Supporting wool factories
PESHAWAR, Dec 5: Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda) will submit proposals for development of Islampur village of Swat district as ‘wool-craft city’ to upgrade the quality of the products of silk units in the region.
This was disclosed by provincial chief of Smeda Javed Iqbal Khattak while talking to media persons here on Wednesday.
“Forty-five silk units in the area had already been rehabilitated under the Multi-Donor Trust funded project of Economic Revitalisation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata and efforts for the revival of remaining units was in progress,” he said.
Mr Khattak said for bringing improvement in the quality of products a common facilitation centre was also being established at a cost of Rs30 million. He said a display centre was also being established to support the silk units in promoting marketing network. —Bureau Report
Rally against KBD
PESHAWAR, Dec 5: Pakhtun Students Federation (PkSF) on Wednesday held a protest demonstration against the proposed construction of Kalabagh Dam, saying it was a plot against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Holding banners and placards carrying slogans against the verdict of the Lahore High Court, activists of PkSF studying in Government College of Technology at Kohat Road gathered outside Peshawar Press Club and shouted slogans against the Verdict.
PkSF general secretary Anwarullah Safi alleged it was a conspiracy hatched by Punjab government against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He called for shelving the plan and building small dams across the province.
Meanwhile, central president of Tehrik-i-Itehad-i-Qabail Mir Aslam Afridi, in a statement on Wednesday, also advised the government against constructing disputed KBD and asked for building small dams instead. —Bureau Report
Increasing direct taxes
ABBOTTABAD Dec 5: Chief commissioner, regional tax office, Abbottabad, Pir Pervez Alam, has suggested increase in direct taxes to bring their share up at the level of indirect taxes.
This he said while talking to a delegation of Hazara tax bar association which met him at RTO office on Wednesday led by Agha Shabbir Ahmed advocate, president of HTBA.
Pervez Alam said the government was making efforts for documenting economy and broadening tax net for which he had asked the tax bar association to play its due role to motivate public about the tax culture. He stressed the need for increasing the tax net.
He said under the FBR reforms, tax facilitation centres had been established in every office and all bottlenecks were being removed to facilitate the taxpayers. —Correspondent
Preventing maternal mortality
TIMERGARA, Dec 5: Speakers at a seminar on Wednesday called for creating awareness on preventing maternal mortality rate during childbirth.
An NGO, the Khwendo Kor (KK), organised the seminar under its health project ‘saving mothers in communities’ at tehsil headquarters hospital Chakdara. MS THQ hospital Dr Mukhtiar chaired the seminar.
A total of 65 participants, 48 female and 17 male, including doctors, lady health visitors, nurses, lady health workers and community people attended the event.
District advocacy coordinator of the KK Amin Jan said the ‘saving mothers in communities’ project was being run with the help of Mercy Corps. He pointed out that Pakistan ranked 3rd after India and Nigeria in maternal mortality rate. He said 75 per cent of deliveries in rural areas were still conducted at homes with unskilled hands, which was alarming.
He informed that main cause of maternal mortality rate was preventable post-partum hemorrhage. —Correspondent
Students told to protect country
PESHAWAR, Dec 5: Pakistan Muslim League-N provincial president Pir Sabir Shah has said two nation theory is the best solution to all the existing problems and protection of the country from all internal and external threats.
Speaking at a meeting of PML-N students’ wing here on Wednesday, Mr Sabir Shah said Pakistan came into being on basis of the two nation theory but the anti-state forces had divided the nation on basis of language, cast, creed and regionalism.
He urged the students to focus on studies, face the challenges created by the anti-state elements and work for protection of the country. He said it was time the students worked like those who did during the independence movement.
The PML-N leader claimed that Mian Nawaz Sharif was the only leader who could steer the country out of the quagmire and foil all anti-state conspiracies. —Bureau Report