Category: District

Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced a special Ramadan relief package for deserving families, official sources said on Saturday.

Under this initiative, the provincial government will provide Rs. 10,000 to each selected family during the holy month of Ramadan.

As per details, 5,000 families will be chosen from each of the 115 constituencies across the province.

The selected families will receive a Rs. 10,000 cheque in the first ten days of Ramadan.

To ensure fair distribution, the government has assigned different departments to oversee the selection process.

Sources said a total of Rs. 8 billion will be allocated for the Ramadan package. The entire distribution process will be monitored directly from the Chief Minister's House.

Sargodha: The police on Saturday arrested four accused and recovered narcotics and a pistol from them.

A police spokesman said that teams of different police stations conducted raids and arrested four accused besides recovering 1.40kg hashish, 310 liters of liquor and a pistol. The accused were identified as Umar, Adnan, Waqar, and Hammad.

Faisalabad: The Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA) in collaboration with Divisional Kabaddi Association (DKA) would organize the 'Kashmir Kabaddi Cup' tournament at Sports Ground FDA City Sargodha Road here on February 5, to mark Kashmir Solidarity Day.

An FDA spokesman said here on Saturday that four Kabaddi teams comprising players of national and international level would participate in the tournament. In this connection, draws were also arranged for the participating teams and according to results, the first match would be played between Sanjha Punjab Kabaddi Club and House of Tyre Sher Punjab whereas Nankana Sahib Kabaddi Club and Azad Kabaddi Club 409 UK would fight against each other in the second match.

Director General (DG) FDA Muhammad Asif Chuadhary witnessed the draws as the chief guest and said that position holder teams would be awarded cash prizes. He said that kabaddi was a popular traditional sport in the region and attracted significant interest from the spectators.

He said that the Kabaddi tournament on Kashmir Solidarity Day would help highlight the Kashmir issue through the cultural sport. He hoped that the Kashmir Kabaddi Cup would captivate the audiences and attract large crowds. All necessary arrangements are being finalized to ensure a successful event, he said and directed the management of the sports complex to make a comprehensive planning for smooth organization of the tournament in addition to paying special focus on facilitating the spectators.

On the occasion, Secretary General DKA Tayyab Gilani introduced the players, captains, coaches, and management committee members and briefed the Kabaddi teams about the rules and regulations set for the tournament.

He announced that the first match of the Kashmir Kabaddi Cup would commence at 12: 30 p.m. while the final match was scheduled for 4 p.m. During match intervals, an exhibition match will be held between Kashmir Kabaddi Club and Randhawa Kabaddi Club, he added.

Additional Director General FDA Yasir Ejaz Chattha, captains, coaches, referees, and management committee members were also present on the occasion.

Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced a special Ramadan relief package for deserving families, official sources said on Saturday.

Under this initiative, the provincial government will provide Rs. 10,000 to each selected family during the holy month of Ramadan.

As per details, 5,000 families will be chosen from each of the 115 constituencies across the province.

The selected families will receive a Rs. 10,000 cheque in the first ten days of Ramadan.

To ensure fair distribution, the government has assigned different departments to oversee the selection process.

Sources said a total of Rs. 8 billion will be allocated for the Ramadan package. The entire distribution process will be monitored directly from the Chief Minister's House.

Hyderabad: Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) Tandojam, in collaboration with Agricultural Research Sindh and the World Bank-supported Sindh Water and Agriculture Transformation (SWAT) Project, has agreed to conduct joint research and trials to address increasing soil salinity and promote salt-tolerant crops in Sindh.

A delegation from SWAT and Agricultural Research Sindh met with SAU Vice Chancellor, Dr. Altaf Ali Siyal, to discuss ongoing initiatives and future collaboration on tackling soil salinity challenges in the region.

The delegation was led by SWAT's Soil Salinity Expert, Mr. Nabi Bux Jamro, along with key members of the project team.

During the meeting, Dr. Altaf Ali Siyal emphasized the need to reclaim saline and barren lands in Sindh for agricultural use.

He highlighted the critical role of academic, research, and scientific institutions in addressing this challenge.

He also expressed full support for the SWAT project's objectives and reaffirmed SAU's commitment to strengthening collaboration with the SWAT team.

Nabi Bux Jamro underscored the importance of sustainable water management practices and effective salinity control to enhance agricultural productivity.

He noted that SWAT's ongoing efforts aim to mitigate excessive water usage and the adverse effects of salinity, which are major obstacles to agricultural development in the region.

Syed Hassan Rashdi, Focal Person for SWAT's Integrated Waterlogging and Salinity Program Research Component, provided an update on the project's progress and its positive impact on improving agricultural practices and water management strategies across Sindh.

Additionally, Sanaullah Solangi, Deputy Director (Technical), Directorate General of Agricultural Research Sindh, highlighted the department's technical strategies for addressing soil and water challenges, while Abdul Hafeez Memon, Senior Scientist (Soil Research), shared valuable insights on current soil salinity levels and excessive water conditions in Sindh.

These findings will serve as the foundation for developing practical strategies to assist farmers in combating soil degradation.

Lodhran: The agriculture department set an 88,000 acre early cotton sowing target for district Lodhran.

Deputy Director Agriculture Malik Zafar told reporter here on Saturday said that the early cotton sowing drive was in full swing. He said that seminars, road shows, corner meetings and social media platforms were being used for maximum early cotton sowing.

The official said that early cotton sowing on 2000 acres has been completed so far while the drive would continue till the end of March. He hoped that they would easily achieve the sowing target and urged the farmers to sow maximum cotton and get handsome revenue. The field staff is paying visit to various parts of the district on a daily basis and providing guidance to farmers about the crop. The government is taking every possible measures for the revival of the cotton crop, he concluded.