However, excessive rainfall that leaves fields inundated for more than 24 hours can prove highly detrimental, as standing water forces essential nutrients deeper into the soil beyond the reach of plant roots, resulting in nutrient deficiency and significantly slowing the process of photosynthesis, he added.

He urged the farmers to ensure immediate drainage of rainwater from cotton fields. The growers should dig a deep drainage channel along the edges of their fields during periods of heavy rainfall so that excess water could be safely diverted out of the field, he added.

He said that the drained water could subsequently be channelled into larger watercourses for irrigation of paddy or sugarcane crops.

In the areas where complete drainage is not possible, the farmers should dig deep pits on both sides of the field to collect excess rainwater and minimize waterlogging around cotton plants, he added.

He further recommended that two to three days after rainfall, the farmers should consult local agricultural experts before spraying a 20 percent urea solution on the cotton crop.

Once the soil reaches suitable moisture conditions (Wattar), the growers should apply one bag of urea per acre to replenish nitrogen lost due to excessive rainfall and restore healthy crop growth, he added.

He also stressed the importance of planning irrigation in accordance with weather forecasts issued by the Meteorological Department.

He advised the farmers to avoid excessive watering during the monsoon season and instead apply light irrigation whenever required to maintain optimum soil moisture without causing water stagnation.

Timely water management, balanced fertilizer application and adherence to technical guidance from local agricultural extension staff would help protect cotton crops from monsoon-related losses and ensure better productivity during the current growing season, he added.

Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Khan Afridi on Friday formally inaugurated the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Open Wi-Fi Project, aimed at providing free internet facilities to citizens across the province.

In the initial phase, free Wi-Fi services will be provided at government hospitals and public transport locations in Peshawar. The Chief Minister also announced free Wi-Fi availability at all government universities and colleges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The project will later be expanded to divisional headquarters, including Abbottabad, Mardan, Swat, Kohat, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan.

Addressing the ceremony, the Chief Minister said the provincial government was working to promote digital governance and gradually make public services paperless. He said internet access was creating new employment and business opportunities for youth, and providing such opportunities was the state’s responsibility.

Sohail Afridi criticized restrictions on internet services, saying slowing down the internet to limit social media affects young people and the digital economy.

He added that lack of internet and mobile services in merged districts was creating challenges for local communities.

The Chief Minister said the provincial government was established through the people’s mandate and public service was its top priority. He expressed hope that the financial year 2026-27 would bring peace, development and prosperity to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Faisalabad: President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) Farooq Yousaf Sheikh said that a better air quality is imperative for healthy generations and the government, WWF and private sector must collaborate to achieve this objective.

Addressing a workshop on “Air quality and public health”, he introduced FCCI and said that its basic objective is to act as a bridge between the Government and private sector.

He said that now the chamber has expanded its portfolio as it was also raising voice for the improvement of basic infrastructure, civic problems, CSR, relief operation during floods and new airport etc. for the future needs of this city.

‘I can say confidently that FCCI has now become the mouthpiece of ten million residents of Faisalabad district’, he said and added that FCCI not only pinpoints issues but also suggests viable solutions through efficient RandD.

He said that FCCI also presented budget proposals. ‘Many of which were included in the budget while we are struggling for the remaining ones’, he said and underlined the importance of urban air quality and said that the contribution of the industrial sector in pollution is quite negligible.

He said that transport is the main contributor toward pollution.

He said that FCCI recently signed an MOU to shift industry from the congested city areas.

He said that on the request of Vice President Engr. Asim Munir two smog guns have also been shifted to Faisalabad.

Cardiologist Dr. Habib Aslam Gaba delivered a lecture on the impact of pollution on human health.

He said that 1.5 to 2.5lacs people die every year in Pakistan due to the intake of polluted air.

Dr. Zaeem Bin Babar from the University of Punjab explained about the project launched by the Energy Policy Institute of Chicago and said that ten sensors have been installed in Faisalabad to monitor the air quality.

He said that Faisalabad is included among the most polluted cities and its residents inhale poor to hazardous air during 70% days of the year.

Pulmonologist Dr. Istikhar, Ali Amjad of WWF and Haroon Younus also addressed the workshop.

Later Vice President Engr. Asim offered vote of thanks while President Farooq Yousaf Sheikh presented FCCI shield to Project Director WWF Muhammad Haroon Younus.

Haripur: Deputy Commissioner Haripur Islahuddin chaired a meeting on Friday to review progress on the repatriation of illegally residing Afghan nationals in accordance with the government’s policy and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

District Police Officer (DPO) Haripur Shafiullah Gandapur also attended the meeting, where officials assessed measures to strengthen the ongoing operation across the district, improve coordination among relevant departments, and ensure the repatriation process is carried out in an organized and efficient manner.

During the meeting, the participants decided that all actions would be implemented in line with the government’s policy through a coordinated strategy to ensure timely execution of the operation.

The district administration appointed the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Relief and Human Rights) as its focal person, while the police nominated the DSP Headquarters as the focal person to oversee the repatriation process and enhance inter-agency coordination.

Officials also emphasized the need to provide essential facilities to Afghan nationals during their return to ensure the repatriation process remains peaceful, safe, and dignified.

The DC and the DPO directed all concerned departments to work in close coordination to ensure the effective implementation of government directives regarding the repatriation process.

Kohat: Commissioner Kohat Division Syed Motasim Billah Shah has directed all district administration to strengthen preparedness for monsoon related emergencies, natural disasters, dengue prevention and forest protection.

He was chairing a divisional review meeting that was attended by Deputy Commissioners, Rescue 1122 officials, local government representatives and concerned officials.

Commissioner directed immediate preventive measures and closer coordination among all the institutions to minimize risks during monsoon season.

He directed district administrations to clear encroachments from rivers, streams and drainage channels to ensure the uninterrupted flow of rainwater and reduce the risk of flooding.