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Tag: Punjab

  • ‘Zero exceptions’, Murad Raas warns Aitchison for not implementing SNC

    ‘Zero exceptions’, Murad Raas warns Aitchison for not implementing SNC

    The Punjab Government warned Aitchison College, a school for boys in Lahore, via a letter on Tuesday for not implementing Single National Curriculum (SNC) within its campus.

    In a tweet, Education Minister Punjab Murad Raas, while sharing the official letter stated, “Letter sent to Aitchison College Lahore for not implementing SNC in its entirety by Punjab Curriculum Textbook Board. Zero exemptions. I will not let anyone challenge the writ of the government.”

    The letter was issued to Aitchison College Principal Michael A Thomson by the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB) stating, “You are again requested/advised to kindly do not prescribe those books which have not been given Non-Objection Certificate (NOCs) by PCTB.”

    Furthermore the letter reads “It is to apprise you that the PCTB reviews and issues NOCs to the books after due process not on the request of an educational institution (school/college), but on the request of book developer (person/agency/private publisher) who apply for the same.”

    Parents at Aitchison told Dawn that the administration had implemented the SNC from Tuesday. Science, Islamiat and history books were introduced in Urdu.

    Prior to this notice, Federal Minister Education Shafqat Mahmood also said that there would be no exemption for Aitchison College or any other school.

    Aitchison College Principal Mr Thomson hasn’t commented on this issue yet. Earlier, when an official questioned him about it, he replied that the school did not fall within the department’s purview.

    What is SNC?

    It is a ‘uniform system of education, which means the same curriculum for everyone but has been highly controversial because of the content and images in the books approved for the curriculum. Sindh has decided not to implement the curriculum since education is a provincial issue.

    According to the new curriculum, Schools will be free to teach additional material or even additional subjects.  In the beginning, three subjects — Islamic Studies, Social Studies and General Knowledge will be taught in the Urdu language at the primary level (Grade 1-5). Quranic learning with translation will also be mandatory in Grade 6-12.

    Mehmood had earlier announced the SNC would be implemented from the new academic session on August 2 in all public and private schools as well as madrassah of Punjab.

  • Despite partial lockdown in Punjab, over 4,000 COVID cases reported in 24 hours

    Despite partial lockdown in Punjab, over 4,000 COVID cases reported in 24 hours

    Pakistan reported 4,062 new coronavirus infections over the last 24 hours in country for the first time in seven days.

    According to National Command Operation Center (NCOC), a total of 63,161 COVID-19 tests were taken on Thursday, out of which 84 people lost their lives to the deadly virus, pushing the toll to 26,497. 

    All Punjab educational institutions were closed last week due to the high spike in cases. Punjab government has also imposed lockdown in various areas of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan and Faisalabad.

    Currently, the country is fighting against the fourth wave of the global pandemic and the average daily case count has been fluctuating between 3,000-4,000 range for almost a week.

    The positivity rate now remains at 6.43%. Moreover, Pakistan is reporting 3,778 new infections on average each day.

    Last week, the country averaged about 1,192,780 administered vaccine doses each day.

  • 12-year-old girl killed after rape in Bahawalnagar

    12-year-old girl killed after rape in Bahawalnagar

    A 12-year-old girl was murdered after the alleged rape in Manchinabad area of Punjab’s Bahawalnagar district, ARY News reported on Thursday.

    According to details, a 12-year-old girl was killed after being raped in Manchinabad. The police detained the two suspects in the case after it was reported.

    Taking notice of the incident, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has also asked for a report from IG Punjab and ordered strict action against the persons involved in the crime.

    CM Punjab Usman Buzdar also assured the victim’s family that justice will be served.

    Earlier, a girl in Gujrat died after three men allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped her. Three men abducted a girl from Chak Ghazi in Gujrat district on September 1. The accused gave a tranquilliser to the girl and then raped her.

  • Fayyaz Chohan compares PTI to Trump regime for repeated changes in Punjab govt

    Fayyaz Chohan compares PTI to Trump regime for repeated changes in Punjab govt

    Spokesperson Punjab Government, Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan, made a comparison between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with the regime of former United States (US) President Donald Trump.

    “Donald Trump’s administration’s 38 positions were changed around three to six times during his five years in power,” said Chohan while speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’.

