Month: July 2026

Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has approved a financial assistance package worth Rs126 million for minority families affected by terrorism across the province.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the Assessment Committee chaired by KP Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs, Sahibzada Muhammad Adnan Qadri, said an official release issued here.

The committee reviewed 173 applications and approved financial assistance for 167 eligible individuals and families.

The beneficiaries include injured victims, widows, orphaned children, unmarried daughters and persons with disabilities affected by acts of terrorism.

According to the statement, all cases were approved after thorough scrutiny at both district and departmental levels. Each application was re-verified to ensure transparency and merit.

The committee also decided that women qualifying under more than one category would receive financial assistance under only one category to ensure fair distribution of funds.

Seven cases involving permanent disability were also reviewed, while six were approved subject to the submission of the required documents.

The committee further approved Rs4 million in financial assistance for the family affected by the attack on Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Mardan. Financial support will also be provided to the legal heirs of Shaheed Jagan Nath and his wife.

The district scrutiny committee has been directed to complete its report within one week.

Speaking on the occasion, Sahibzada Muhammad Adnan Qadri said supporting victims of terrorism was a state, national and humanitarian responsibility.

He said the provincial government is committed to ensuring protection, religious freedom and welfare of minority communities, adding that every deserving affected family would receive assistance in accordance with the law.

Peshawar: A delegation from the Women Chamber of Commerce and Industries (WCCI) Peshawar, led by President Quratulain, called on Nadia Jahangir Seth, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) here on Monday.

The WCCI Peshawar delegation congratulated the first woman CEO SMEDA on assuming the charge of her post. The delegation included Senior Vice President Zara Imtiaz and Secretary General Saba Hidayat.

President WCCI Quratulain congratulated Ms. Nadia Jahangir Seth on her historic appointment and expressed confidence that her leadership would further strengthen Pakistan’s SME sector while creating greater opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

She acknowledged the significance of having a woman lead the country’s premier SME development organization and wished her success in advancing inclusive economic growth.

During the meeting, the WCCIPD delegation highlighted the Chamber’s more than 16 years of dedicated efforts in promoting women entrepreneurship and supporting women-led businesses across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The delegation also briefed the CEO on its ongoing initiatives and strategic efforts aimed at advancing women’s economic empowerment in the province.

President Quratulain sought an overview of SMEDA’s upcoming projects and its strategic priorities.

Talking to the delegation, the CEO SMEDA Ms. Nadia Jahangir Seth shared the vision and explained the organization’s core mandate of policy advocacy and SME ecosystem development.

She also highlighted SMEDA’s recent collaborations with PIFD, Alibaba, JICA, and other national and international partners, while noting that several impactful initiatives are currently in the pipeline to strengthen Pakistan’s SME ecosystem.

President Quratulain also presented recommendations to further promote the development of women-owned micro, small, and medium enterprises.

She emphasized the importance of enhanced representation of women within SMEDA at the national level to strengthen coordination, improve stakeholder engagement, and ensure that the voices of women entrepreneurs are reflected in policy and program design.

Ms. Nadia Jahangir Seth welcomed the recommendations and appreciated WCCIPD’s longstanding contributions to women entrepreneurship.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening institutional collaboration and working together to build a more inclusive, resilient, and enabling environment for women-led enterprises across Pakistan.

Muzaffargarh: An elderly motorcyclist was killed after falling on the road while attempting to overtake a dumper on Shah Hussain Road on Tuesday.

According to Rescue officials,the deceased was identified as Ashiq Muhammad(73).

Rescue 1122 spokesperson said that the elderly man was trying to overtake the dumper when he lost control of his motorcycle and fell onto the road,suffering critical injuries.

He was shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital,where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

The victim’s family refused a post-mortem examination,after which the authorities completed medico-legal formalities and handed over the body to the heirs.

The dumper driver fled the scene after the accident,while police were informed and further legal action was initiated.

Multan: The Farmers Advisory Committee at the Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) Multan on Tuesday issued a fresh set of recommendations for cotton growers to manage the crop over the next fortnight amid hot and humid weather.

The ninth meeting of the committee,chaired by CCRI Director,Sabahat Hussain cautioned that prevailing weather could stress the cotton crop and advised farmers to irrigate fields every four to five days depending on conditions.

Growers were told to watch for fruit shedding,yellowing leaves or reddish foliage,which can signal heat stress, moisture deficiency or insect attack.

To counter heat stress and boost boll formation, the committee recommended a foliar spray mix of Potassium Sulphate,Magnesium Sulphate,Zinc Sulphate,Boron and Urea dissolved in 125 liters of water per acre,applied in early morning or evening.

Farmers were also asked to drain stagnant water within 24 hours of rainfall, apply the remaining nitrogen dose at square formation or flowering,and add potassium fertilizer with irrigation.

For weed control in Triple Gene varieties,the committee advised careful glyphosate application using a protective shield to avoid contact with cotton plants.

On the pest front,the committee warned of rising Jassid and Whitefly populations due to humid conditions and suggested specific insecticide combinations for each.

It also recommended installing pheromone traps against Pink Bollworm ,10 per acre for control and one per five acres for monitoring with capsules replaced every 15 days.

Insecticide spraying was advised if three to four moths are trapped over three consecutive nights.

For seed cotton,the committee advised timely roguing, prompt drying and ginning to prevent Dusky Cotton Bug damage and retaining only seed with at least 75 percent germination.

Clothianidin spray was recommended for Dusky Cotton Bug control.

The meeting was attended by senior CCRI officials including Sajid Mahmood,Muhammad Akbar,Ahmad,Rabia Saeed,Asiya Parveen and Junaid Ahmad.

Attock: A 17-year-old girl was shot dead in Pindigheb on Tuesday, police said.

According to police sources, the incident occurred in the Mohalla Civil Hospital area, where the victim, identified as Misbah Javed, daughter of Muhammad Javed, sustained a gunshot and died.

Police reached the scene after being informed of the incident, took the body into custody and shifted it for medico-legal formalities. An investigation has been initiated to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the killing and identify those responsible.

Police said further legal proceedings were underway./app/rhn

Sargodha: A man and his son died after suffering an electric shock while cleaning a swimming pool in the Quaidabad area on Tuesday.

Police said Abdul Sattar(45) and his son,Muhammad Subhan were carrying out cleaning work at the pool when they came into contact with the live wiring of a water pump.Both victims died on the spot.

Rescue 1122 personnel and police reached the scene,shifted the bodies to a hospital for post-mortem examination and completion of medico-legal formalities.

Police have launched an investigation to ascertain the circumstances that led to the incident.