MARDAN: Provincial minister for education Mohammad Atif Khan has claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led government will extend financial assistance to the family of four-year-old rape and murder victim in Mardan on the pattern of Army Public School Peshawar’s Shuhada package.

He was talking to office-bearers of Mardan Press Club at his residence here on Friday.

The minister said the government was not doing any politics on the issue of minor victim. He, however, said there were some technical hurdles in providing such like financial assistance to the family of the victim, which were being removed.

To a query about revival of MMA, Atif Khan said that restoration of the religious parties’ alliance would not affect PTI position in the upcoming general elections.

He criticised the previous ANP government for ‘corruption and plundering the public money’.

Atif Khan said that the PTI government was taking steps to facilitate residents of Mardan, adding contract of construction of a mega park had been given to NLC which would be established on a 400 kanals of land near the ring road.

“The government has allocated over Rs2 billion for construction of the park,” he said, adding Rs2.5 billion would be allocated for construction of the building of Women University, Mardan.

He said the provincial government was also constructing a family park at Bacha Khan Chowk on a 24 kanal of land.

The education minister said the government had established first women cadet college in Mardan. He pointed out that in the last general elections the position of PTI was weak in Hazara, Malakand, Dir and Buner districts and in southern belt, however, in the upcoming election the party would gain majority seats in these regions.

IGP REVIEWS PROGRESS ON ASSAULT CASE: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief Salahuddin Mehsud on Friday visited Mardan to review progress on the assault and murder case of four-year-old Asma.

A press statement issued by director public relations, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, said the IGP was briefed by DIG and DPO Mardan about the progress on the case.

It stated that the IGP expressed satisfaction over the investigation in the case. After receiving the forensic report, the police would be able to carry forward the investigation, it added.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2018