SWABI: The local residents have alleged the use of substandard material in the construction of Rs8 billion Bada Dam in Gadoon Amazai mountainous region as it had gone dry due to leakage from its bed.

Talking to Dawn, Bada union council chairman Ajmer Khan, president Gadoon Qaumi Tehreek Lal Ghafoor and others demanded investigation into the matter.

Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Pervez Khattak and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser had inaugurated the dam project in 2018. The dam was meant to irrigate 3,000 acres of land.

The residents also said they had been awaiting payment of compensation for the land used for the dam.

They also demanded of the Peshawar High Court chief justice to order a probe into the low quality material used in building the dam.

They also threatened to hold a protest demonstration outside the Parliament House in Islamabad if probe was not launched into the matter.

AGREEMENT: Women University of Swabi and Swabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Saturday signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a business incubation centre at the varsity to nurture entrepreneurship and promote startups, ultimately contributing to the economic growth of the region.

University’s director office of research, innovation and commercialisation Dr Omm-i-Kalsoom Afridi and SCCI president Mohammad Babar Hamayun inked the MoU.

Mr Hamayun assured full support for setting up the incubation centre.

Meanwhile, SCCI on Saturday organised a seminar titled ‘e-commerce, Amazon and the Pakistan Trade Portal’ in collaboration with the Trade Development Authority.

The seminar was aimed to highlight the potential of e-commerce and the utilisation of platforms like Amazon and Pakistan Trade Portal for trade activities.

WUS faculty members along with over 45 students from the department of arts & design participated in the seminar. Their participation demonstrated WUS’s commitment to fostering academic and industry collaborations, promoting knowledge sharing and equipping students with practical insights into the evolving business landscape.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2023