ISLAMABAD   –   Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held separate meetings with British High Commis­sioner Jane Marriott and Turkish Ambassador Irfan Neziroğlu to review bilat­eral relations, follow-up to recent high-level en­gagements and regional developments. During his meeting with the British envoy, Dar reviewed Paki­stan-UK relations, particu­larly the understandings reached during his visit to Britain in August. The two sides discussed ways to enhance bilateral coopera­tion and exchanged views on regional and interna­tional developments. In his meeting with the Turk­ish ambassador, Dar was briefed on progress under various bilateral institu­tional mechanisms aimed at advancing cooperation in different areas. Dar reaf­firmed Pakistan’s commit­ment to further strength­ening ties with Türkiye and called for close coordina­tion in preparations for the forthcoming Joint Commis­sion and the eighth session of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.

Shangla  –  Adviser to the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Social Welfare, Ushr & Zakat and Women Development, Malik Liaqat Ali Khan, on Friday said that the provincial government is taking practical steps to address the problems faced by persons with disabilities and ensure the provision of basic facilities to them in government departments, hospitals, educational institutions and public transport.

He announced that no fee would be charged from persons with disabilities for OPD slips at hospitals, while steps would be taken to reserve special seats for them in public transport and provide a 50 percent concession on fares. He also announced the activation of a rehabilitation centre in Shangla.

He expressed these views while addressing a special Open Court (Khuli Kachehri) organised by the Social Welfare Department, District Shangla, to hear the problems faced by persons with disabilities.

A large number of persons with disabilities from across the district attended the Open Court. Director Social Welfare Saleh Muhammad, District Officer Social Welfare Saleem Zada, ADC Finance Umar Bin Aziz, Assistant Commissioner Alpurai Abdul Qayyum, Social Welfare Officer Ehsan Ahmed, officers from other line departments, and local and senior PTI leaders were also present.

During the Open Court, persons with disabilities directly presented their problems and difficulties to the Adviser and the district administration. The participants said that facilities for persons with disabilities in Shangla district were almost non-existent and that they faced difficulties not only in their daily lives but also in accessing services from government institutions.

They highlighted the non-availability of schools for children with disabilities, difficulties in obtaining Himmat Cards, Sahara Cards and Ehsaas Cards, and the lack of educational facilities for children at Darul Aman, as well as for blind and deaf children. They also raised several other issues.

The participants complained that proper facilities and accessibility arrangements for persons with disabilities were not available in government hospitals and offices, causing them severe hardship. They demanded effective implementation of the two percent quota for persons with disabilities in government jobs, provision of facilities in educational institutions, and resolution of other basic issues.

Malik Liaqat listened to the problems in detail and issued orders for the immediate resolution of several issues. Some matters were resolved on the spot, while assurances were given that other issues would be addressed on a priority basis. He directed the concerned officers to ensure that persons with disabilities faced no difficulties in accessing government facilities and that effective measures were taken to resolve their problems.

He made it clear that no OPD slip fee would be charged from persons with disabilities at hospitals in future. He directed the administration to hold a special meeting with transporters across the district and take practical steps to reserve special seats for persons with disabilities in every public transport vehicle and provide them with a half-fare concession.

The Social Welfare Department also announced a special campaign to collect comprehensive data on persons with disabilities in the district. According to officials, under the Widow Fund, Rs60,000 each had been paid to 305 of 321 widows, while under the Mustaqbil Ration Card programme, ration had been provided to 102 of 193 deserving persons.

During the Adviser’s visit to Shangla, the Child Protection Unit, established with the support of UNICEF at the Social Welfare Office in District Shangla, was formally inaugurated. The concerned authorities briefed him on the establishment of the unit, its services and measures being taken for child protection.

ISLAMABAD  –   Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari yesterday paid tribute to his late uncle, Mir Murtaza Bhutto, on his birth anniversary, recalling his struggle for democracy, justice and the rights of the people.

In his message, Bilawal described Mir Murtaza Bhutto as a symbol of courage and a steadfast struggle for the rights of the people, saying that his legacy continues to live on among those committed to justice, democracy and popular rights.

He said the sacrifices made by the Bhutto family constituted an unforgettable chapter in Pakistan’s democratic history.

“Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Mohtarma Nusrat Bhutto, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Shaheed Mir Murtaza Bhutto and Shaheed Shahnawaz Bhutto remain an enduring source of inspiration for our struggle,” he said.

Bilawal said the Bhutto family had rendered immense sacrifices for the promotion of democracy and protection of the rights of the people.

Shangla  –   A fake notification announcing a three-day weekly holiday in educational institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa went viral on social media, causing confusion among parents, students and school administrations.

The purported notification, which claimed that the provincial government had approved weekly holidays on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, began circulating widely on social media on September 17, prompting parents and school administrations to seek clarification.

According to details, the document was an edited version of an earlier Education Department notification that had been altered and republished in a different format. Many social media users mistook it for a genuine government announcement and shared it further, triggering uncertainty over the weekly schedule of educational institutions. As the notification gained traction, parents contacted school administrations, teachers and other relevant persons to establish whether schools would remain closed for three days a week.

Peshawar   –  The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has formally launched its September anti-polio campaign.

The drive was jointly inaugurated by Health Minister Khaliq- ur-Rehman and Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah. Health Secretary Fayyaz Ali Shah, officials from the Provincial Polio Emergency Operations Centre, representatives of international partner organisations, and members of the media also attended the event.

Speaking to the media, Health Minister Khaliq-ur-Rehman said the campaign would be conducted province-wide from September 21 to September 27, with the participation of 35,000 polio teams, security personnel and other relevant agencies. He said the campaign aims to reach 7.3 million children across the province and administer polio drops to them.

He appealed to social media activists and the public to actively participate in the campaign so that the disease could be eradicated once and for all. He also thanked the Chief Secretary for personally monitoring the campaign, saying that this had resulted in significant improvement compared with last year.

The Chief Secretary said all three polio cases reported this year originated in areas where access to children had been difficult due to security concerns. He noted that when a child is left disabled by the virus, the entire family suffers. For this reason, three special campaigns were conducted over the past three months in Upper South Waziristan, Lower South Waziristan, North Waziristan and Bannu to ensure that every child could be reached.

The Chief Secretary further said that special measures had been taken to improve healthcare facilities in the affected areas. These included the recruitment and deployment of 2,400 doctors, final approval and procurement of essential medicines under the MCC list, and the outsourcing of management at 72 remote hospitals. Under the arrangement, patients will continue to receive free treatment, with all costs borne by the government.

He added that a roadmap had also been developed to strengthen and integrate routine immunisation efforts.

The Chief Secretary made it clear that the polio threat was not confined to the province, as the presence of poliovirus in neighbouring countries continued to pose a risk of cross-border transmission. He urged the media and social media users to help raise public awareness, particularly about the importance of reaching children in poor and underserved areas.

He said providing healthcare to children in underserved communities remained a fundamental responsibility of the government.

Mardan  –  Three people, including a father and his son, lost their lives after falling into a 60-foot-deep disused well inside a house in the Machi Jafarabad area on the outskirts of the district, Rescue officials said. A Rescue 1122 team recovered the bodies and shifted them to a local hospital.

According to local sources, the incident began when the slipper of 12-year-old Shah Room fell into the disused well. While attempting to retrieve it, the boy fell in. His father, Ijaz, and a neighbour, Alf Zada, descended into the well to rescue him, but all three reportedly died, likely due to toxic gas. Upon receiving information about the incident, the Rescue 1122 disaster and rescue team arrived at the scene.