Category: District

Bahawalpur: A seven-year-old Bengal tiger, who was suffering from several diseases, died at Bahawalpur Zoo.

Curator of Bahawalpur Zoo, Dr. Usman Bukhari, confirmed that the Bengal tiger, who had been suffering from ailment for three to four years, had died at the zoo. 'The tiger was ill and had stopped eating for last three days and died,' he told media persons.

Dr. Bukhari said that the tiger had born at Bahawalpur Zoo in 2018 and it was seven-year-old when it died. He said that the Bengal tiger suffered cataract in its eye three years back and lost his one eye due to the disease. Later, the tiger suffered kidney and abdomen diseases. He had been suffering from kidney and abdomen diseases for the last few weeks, he said.

He said that a veterinary team of the Wildlife Department and Bahawalpur Zoo made hectic efforts for his recovery but in vain. He said that earlier, international non-governmental organizations working for animal rights were approached for cooperation for medical treatment of the Bengal tiger abroad.

Bukhari said that the body of the tiger was being shifted to Veterinary and Animal Sciences Department, Islamia University Bahawalpur, for postmortem.

Peshawar: The 10th death anniversary of Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan, a distinguished businesswoman, eminent philanthropist and revered politician was observed here on Sunday.

A commemorative gathering took place at the residence of her son, Salim Saifullah Khan, where family members and well-wishers paid tribute to Pakistan's first woman federal minister who held the portfolio of Commerce and Population Welfare in 1988.

Among the attendees were her elder son, former Federal Minister Anwar Saifullah Khan, who joined others in offering prayers for her departed soul.

Born in 1924 in Karak District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Begum Kulsum Saifullah belonged to a prominent family.

She was the sister of Aslam Khan Khattak, a former Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, General (Retired) Habibullah Khan and Yousaf Khan Khattak, a notable activist of the Pakistan Movement.

Begum Kulsum Saifullah actively participated in Pakistan's politics, serving as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) three times and as a Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa twice.

In recognition of her exceptional contributions in politics and commerce, she was awarded with the prestigious Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Crescent of Distinction) in 2008.

After the untimely demise of her husband, Saifullah Khan, in 1964, Begum Kulsum took charge of the family business.

Under her visionary leadership, the Saif Group of Companies grew into one of Pakistan's leading business conglomerates, excelling in textiles, power generation, oil and gas exploration, and telecommunications.

A trailblazer for women's empowerment, Begum Kulsum was a founding member of the All Pakistan Women's Association (APWA) in 1947.

She worked closely with Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan, the founder of APWA, serving as an advisor until 1951.

Her philanthropic initiatives included the establishment of the Women Business Development Centre in Peshawar, which has been providing skill training to thousands of deserving women for the last several decades.

Begum Kulsum Saifullah passed away on January 26, 2015, at the age of 91. She is survived by her five sons, who continue to uphold her legacy.

Peshawar: Four police officials abducted late night on Wednesday, have been released in South Waziristan Umar Ragzai area, police confirmed on Sunday.

According to District Police Officer (DPO) Arshad Khan, the police officials were kidnapped late Wednesday night near the Umar Ragzai police post.

The DPO confirmed that not only all the four police officials have safely returned, but their weapons and other belongings were also handed back.

He said the safe release of cops was made possible through the efforts of tribal elders and police high-ups.

Sargodha: Two people including a woman were killed in the collision between two cars here at Khan Muhammad wala flyover Bhera on Sunday.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson said that Shabir Hussain (40) r/o Bhulwal,Naseem Bibi (45) r/o Chak 110 Bhulwal and Saima (40) were traveling to Sargodha on car when all of sudden their car hit with speeding car which resulted into the spot deaths of Sabir Hussain and Naseem bibi while Saima sustained critical injuries.

Rescue 1122 teams and police concerned reached the spot,shifted the bodies and the injured to hospital for necessary legal formalities.

Peshawar: On the last day of the Peshawar Development Authority's Food and Cultural Family Festival at Central Park Regi Model Town here Sunday provided quality entertainment to the residents beside promoting critical social issues, including child protection.

The Directorate of Social Welfare (MDs) with the support of UNICEF, set up dedicated Child Protection Pavilion to highlight ongoing child protection interventions through Child Protection Units and Child Protection Vans.

The stalls theme , From harm to hope: A journey of Protection and healing children, aimed to raise awareness, sensitize the public, and generate dialogue about the challenges faced by vulnerable children, particularly those living on the streets.

Artwork by street children was also displayed alongside IEC materials on the importance of psychosocial support, community-based child protection case management, and other interventions.

Moreover, a dedicated space for families and children to experience and learn about the benefits of psychosocial support services was setup. Through this stall, the department aims to educate and advocate with public on preventing child protection violations and bringing these pressing issues to the forefront in a culturally engaging environment, to inspire public dialogue and action.

On the last day, a tree of dreams created by the children visiting the stalls, encourage to write the change they wish to see in the future world for them, the purpose of this activity was to give messages to the policy makers the responsibility of the changes these children's vision relies upon them. Children expressed the need for safer environment free of abuse, violence and exploitation and the need for quality education which will lead towards a brighter future.

Sohail Ahmad, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF during his visit to the child protection pavilion, in his remarks he mentioned that children are faced with numerous protection concerns in various spaces where they live, learn and play. The increasing engagement of children with on-line content also poses complex challenges to parents and caregivers to ensure their safety and protection. While there are many groups of children who are living in greater deprivations than others, children on the streets is particular example who demand an urgent attention and support mechanism.

He appreciated the efforts of Social Welfare Department to proactively seek various platforms and opportunities for amplifying advocacy on children's issues and emphasized that such interactions with children and caregivers through such cultural festivals certainly is an impactful way of socializing them with children's rights and promoting how to prevent violence against children. Connections between society and government for access to services like 1121 Child Protection Helpline and Child Protection Units at the district levels were also stressed.

The Directorate of Social Welfare extends heartfelt gratitude to UNICEF for support in advancing child protection.

A special thanks is also due to the Director General of PDA for providing a creative platform to engage families and communities in such a meaningful and impactful way.

Peshawar: A man lost his life in a shooting incident in the Palai Baz Darra area of Malakand.

Police informed on Sunday that the victim, identified as Gulab Zada, son of Razzaq Dar, sustained severe injuries during the attack.

Rescue teams promptly arrived at the scene and rushed the injured man to the hospital. However, doctors later confirmed his death.

Police have started investigating after registering a case.