Latest News from Balochistan
Karachi: The South Africa Women’s Under-19 team departed for home from Karachi on Sunday. A five-match T20 series was played between the Pakistan and South Africa Women’s Under-19 teams. South Africa won the T20 series against Pakistan 3-2. All matches of the series were played at the National Bank Stadium, Karachi.
Gujrat: On the directions of Deputy Commissioner Gujrat Noor-ul-Ain Qureshi, the district administration has registered three cases against violators of Section 144, which prohibits bathing and swimming in rivers, canals and rain-fed water channels during the ongoing monsoon season.
According to official sources, the restriction has been imposed to prevent drowning incidents and ensure public safety amid rising water levels caused by monsoon rains.
The district administration urged citizens, particularly youngsters, to avoid bathing or swimming in rivers, canals, rain-fed streams and floodwater, warning that such activities pose a serious risk to life.
Officials appealed to the public to strictly comply with the restrictions and cooperate with the administration, emphasizing that the protection of human life remains the top priority.
Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information and Public Relations Shafi Jan on Saturday directed Water and Sanitation Services Company (WSSC) Kohat to further strengthen city’s sanitation and waste management system emphasizing efficient public service delivery and improved municipal facilities.
He issued these directives while chairing a performance review meeting of WSSC Kohat. Minister for Law Aftab Alam and Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Shehryar Afridi were also present.
The meeting reviewed city’s current sanitation situation, challenges, utilization of resources and plans for future improvements.
Information Minister Shafi Jan said provision of quality municipal services remained one of provincial government’s top priorities. He underscored the need for a coordinated strategy to improve sanitation services and address public concerns promptly.
The meeting concluded with a commitment to further strengthen sanitation, cleanliness and other municipal services through coordinated efforts.
Peshawar: A consultative discussion on creating an enabling environment for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) called for establishment of a one-window operation to streamline registration, verification, renewal, bank accounts.
The consultation was jointly organized by Pakistan Development Alliance (PDA), a network of 107 national-level non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Chairperson of the Pakistan Development Alliance (PDA), Zia-ur-Rehman, President Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chapter of CSOs, Yar Muhammad Shaheen, Mian Attiq of the Pakistan Institute of Living and Learning (PILL), Muhammad Ayub of Blue Veins and representatives of various non-profit organizations attended the consultation and shared their views.
Participants held detailed discussion on the challenges faced by CSOs during registration, renewal and day-to-day operations, particularly while implementing humanitarian and development projects in the field.
They described the registration process as cumbersome, saying it requires verification and clearances from multiple government departments and elected local representatives, resulting in lengthy delays.
Participants said the renewal process had also become increasingly burdensome due to additional documentation and verification requirements for the heads of CSOs and other staff.
They claimed that registration applications of more than 300 to 400 CSOs were currently pending because of prolonged processing and procedural complexities.
Javed Ahmad, representing the Special Persons Development Association, informed the participants that around 24 Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had ceased operations because of difficulties in the registration and renewal process. He said only 16 of the province’s 40 OPDs remained operational.
Discussing operational challenges, participants said security remained one of the biggest concerns for organizations working in remote and underserved areas.
They said nearly 20, 000 people were employed by CSOs in different capacities and urged the government to facilitate their operations to create more employment opportunities and improve the delivery of services to communities.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairperson of the Pakistan Development Alliance (PDA), Zia-ur-Rehman, said the suggestions and recommendations presented during the consultation would be incorporated into a report to be submitted to the government.
He said similar consultative sessions would be held in five cities across the country before preparing a comprehensive report based on stakeholders’ recommendations.
Sargodha: Deputy Commissioner (DC), Hussain Ahmad Raza Chaudhry on Saturday conducted an emergency tour of several city areas to monitor drainage operations following a record-breaking 165mm rainfall in the district.
Accompanied by Managing Director (MD) Water and Sanitation Agency Sargodha, Abubakar Imran, the DC visited Civil Hospital Chowk, Katchery Bazaar, Amin Bazaar, City Road, Khushab Road, Goal Chowk and Eidgah Road to personally supervise the water disposal process.
During the inspection of the Sillanwali road disposal station and Government TB Hospital, the DC was briefed that underground water storage tanks at Company Bagh and Rehmatul Lil Alameen Park with capacities of 1. 5 million and 1 million gallons respectively were being utilized at full capacity to clear low-lying areas.
He stated that the entire machinery and workforce of WASA, Municipal Corporation and the Local Government department were fully mobilized following the special directives of Punjab Chief Minister(CM), Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
The DC also interacted with traders and citizens at various development sites, apologizing for the temporary inconvenience caused by ongoing WASA projects and ensuring them of permanent relief upon their completion.
He further instructed the staff to remain in the field until every street was cleared and warned citizens to stay away from dilapidated buildings and electrical installations for their safety.
The DC concluded that the district’s control room remains fully functional to monitor the situation moment-by-moment to provide maximum relief to the public.
Dera ismail khan: A three-day free medical and eye surgery camp organized by Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital concluded successfully in Dera Ismail Khan, providing free treatment, surgeries, medicines and spectacles to thousands of patients.
The camp was arranged through the special efforts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi in collaboration with the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Held in Mandhra village, the camp examined a total of 2, 700 patients over three days, including around 1, 200 men, 1, 100 women and nearly 500 children.
A 45-member medical team from Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital participated in the camp. Equipped with a state-of-the-art mobile hospital, the team performed more than 350 eye surgeries on-site, enabling patients to receive immediate treatment without the need to travel to distant hospitals.
The camp also featured a dedicated team of female ophthalmologists to facilitate the treatment of women patients. More than 1, 800 patients were provided with free medicines, while nearly 1, 200 were given free spectacles.
The patients expressed their gratitude to Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and the management of Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital for bringing quality eye care services to their doorstep.
Speaking on the occasion, PRCS Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Paharpur District Secretary Syed Ghazanfar Shah Bukhari thanked Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, Member of the Provincial Assembly Ahmad Kundi and the Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital administration for making the initiative possible. He said the humanitarian mission to serve underprivileged communities would continue in the future.