UK honours WWII veteran from Chakwal

The British High Commission on Thursday handed over the United Kingdom’s three replacement medals to a Chakwal veteran for his services and sacrifices he made while working as a driver in the British Indian Army during World War II (WWII). Lance Naik Umar Hayat, now 99 years old, gathered with his family and neighbours at a ceremony where the Commission’s Deputy Head of Communication, Tom Hyde, honoured him with three medals – The Burma Star, The War Medal and The 1939-1945 Star – that he had lost in 1975 when his house collapsed due to torrential rains causing flooding. “Medals reflect the official thanks of a government to those who have served it honourably, often with gallantry or distinction,” Hyde maintained, noting how important this year is for the Commonwealth ties and given King Charles II interest, the UK decided to replace the medals the veteran had lost. Under blue skies in a warm winter day, Hayat along with his sons and some of the total 95 members of the family attended the ceremony organised at his village Dhermond in the Talagang Tehsil, Chakwal District, Punjab, in line with the Remembrance Day – the day to honour and commemorate the British service members who had taken part in the wars. Hayat served the army from 1941 to 1948 and fought at Burma now Myanmar. The Chakwal veteran, who wore white Shalwar Qameez matching with his turban and beard, shiny black shoes and sat with straight back on a charpoy at his home, held the mementoes with pride, saying “these medals have brought back all the memories of the war (WWII). I can see my unit, my friends, my officers and all the sacrifices that we gave while fighting”. “Really it is an honour for me,” said Hayat when given his replacement medals. The veteran revealed that his father, Aulia Khan Major, had fought in the First World War. When the second one started, he recalled, his father told him to join the army and embrace martyrdom but not take a step back. For Hayat, war is a good thing as it gives one a chance to show bravery against his enemies. Agreeing that people die in wars, he argued, winning and losing is also a part of it, saying that in earlier times “kings were fond of expanding their empire”. In the next breath, Hayat, showing high spirits, said that he was still ready to fight a war, observing that he could use his gun but not a rifle or heavy artillery that he used during the war days. “My officer used to call me an all-rounder as I didn’t limit my work to driving only,” he said while crediting his good health to desi ghee and pure milk. Going down memory lane, Hayat while reading his name and service number written on the medal box recalled that his father had taken him out of school when a teacher beat him up, adding, he later on learned reading and writing after joining the army. To mark Remembrance Day last year, the Commission paid special visits to some of the last remaining veterans of the Second World War in Pakistan, hailing their courage and sacrifice, and reinforcing the point that the UK is here today because of them. Last November, the former British High Commissioner Christian Turner had acknowledged Hayat’s services and sent him a framed letter, which he fondly hangs on a wall. He still has his Military Motor Vehicle Drivers’ Licence, a character certificate dated March 6, 1948, a service certificate and two plates in which they were served meals during wartime. World War II was the biggest and deadliest war in history, involving more than 30 countries. Sparked by the 1939 Nazi invasion of Poland, the war dragged on for six bloody years until the allies – the UK, Soviet Union, United States, and China – defeated Nazi Germany and Japan in 1945. Hyde said that a 2.5 million British Indian Army in WWII was the largest volunteer army ever mobilised. On 75 years of Pak-UK Dosti, Hyde said, the veterans that we have been visiting were there at the start of the relationship 75 years ago and it’s “only right that 75 years later we mark their achievements again as we celebrate our shared values through the Commonwealth.” Remembering the day when the war was over, Hayat recalled that the troops celebrated the victory and his unit was happier as it did not suffer huge losses in terms of fellow troopers, including Hindus and others that many other units had. War veterans receive a small allowance from the Commonwealth Ex-Services League. Hayat, who appeared content with getting his medals back, had only one wish from local authorities: “give a job to my two grandchildren in the army”.

