Asfandyar for revival of Afghan-led peace process

PESHAWAR: Urging Afghanistan and Pakistan to evolve joint strategy for regional peace, Awami National Party (ANP) president Asfandyar Wali Khan on Thursday said that a minor mistake could wreak havoc in the region.

In a statement issued on the 23rd death anniversary of former Afghan President Dr Najibullah, he said revival of Afghan-led peace process was a must for regional stability. The ANP chief said that Dr Najibullah was a true follower of freedom fighter Bacha Khan. “He resigned as president of Afghanistan for the sake of peace but did not leave his country,” Asfandyar Wali recalled. He said that the way Dr Najibullah was martyred was a great tragedy of Afghan history. He added that the martyred Afghan president believed in human dignity and worked for progress and stability of Afghanistan. The ANP chief said that Pakistan and Afghanistan should devise foreign policies in the interest of their own people instead of protecting the interests of great powers. He advised both countries to adopt joint strategy for sustainable peace in the region. He cautioned that a minor mistake could lead to the Third World War.

3 patwaris among 6 charged in land scandal

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Anti-Corruption Establishment Department has unearthed a land scandal in the provincial metropolis by charging six accused including officials of the Revenue Department for transfer of citizen’s land to a government housing scheme fraudulently. The Anti-Corruption Establishment registered first information report against six accused persons in 120 kanals of land scam at Mulazai area in Peshawar on September 23.

The accused charged in the FIR include three officials (Patwaris) of the Revenue Department Syed Khurshid Shah, Muhammad Haroon, and Muhammad Imtiaz, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) holder Muhammad Ameer, son of Muhammad Ayaz of Mulazai, Ilyas Khan, son of Noshad Khan from Pajjagi Road, and Muhammad Bilal Khan, son of Sardar Alam, a resident of Mathra area in Peshawar. The accused persons were charged under sections 409, 419, 420, 468 and 471 PPC and section 5(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act. An official of the ACE said that one of the accused, Muhammad Ameer, a resident of Mulazai, had already been arrested in Rs15 million bounced cheque case by the police in Mathra. The bounced cheque case had been registered against the accused on June 6, this year by one Yasir Aman, son of Amanullah, a resident of Kanriza area in Peshawar.

NAB KP arrests 2 for alleged corruption

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday arrested accused Muhammad Ejaz Afridi and Muhammad Imran for alleged involvement in corruption of more than Rs100 million.

The NAB KP through a press release said the inquiry was initiated after receiving a complaint of alleged corruption. During investigations, it was discovered that accused person, M Ejaz Afridi, in connivance with accused M Imran, the then Patwari of Mauza Tehkal Bala, misrepresented facts in courts and illegally occupied land owned by Pakistan Railways, causing huge loss of more than Rs100 million to exchequer.