    Chohan was questioned about the continuous changes in the bureaucracy and police in Punjab.

    “No one from the world except for PTI would have made a comparison with Trump’s regime,” said anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada.

    Adding to his response, Khanzada said, “Changes in administration should be based on performance. Trump’s regime was blamed that the repetitive changes in his administration were mostly because of his partiality, political disliking, and preferences. PTI too is being blamed for the same reason.”

    In 2018, IG Kaleem Imam was changed over the dispute with Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Pakpatan. Muhammad Tahir was changed because he refused to abide by the instruction on the Model Town case. Amjad Javed Saleemi was changed because he was not cooperating with National Accountability Bureau (NAB) during the leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Hamza Shehbaz’s arrest.

    “All the people who have been removed from their positions have been because of personal preferences,” commented Khanzada.

    “If people are being changed for better results, it is fine,” added Fayyaz Chohan.

    “These changes are better than Ahad Cheema, Fawad Hassan Fawad or Dr Syed Tauqir Hussain Shah, who were involved in money laundering, murders and doing things on behalf of the chief minister (CM),” said Chohan.

    “None of the claims against these people were proved by the government. So my question is: what is the criteria to check the performance?” asked Khanzada.

    “I don’t think administrative changes have anything to do with or in any way has an effect on the performance of the government,” said Fayyaz Chohan.

    Yesterday, the federal cabinet approved the appointment of Kamran Ali Afzal as the Punjab chief secretary and Sardar Ali Khan as Punjab inspector general of police (IGP) with immediate effect.

    Afzal is the fifth Punjab chief secretary while Khan is the seventh IGP during the three years of PTI’s government.

    CM Usman Buzdar had reportedly recommended the names.

  • 12-year-old boys ‘gang rape four-year-old girl’ in Punjab

    12-year-old boys ‘gang rape four-year-old girl’ in Punjab

    A four-year-old girl was allegedly raped by two minor boys aged 12 and 13 in the fields in Lodhran district of the Punjab province, ARY News reported on Friday.

    According to the police, the suspects took the girl to the nearby fields in Lodhran and sexually assaulted her. “Both of them are aged 12 and 13 years old,” police said, adding that they later left the girl in the fields.

    She was later taken to a nearby hospital for medico-legal formalities.

    Read More: Imam Masjid arrested for trying to rape two minor girls

    The police said they have detained one of the suspects involved in the crime. “The other suspect will also be arrested soon,” the district police officer (DPO) said while advising the citizens to play their role in identifying and reporting such incidents.

  • ‘I love Pakistan’ balloons found in Indian Punjab

    On August 15, India’s 75th Independence Day, balloons with ‘I love Pakistan’ imprinted on them were found in the fields of Sandoa village in the Rupnagar district of India’s Punjab, ANI cited police as saying.

    Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Rupnagar Dr Akhil Chaudhary said it can be “activities of some miscreants”, adding that a probe is underway regarding the matter.

    “It looks like balloons came from a nearby place but we can’t rule out other angles. A probe has been initiated,” Chaudhary was quoted as saying.

    Earlier, Indian forces lodged an First Information Report  (FIR) against Pakistani spy pigeon. The pigeon was allegedly carrying a “suspicious piece of paper tied to its legs” when it landed on the shoulder of an Indian army officer who was on guard duty about 500 meters from the border.

    Last year in May, Indian forces were engaged in the same operation when a pigeon with a pink patch and tag on its leg was captured as a “suspected Pakistani spy.”

  • Man kills wife with an ax in front of daughter

    A husband killed his wife with an ax in front of their daughter in Nankana Sahib. Police registered a case under Section 302 and arrested the accused, reports Independent Urdu.

    According to the FIR, the woman was a resident of the Maliwal area and a mother of three children. She was murdered by her husband Khalid Hussain on Saturday night.

    The brother of the deceased, Yaseen, registered an FIR at Mangta Nawala police station. Yaseen told Independent Urdu that his sister was married to Khalid 15 years ago and has two sons and a daughter. Khalid used to drive a rickshaw to earn a living. According to Yaseen, the victim came to his house after the couple had a fight over their children.

    He said that Khalid came to his house on Friday night and took an oath by placing his hand on the Qur’an that he will never beat his wife again and wants to take his wife and children back home.