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14 terrorists killed in Balochistan, K-P operations

Security forces killed 14 terrorists in two separate operations in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the past 24 hours, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) and the K-P Counter-Terrorism Department said in their statements on Thursday. The operations were carried out in the Kech district of Balochistan, where eight terrorists were killed, when they tried to ambush a convoy of forces. Six more terrorists were killed in the Lakki Marwat district in a raid by the CTD Bannu and the local police. The ISPR said that operation in the Kech district was launched after terrorists attempted to ambush a convoy of the security forces the previous day. It added that the forces, who were alert and combat-ready, foiled the terrorists' attempt without any loss of life. “In ensuing, heavy exchange of fire, 8 Terrorists have been killed while a large cache of arms and ammunition including explosives has also been recovered,” said the statement issued by the media wing of the military. Subsequently, the forces launched a follow-up operation, using ground and aviation assets, to track down fleeing terrorists. It led to the identification of a suspected terrorist hideout in Mazaaband Range, where a sanitisation operation was conducted on Thursday. The ISPR statement reiterated Pakistan's commitment to thwart any attempts by inimical elements, acting at the behest of hostile intelligence agencies, to disrupt peace in the province. According to a separate statement, the CTD Bannu and the Lakki Marwat police carried out a joint intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Dadiwala area of the Lakki Marwat district, killing six terrorists and recovering a cache of arms and ammunition. The operation was carried out on information that terrorists involved in various bomb and other attacks were present in Dadiwala and plotting to launch another attack on Chowki Abbasa – where six policemen were martyred in an attack in November last year. In an exchange of fire, the forces killed six terrorists, who were wanted to the Lakki Marwat police and the CTD over terrorist attacks on police and other security personnel, according to the CTD statement. Four of the dead terrorists have been identified as Ziaullah alias Kochi, son of Dawood; Safatullah alias Daroon, son of Hayatullah; Muhibullah, son of Sharif; Kaleemullah alias Faqir, son of Amir Nawaz. The identity of the two dead terrorists is being ascertained. Pakistan's security forces have conducted numerous operations across the country in the past three months, arresting terrorists and their facilitators and foiling several attacks. In Balochistan alone, 3,414 operations were conducted.

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Registration of 85 private schools okayed

After a long wait of two years, the District Education Authority (DEA) finally approved granting registration to 85 new private schools in the Rawalpindi district. The DEA also allowed these private schools to start new admissions. The registration of 186 new private schools and the renewal of registration of over 30,000 private schools in the whole district had been hanging in the balance for the last two years. The approval was given at a meeting of the DEA chaired by Chief Executive Officer Dr Tariq Qazi. All-Pakistan Private Schools Management Authority Chairman Abrar Ahmed Khan and others also participated in the meeting The authority will convene another meeting on March 1 to approve the registration of more schools. A weekly meeting of the DEA will be held on a weekly basis to dispose of pending applications, seeking registration and renewal of registration of private schools. The private schools earlier barred from admitting students have conditionally been allowed for admissions. Currently, a total of 2,700 government schools, 3,000 registered private schools and 5,000 unregistered schools are functioning in the district. According to authority member Abrar Ahmed Khan, all pending cases would be resolved during the registration authority's weekly meetings. “We will also find a solution to other problems being faced by private schools,” he said. Earlier, all these schools had been denied affiliation by the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education and the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Rawalpindi after the DRA failed to register them and renew their registration. According to sources, this had put the career of thousands of students enrolled in these schools at stake, risking their appearance in the next matriculation examination. School principals of these new schools including Hafiz Idris Ali and Raja Zulqarnain said that they have completed all legal papers and the registration should be started immediately. The district government had earlier decided to bring all private schools, academies and colleges across the district under the ambit of the law. All private schools will have to be divided into three categories and the fee structure was to be formulated according to category. It was also decided to close down private schools consisting of two rooms. In 2021, the Punjab government made the registration system of all private schools completely online and it was decided to register all private schools for only one year. After a thorough inspection of the said schools during the one year, they were to be issued permanent registration licences. Owing to the frequent shuffling of the Punjab governments, this system has been paralysed. Under the new system, all registered private schools across the province were instructed to obtain registration for extended two years instead of one year.   Published in The Express Tribune, February 24th, 2023.

