Daily Balochistan Times

Mirpur: The core committee of the Azad Jammu Kashmir Union of Columnists, the first-ever AJK-level organization of columnists, has unanimously elected all of its central office bearers for the year 2025.

A meeting was held at Jammu Kashmir House in the federal metropolis with founder chairperson Ms. Sudra Iram Kabir in the chair, who elected unopposed the central office bearers of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Union of Columnists, says a press release released to the media here on Wednesday.

The newly elected office bearers include Sidra Iram Kabir, Chairperson from Rawalkot, Poonch Division; Zafar Mughal, President from Mirpur Division; Liaquat Bashir Farooqui from Muzaffarabad Division, Secretary General; Adeem Sulaiman, Sr. Vice President from Poonch; and Humira Tariq from Palandri, Vice President from Jhelum Valley. Zahid Awan, Vice President; Mirzajamil Ahmad Shahid, Vice President from Islamgarh; Ishtiaq Ahmed Atesh from Muzaffarabad, Additional Secretary; Bagh, Riyaz Geelani, Deputy Secretary General; Ijaz Chaudhry, Information Secretary from Samahni; and Saqba Khalid, Secretary Finance from Poonch.

Besides, the Core Committee also unanimously approved the induction of Professor Muhammad Asghar Maluti as Patron-in-Chief and Professor Syed Zahid Hussain Naimi as Patron.

The core committee meeting was attended, among others, by Sidra Iram Kabir, Syed Zahid Hussain Naimi, Zafar Mughal, Liaquat Bashir Farooqui, Dr. Abid Hussain Janjua, Professor Muhammad Sagheer Aasi, Mirza Jameel Ahmad Shahid, Hasher Rizwan, Javed Chaudhry, Qaiser Hussain Taib, Mohammad Farooq Jaral, Ejaz Chaudhry, and others.

Addressing the meeting speakers, including founder Chairperson Sidra Iram Kabir, President Zafar Mughal, and Secretary General Liaquat Bashir Farooqui, expressed gratitude to the core committee for unanimously electing them for one year. The office bearers will take an oath of office in Muzaffarabad this month.

The constitution of the union will be completed in one month, and the new membership will continue till the coming month of Ramadan, while the election of new office bearers will be conducted according to the constitution in the last ten months of every new year, speakers said.

Khanewal: A special meeting to review the annual performance of Rescue 1122 was held at the Rescue Station under the chairmanship of District Emergency Officer Dr Khalid Mahmood.

Dr Khalid Mahmood assured the public that Rescue 1122 remains fully prepared to respond to any emergency situation. He said all emergency vehicles are in excellent condition and are available 24/7 for public service. "Our mission is to provide timely assistance to those in need," he said, urging citizens to only dial 1122 in genuine emergencies to avoid unnecessary delays.

Control Room In-charge Shehzad Chaudhry briefed on the district's performance in 2024. According to the report, the control room received 222,506 calls, of which 40,255 were emergencies. These included 8,585 traffic accidents, 25,949 medical cases, 361 fire incidents, 1,259 crime-related emergencies, 18 drowning cases, and 10 building collapses. Rescue teams provided first aid to 16,329 individuals and transported 41,581 patients to hospitals.

The district recorded an average response time of seven minutes. Under the Punjab government's Patient Referral Service, 4,090 patients were shifted from smaller healthcare facilities to major hospitals. The Community Safety Program also conducted 58 training workshops and trained Community Emergency Response Teams in all Union Councils.

The meeting was attended by Rescue Safety Officers Muhammad Yasir Raza (Mian Channu) and Imtiaz Ahmed (Kabirwala), Station Coordinators Muhammad Saleem, Samiullah, and Muhammad Sajjad, along with Media Coordinator Rashid Chaudhry.

The review highlighted Rescue 1122's unwavering commitment to public safety and efficient emergency response in Khanewal district.