Gunmen target relief convoy in Kurram, loot trucks
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A convoy of 130 vehicles, including five oil tankers, was ambushed by unidentified armed assailants in Kurram district on Monday. The convoy, which was traveling from Tall to Parachinar, came under attack near Char Khel in Lower Kurram.
The attackers opened fire on the convoy, halting the vehicles and looting supplies, including a truck carrying medicines. Police sources confirmed that Akram Khan, a driver from Peshawar, was injured in the incident and was transferred to Ali Zai Hospital for treatment.
Security forces responded to the attack, with gunfire also reported in the nearby Uchit and Dad Qamar areas. The district administration later confirmed that 113 vehicles reached their destination safely, while efforts were ongoing to secure the remaining vehicles. Officials warned that any attempts to disrupt peace would result in strict legal action.
Meanwhile, local authorities are continuing their efforts to enforce peace in the region by demolishing illegal bunkers, with 183 already dismantled.
The security situation in the area has led to the blockage of land routes since November 2024, which has caused shortages of essential goods, including food and petroleum products.
Local residents reported that petrol pump owners are charging arbitrary prices for petrol, with drivers restricted to purchasing only 5 to 10 liters at a time. According to Syed Ikhlaq Hussain, Chairman of the Upper Kurram Qabad Shah Khel, the price of petrol has increased from Rs1000 per liter two days ago to Rs1200 per liter as of last night.
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Express Tribune
17-02-2025
- Express Tribune
Gunmen target relief convoy in Kurram, loot trucks
Listen to article A convoy of 130 vehicles, including five oil tankers, was ambushed by unidentified armed assailants in Kurram district on Monday. The convoy, which was traveling from Tall to Parachinar, came under attack near Char Khel in Lower Kurram. The attackers opened fire on the convoy, halting the vehicles and looting supplies, including a truck carrying medicines. Police sources confirmed that Akram Khan, a driver from Peshawar, was injured in the incident and was transferred to Ali Zai Hospital for treatment. Security forces responded to the attack, with gunfire also reported in the nearby Uchit and Dad Qamar areas. The district administration later confirmed that 113 vehicles reached their destination safely, while efforts were ongoing to secure the remaining vehicles. Officials warned that any attempts to disrupt peace would result in strict legal action. Meanwhile, local authorities are continuing their efforts to enforce peace in the region by demolishing illegal bunkers, with 183 already dismantled. The security situation in the area has led to the blockage of land routes since November 2024, which has caused shortages of essential goods, including food and petroleum products. Local residents reported that petrol pump owners are charging arbitrary prices for petrol, with drivers restricted to purchasing only 5 to 10 liters at a time. According to Syed Ikhlaq Hussain, Chairman of the Upper Kurram Qabad Shah Khel, the price of petrol has increased from Rs1000 per liter two days ago to Rs1200 per liter as of last night.
Express Tribune
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Student places Rs1,000 in answer sheet, requesting board to pass him
Listen to article Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) Chairman Sharaf Ali Shah has revealed that several students in the recent exams submitted answer sheets containing inappropriate content, including songs, stories, and only question papers. According to Express News, he shared that a student placed a Rs1000 note in their answer sheet, writing, "This is all I could manage, please pass me." Speaking to the media in Karachi on Wednesday, Shah mentioned that, upon taking charge, he immediately formed a committee to investigate the exam results. The committee, which includes subject experts and a principal as its convener, has been tasked with thoroughly examining the situation. He stressed, "We will not allow any injustice against the students," and added that a complaints cell has been set up to address any issues. A meeting with the head examiners was also held, during which examiners revealed that some students had written only stories, songs, or question papers in their answer sheets. The release of the 11th-grade exam results from the Karachi Intermediate Board had sparked concerns among students, parents, and political parties. In response to the complaints, the Board has decided to reduce the scrutiny fee for students by 50%.
Express Tribune
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Child beggars still chase benefactors
KARACHI: Every child born into this world has a right to a safe home and a secure future, which under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is the state's obligation to fulfil. However, the authorities in Sindh, neither have the time nor the eagerness to address the unfortunate children wasting their lives away on the roads. Despite the government calling for the rehabilitation of child beggars, the Sindh Child Protection Authority has provided false assurances to the Sindh Assembly on the status of child beggars at a shelter home located in Malir. However, when The Express Tribune investigated the matter, it was found that there was not a single child beggar in the said shelter home. "There is not a single child beggar in the shelter home at Malir," confirmed Mir Tariq Ali Talpur, the Provincial Minister for the Social Welfare Department, which currently supervises the only shelter home for children in Karachi. Although the shelter home has a capacity to keep 200 children at a time, only 31 children are staying here at the moment, none of whom are beggars from the roads. Bebo, a girl child begging near the Zainab Market in Saddar revealed that her father had forced her and her mother into the reprehensible practice. "My mother and I come here every day while my father begs in another area. Once a man had tried to teach me how to read and write. He would give me lessons on the footpath for two to three years however, once my father found out he got riled up and abused my mother. Thereon, I stopped studying," shared Bebo. Anwar Memon, a children's rights activist felt that child beggars were increasingly active in the city today, with thousands occupying public spaces. "The police sometimes conduct campaigns against beggars, during which many are taken into custody however, this seems to be futile since the number of children begging is increasing day by day," observed Memon. "Child beggary is part of child labour and bonded labour. Ironically, we have one of the highest population growth rate in the world with no concept of social security including free healthcare and quality education. Since low-income families need money, they turn their children into an earning hand. Economically deprived parents do not have ample resources to invest in the education of their children. After Article 25A, now, it is the state's responsibility to provide free and compulsory education to children till the age of 18. However, the state is just spending 1.4 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on education whereas as per international commitment, a country has to spend a minimum of 4 per cent of the GDP on education," claimed Dr Riaz Shaikh, Professor of Social Sciences at SZABIST Karachi. On the other hand, Talpur affirmed that the Sindh Police arrested begging children and even presented them to the courts however, they were easily released on a bail of Rs1000. "Children involved in begging are usually not abandoned hence they are not brought to shelter homes," shared Ahmed Edhi, an official from the Edhi Foundation, who told The Express Tribune that the children staying with them were mostly orphans. "A large number of children are exploited for begging in Karachi however, we do not have any data available regarding their exact number. The Sindh Police had launched a campaign against child beggars during the first tenure of the current Inspector General of Police Sindh," said Assistant Inspector General of Police Shehla Qureshi, who is also the in-charge of the Human Rights Cell.