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RDA devises strategy to improve revenue streams

The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has devised a strategy to improve its revenue streams by bringing in new asset construction projects under which commercial real estate projects will be developed on all RDA-owned plots. Sources said that the RDA mega complex will also be built beside the construction of another three stories of the unfinished parking plaza at Fawara Chowk to solve the city's mounting parking issues. According to sources, the shelter that was removed from the parking lot's basement will be replaced with a motorcycle parking. Before awarding the parking contract for the basement, ground and first floors of the parking plaza, a decision has been made to conduct a survey of the building's capacity and market rate, the sources said. The sources disclosed that although the foundation stone of the complex project was laid at the authority’s old building on June 4, 2005, the construction work of the project could not be started due to a lack of resources available to the RDA. Similarly, the RDA's low funding prevented it from even starting its housing society project. According to sources, RDA Director General Saif Anwar Jappa has decided to launch a strategy to start commercial projects on all of its owned plots to stabilise its financial situation, begin development initiatives with its funds and become economically self-sufficient. In this regard, it has been decided to build a commercial building comprising a basement plus three stories on an 11-marla commercial plot owned by the RDA in the civil lines neighbourhood. The design of the project has been prepared by the Land Utilisation and Building Control Department under the direction of Director Jamshed Aftab. The building will be rented out for shops and offices and the contract for the construction of the project will soon be awarded. RDA sources claim that all commercial plots owned by the RDA around the city are to be identified so that work can begin on commercial developments there under the directives of the authority’s top official. Shops and offices will be constructed on vacant RDA plots, they said. The sources also claim that to develop a significant business hub near Murree Road, Liaquat Bagh work would also begin on the RDA Mega Complex project, which has been stalled since last year. The RDA is also reviewing the development of parking lots on its land in other parts of the city, the sources said. The stalled auction procedure for awarding the contract for the construction of the three-floor parking of the unfinished parking plaza at Fawara Chowk will now be completed in accordance with the building's maximum capacity and the market pricing, the sources added.   Published in The Express Tribune, February 24th, 2023.

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Islamabad confronts Kabul with ‘irrefutable evidence’ of TTP hideouts

Pakistan has presented “irrefutable evidence” to the Afghan Taliban about the presence of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts and precise location of its leadership in Afghanistan, sources told The Express Tribune on Thursday. The evidence was shared during the visit of a high-powered delegation led by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif to Kabul on Wednesday. Contrary to the statement issued by the Afghan government, the visit had only one point agenda focusing on counter terrorism and presence of the TTP sanctuaries on the Afghan soil. It was the first high-level visit from Pakistan since the change of government and particularly after the surge in TTP sponsored terrorist attacks. Also read: Pakistan gets ‘fresh commitment’ from Afghan Taliban on TTP There was a shift in Pakistan’s stance on the TTP after the recent spike in terrorist attacks with the country’s civil and military leadership no longer seeking talks with the terrorist outfit. Against this backdrop, the Pakistani delegation not only shared what sources said “irrefutable evidence” about the presence of TTP leadership but sought decisive action with "no ifs and buts". What was significant during the visit was that the Pakistani side for the first time confronted the Afghan Taliban leadership with evidence that TTP leadership was freely moving in Afghanistan and importantly with the facilitation of the interim government. The Afghan side gave a detailed briefing to the Pakistani side and conceded that terrorism was originating from the Afghan soil. The Pakistani delegation was presented with different options and solutions to deal with the problem. However, the Pakistani side was not satisfied with the presentation and proposals to resolve the TTP issue. Pakistan then shared evidence and “precise location” of TTP leadership in Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban government could not deny the hard facts but failed to mention the same in its official handout. Nevertheless, the Afghan Taliban promised to take care of the TTP elements inside Afghanistan and agreed to work for regional peace. The pledge came after Afghan Taliban were conveyed in clear terms that Pakistan’s goodwill should not be misconstrued as its weakness and demanded robust steps against the TTP. The issue of border management also came up for discussion and the Pakistani side rebutted claims of the Afghan Taliban that Islamabad was responsible for frequent incidents that led to the closure of border points on a few occasions. Also read: Islamabad in quiet diplomacy with Kabul to neutralise TTP The Afghan government was informed that Pakistan was facilitating the Afghan nationals in the best possible way but Afghans seeking to cross the border repeatedly failed to comply with protocols by providing fake and incomplete documents. Meanwhile, speaking at the weekly news briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch was more diplomatic when asked to comment on the outcome of the Pakistani delegation’s visit to Kabul. “Since it is a very sensitive matter relating to security and counterterrorism, we are not in a position to share the details with the media about what was agreed and how the discussions went,” she said in response to a question about whether Pakistan shared any evidence with the Afghan Taliban about the linkages between the recent terrorist attacks and the TTP sanctuaries across the border.

