Briefs

Briefs

India resorts to unprovoked firing in Zafarwal Sector

RAWALPINDI: The Indian troops on Monday morning resorted to unprovoked firing at Zafarwal Sector along the Working Boundary (WB). According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Pakistan Rangers Punjab responded the firing effectively. -

Tribal jirga demands provincial status for Fata

By our correspondent

JAMRUD: Opposing the proposed merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a jirga of elders from Khyber Agency held in Jamrud on Monday urged the government to either form an independent Fata legislative council or announce a separate provincial status for the tribal areas. Malik Ghaffar Khan Afridi, a tribal elder, said Fata’s merger with KP was unacceptable to the tribal people. He said a legislative council should be formed to legislate for the tribal region in line with the local social, political and traditions.  The elder believed that the Fata reforms proposed by the government committee went against the tribal customs and traditions. He said legislation and policies on Fata should be made in the light of local traditions and customs. Malik Ghaffar Khan Afridi opposed the extension of the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and high courts to Fata.

Probe into college bonfire incident ordered 

By our correspondent

LAHORE: Punjab Higher Education Minister Syed Raza Ali Gillani has ordered an enquiry into a recent bonfire incident in Okara in which a girl student lost her life. Abida Nasrullah, who suffered burns in her college bonfire incident a fortnight ago, had succumbed to burns on Sunday. The minister, condoling the death of the student, prayed Almighty Allah rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss with equanimity. The incident happened in a private college. 

‘Teachers training in Punjab to be re-designed’

By our correspondent

LAHORE: Punjab School Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan has said the government has decided to completely redesign the schoolteachers’ training programme. He said this while addressing a meeting at the Children Library Complex here on Monday. The meeting reviewed teachers’ training programme in detail and discussed suggestions put forward to improve the same. The minister said the government aimed to train schoolteachers vis-à-vis classroom management and child psychology.

LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in a meeting with Ambassador of Denmark in Pakistan, Ole Thonke, agreed to make speedy progress on the project of generation of electricity through wind in south Punjab. During the meeting, matters  of mutual interest, promotion of bilateral relations and cooperation in different sectors were discussed.

The wind power project, being set up in south Punjab with the cooperation of Danish company VESTAS, Faisalabad Waste Water Treatment Project and cooperation in health sector also came under discussion.

Talking to Danish Ambassador, Shahbaz Sharif said there were good relations between Pakistan and Denmark and stressed upon the need to enhance economic cooperation. --