MANSEHRA: The higher education department has planned the establishment of its regional secretariats across the province.

“As part of efforts to promote higher education and address the issues of teachers, we [department] are going to set up regional secretariats at the divisional headquarters,” higher education director Prof Zahoorul Haq told the magazine launching ceremony in the Oghi degree college on Monday.

He said his department was striving to promote higher education considering it to be vital for national development.

“For the first time, 1,900 professors and lecturers will be appointed to colleges on our advice. The initiative will make revolutionary improvement in the province’s education system,” he said.

Official says 1,900 teachers to be appointed to colleges

Mr Haq said the appointments formally approved by the finance department would be made to vacant posts in Hazara division and other parts of the province.

He said the department had approved the start of regular science classes in the Oghi college and admissions would be offered in BS classes soon.

Principal Prof Qari Mohammad Siddique said the magazine, which was published in both Urdu and English, was a treasure of knowledge for students.

PROTECTED FORESTS: A jirga of major four tribes from Torghar district have demanded of the government to withdraw the status of protected forests for the local woodlands. The meeting in Oghi area was attended by tribal elders and members.

“The government, which had changed the status of our tribal area to a settled district in 2011, wants to deprive us of the centuries old forests by declaring them protected ones. We won’t let this happen,” Maulana Shah Zain told the jirga in Oghi area on Monday.

He said those forests should be declared Guzara forests so that the local tribesmen could use them in need.

Another speaker, Anwar Saeed, warned if the protected forests notification wasn’t withdrawn, the tribesmen would begin street protests and move the Supreme Court for relief.

GOVT FLAYED: Provincial emir of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl Senator Maulana Attaur Rehman on Monday criticised the government over what he called failure to announce effective measures in the next budget to address inflation and poverty.

“The prices of sugar, wheat flour, pulses and other essential commodities have gone out of the people’s reach but the government didn’t announce any remedial measures in the 2021-22 budget,” Mr Rehman told a condolence reference held for party leader Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz, who died of coronavirus last year.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2021