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Govt to distribute 100,000 laptops to youth across Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Thursday that the federal government would distribute 100,000 laptops to meritorious youth and top achievers across the country. The prime minister announced this while addressing a ceremony to distribute cheques among beneficiaries of the Youth Loan Programme. He said that those who used to criticise the laptop scheme in the past should have witnessed that the very laptops helped the youth to earn sustenance, particularly during the Covid pandemic. “I am giving laptop, not Kalashnikov,” remarked the prime minister, who also launched a freelancer card during the ceremony.  Shehbaz said that country’s progress was linked to the success of the Youth Loan Programme which, besides supporting unemployed youngsters, will also benefit the national economy. The prime minister said that if provided ample opportunities, Pakistan’s youth would take the country to new heights. He said that the loan scheme was a continuation of the PM Youth Loan scheme launched in 2013 by then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif under which billions of rupees were disbursed among the entitled youth. Shehbaz Sharif recalled that a youth loan scheme was also launched in Punjab and that 75,000 youngsters were also given vehicles on loan when he was the chief minister of the province. Read more: Pakistan collapsing at Shehbaz speed He said that the recovery ratio of the youth loan scheme was around 99 per cent which manifested the honesty of the country’s youngsters. PM Shehbaz said that the 99% recovery ratio of the youth and Kissan loan schemes falsified the misconception about the risks involved in the individual loans by the banks. He said that the Pakistani youth never got their loans waived off. The prime minister congratulated the beneficiaries and appreciated the services of SAPM Shiza Fatima Khawaja, banks, and other partners for their efforts to make the programme a success. He said that considering their immense potential, the government would never disappoint the youth and would scrape the maximum resources to extend them loan facilities. Freelancer card launched Earlier, SAPM on Youth Affairs Shiza Fatima Khawaja apprised the audience of the performance of Youth Loan Programme and assured that a target of Rs30 billion loan to the youth would be achieved. She also thanked the relevant ministries, banks, microfinance organisations, business and social media partners for their services and contribution to the success of the programme. She said that the agriculture and SME sector would be among major beneficiaries of the loan programme. Punjab Bank President Zafar Masood, highlighting the features of the freelancer card, said the freelancers could bring in revenue worth billions of rupees if card was issued and account access was made easy. He recalled that, in the past, the recovery ratio of the Rozgar scheme was 99% while the recovery rate of Kissan scheme was 99.6% which removed misconceptions about the government's loan schemes. Earlier, a documentary was played marking the testimonials from the beneficiaries of the youth loan scheme which enabled them to earn sustenance for their respective families.

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CTD kills six terrorists in Lakki Marwat

The Bannu Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and Lakki Marwat police on Thurday killed six terrorists in a joint intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), reported Express News. According to details shared by the K-P CTD, the operation was conducted within the limits of the Dadiwala police station in the Lakki Marwat district of K-P. Police sources said that they received information that the terrorists were planning to attack a police post. As soon as the CTD and police personnel reached the suspected hideout, the terrorists opened fire from multiple sides. During the exchange of fire, six terrorists were killed. Weapons, ammunition and grenades were recovered from their possession. Read Security forces kill terrorist in North Waziristan Police sources say that four out of the six terrorists have been identified. The four identified include Ziaullah alias Kochi son of Dawood, Safatullah alias Drone son of Hayatullah, Mohibullah son of Sharif and Kaleemullah alias Faqir son of Amir Nawaz. The CTD search operation is ongoing in the area. "The killed terrorists have been involved in attacks on police and security forces as well as other terrorist attacks," said the CTD in a statement. It should be noted that in November, six police personnel were martyred in the same area when militants opened fire on a police van travelling to the Abbasa police post in Lakki Marwat.

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