    Yaseen said that since the couple already had a fight so just to be on the safe side, he went with the couple along with some other relatives to ensure that the couple do not quarrel again.

    Yaseen said he slept on the roof at night, his sister in a room and Khalid in the courtyard.

    “At about two o’clock in the morning, there was a noise and we ran downstairs. I saw Khalid attacking my sister with an ax. My sister died on the spot due to severe injuries while Khalid saw us and fled the scene.”

    Yaseen said that when Khalid was attacking his sister with an ax, his 14-year-old daughter was standing there in shock.

    He said that the young girl’s senses have not been restored yet. They have brought the children home with them while the victim has been buried.

    SHO Tasawur Munir said that the accused has been arrested and action will be taken as per law. The SHO declined to comment further, saying an investigation is underway.

    Yaseen said he is very poor and is a driver by profession, he is afraid that the police will suppress the case so he needs justice for his sister.

  • This village in Punjab has 100 percent literacy rate

    This village in Punjab has 100 percent literacy rate

    Rasool Pur is a village, located in the Rajanpur district of Punjab. This amazing village not only has 100% literacy rate, but it also has zero percent crime rate.

    According to a report of Samaa News, Rasool Pur was established as a village in 1933 when people migrated from Balochistan and made this place their home.

    The villagers not only know how to read and write, but most of them have finished their high school education.

    There are two high schools in Rasool Pur, one for girls and one is for boys.

    It is one of the most peaceful places to live in Pakistan. The crime rate in the village is zero percent.

    One of the things that you will notice in Rasool Pur is the cleanliness. Although the village has limited resources, the villagers have made sure that their village does not have any garbage lying around. The sewerage system here is also well maintained.

    They have their own department to cater the issues and development projects of their village.

    Many of the women from this village are highly educated and working as doctors and engineers in different areas of Pakistan.

    The locals of this village understand the value of education and know that it is much more than simply a means of earning more.

  • Zardari-Elahi meeting: possibility of a future coalition?

    Zardari-Elahi meeting: possibility of a future coalition?

    Punjab Assembly Speaker and senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had a meeting with former president Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday.

    A press release issued after the meeting said both sides discussed matters of mutual interest and the national political scene without giving any more details.

    However, as per a report in Dawn, “a close aide to the Chaudhrys of Gujrat said that some quarters were seeing snap polls by the year-end and the meeting should be taken in the context of exploring possibilities of political cooperation in that scenario. He claimed that Prime Minister Imran Khan canceled his scheduled UK visit knowing the political storms in the making, both within his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and in the ruling coalition.”

    The PML-Q is presently an ally of the PTI in Punjab.

    Though officially Pervaiz Elahi denies any differences with the PTI, his son Moonis Elahi has criticised various policies of the government publicly, particularly on social media.

    Asif Zardari has summoned the party’s chief organiser in Punjab Raja Pervez Ashraf to Bilawal House in Lahore.

    A PPP leader, who requested not to be named, said Zardari had taken on to himself the task of bargaining for a future alliance strong enough to form the next government, directing his son and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to look after other matters for the time being.

    However, the Punjab government has termed the meeting of Elahi and Zardari a “storm in a teacup” and rubbished rumours of any differences between the coalition partners.

    Special Assistant to the Punjab Chief Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said, “The PML-Q is an experienced political party and an important ally of the PTI government.”

    “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, we have defeated the worried Opposition — due to the successes achieved by the government — at every front,” added Awan.

  • Police arrest three boys for raping, filming minor

    Police arrest three boys for raping, filming minor

    Three boys who gang-raped a 15-year-old girl and stripped her eight-year-old sister at Chak 324-JB Paira on Sunday have been arrested by the police.

    As per reports, the suspects recorded the crime with a mobile phone while they failed to rape the eight-year-old girl.

    A first information report (FIR) was filed with the City Police under sections 376 (2) (rape), 377-B (sexual abuse) and 292-C (child pornography) of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the father of the girls.

    Read More: Mufti Aziz-ur-Rehman admits he raped student, claim police

    He alleged that his daughters went to a nearby forest to bring some firewood where three suspects overpowered them.

    They gang-raped the elder girl, stripped the younger one and tried to rape her.

    District Police Officer Rana Umer Farooq said all the three suspects have been detained while both the girls were taken to the district headquarters hospital where the women doctors confirmed that the elder girl was raped after a medical examination report.