Pakistan Views

Governor of NWFP Awais Ahmed Ghani has summoned the provincial assembly session on March 28. “The governor has signed a summary sent to him for calling the NWFP Assembly session and the law department has issued notification to convene the session on March 28, provincial secretary of law Shahid Naseem told Geo News.
The elected members would take oath in the first session of the new assembly. Arbab Ayub Jan, a new-elect member, would administer the oath to fellow members, the law secretary added.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Thursday said his party has decided in principle to sit on the opposition benches in NWFP assembly. Addressing the journalists here, he said Pakistan People’s Party solicited me for advice over candidate for the premiership, adding, ‘However, I told them this is the internal matter of their party.’ Maulana Fazl said that his party decided in principle to sit on the opposition benches in NWFP assembly.Reacting to a question, JUI-F chief said the troubles of tribal areas may be addressed through negotiations and jirga system, adding, ‘If the government courts my help in this regard, I will extend my cooperation to every length possible.’ Maulana Fazlur Rehman said he used his vote for elections of speaker at NA floor.
Maulana Fazl said his party would side with the large parties over the issue of restoration of the deposed judges, adding his party supports the free judiciary in the country.
JUI-F chief said the matter regarding the restoration of judges is legal and constitutional in nature; however, every side will have to show flexibility in case the whole matter lands in blind alley.The negotiations with other coalition partners are in progress, he added.

The unannounced load shedding disturbed the citizens in rural areas of NWFP province and the suburban areas of Peshawar.
The people living in the most parts of the NWFP province are extremely affected because the schedule issued by Peshawar Electric Supply Company was not being acted upon.
PESCO announced to conduct load management totally five times a day with one-hour span each time in Peshawar and other parts of the province. The citizens complained that the duration of the load shedding is over five hours; they demanded PESCO to act upon its present schedule for the load shedding.The areas including Badhbeer and Hazarkhawni are worst affected by the load shedding.

The top leaders of Awami National Party (ANP) and Peoples Party have decided to form a coalition government in NWFP, ANP provincial chief Afrasiyab Khattak Saturday said.
Afrasiyab Khattak , said ANP and PPP have gained majority in the province and the top leaderships of the two parties have decided to join hands for a coalition government in the province. Khattak said the independents could have gained more importance in formation of government if ANP and PPP had not attained required majority of members in the province. “Some independent members have also contacted to ANP,” he added.

Veterinarians in NWFP had been put on high alert for keeping surveillance on 4,000 poultry farms to prevent the outbreak of the deadly bird flu virus H5N1 in the chickens, sources told Business Recorder on Saturday.

“We have tightened monitoring of the poultry farms and every district has its own monitoring system, ” said NWFP Director Livestock Muqarrab Ali Khan. He said that they were also collecting samples of the birds on regular basis in the province, and added there would no hesitation in culling the suspected chickens.

To protect chickens from the deadly avian influenza, the department was also conducting ring vaccination within three-kilometre radius of the suspected poultry farms. Furthermore, the officials of the department were also in closed contact with the owners of the poultry farms.

The first bird flu in the province was detected in March 2006 in the poultry farms of Charsadda and Hazara, which resulted in culling more than 25,000 chicken in two farms. The City District Government Peshawar has also directed all poultry farms in its jurisdiction to adopt protective measures to prevent the disease from spreading to birds.

“We are sending 60 percent samples more than the other provinces to the National Institute of Health (NIH) for laboratory tests and keeping the poultry farms under strict surveillance,” added Muqarrab Ali Khan.

He said the provincial government had adopted a scientific approach to the matter through tight surveillance and minimise the chances of spread of the disease. The department had established full-fledged Bird Flu Reporting Centre at Veterinary

Research Institute (VRI), Peshawar, for receiving reports from all districts in general and risk areas in particular, said. Dr Malik Ayaz of the centre, when contacted, said: “The result of the majority tests have proved negative, while 28 have proved positive. The latest positive case has proved on December 3.”

He said that initially the samples were being tested in the laboratory of Disease Investigation Office (DIO) at the Directorate of Livestock, he said, and added the centre received 500 samples a week and on suspicion referred it to the National Veterinary Laboratory (NVL), Islamabad, for cross check.

Dr Syed Nasir Hussein Shah, Director Veterinary Research Institute (VRI), Peshawar, gave a totally different version of the situation and was not satisfied of the role of the top officials of the Ministry of Health. He also attributed the propaganda about the disease spread by vested interests.

Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Ehsanullah said Saturday that the gas supply to 1250 small industries in Punjab and Sindh will be restored tonight after the gas supply ameliorated.

According to a press release issued from ministry of petroleum and natural resources here, 250 CNG stations of Punjab and NWFP will start receiving gas from tomorrow (Sunday).

He said further that the gas supply would be restored to the remaining industries also as the weather conditions improve.

Director General, Pakistan Meteorological Department, Qamar-uz-Zaman has said that another spell of rain and snowfall over the mountain peaks has been forecast in the upper parts of NWFP during the next 24 hours. Talking to State TV, he said most parts of NWFP were in the grip of severe cold during the last 24 hours. The hilly areas of the country are also likely to receive rain and snowfall during next 24 hours. Widespread rains and heavy snowfall over hilly areas of NWFP, Balochistan and Azad Kashmir was expected during next 48 hours. He said that scattered rain and thunderstorm, were likely grip various parts of the country during next 2 days, according to synoptic situation. The recent intermittent rains has left positive impact on crops and improved water level in the reservoirs. The rain will also help to overcome on loadshedding problems, he added. The recent spell of rains in the federal capital would have cool and chilly effect on the weather, compelling people to wear additional warm clothes.

Newly appointed Governor of NWFP, Awais Ahmad Ghani has taken oath of his office here on Monday night at a simple but impressive ceremony held at Governor House. Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court (PHC), Justice Talat Qayyum Qureshi administered oath to the new Governor.

Earlier, Chief Secretary NWFP, Riaz Noor read out the commission of appointment of Governor issued by President Pervez Musharraf. Caretaker Chief Minister of NWFP, Shamsul Mulk was also present on the occasion. The oath taking ceremony was attended by caretaker cabinet members, advisors to the Chief Minister high ranking officials, Commandant FC, Malik Naveed, mediamen and elite of the city.