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Express Tribune
a day ago
- General
- Express Tribune
Country lights up for Jashn-e-Azadi
Cities across the country are adorned in festive and colourful lights as Independence Day approaches. Photo: Express As Pakistan's 78th Independence Day approaches, a wave of green and white is sweeping across the country, exuding patriotic fervour, emotional pride, and historical remembrance. While national flag flutters proudly atop homes, private and official buildings ahead of Independence Day celebrations, the bazaars and streets are alive with green and white colour and joy. More so, the celebrations depict a sense of belonging of being part of a great story that began with struggle and sacrifice during the Pakistan movement that continues with hope and resilience. In remote areas like erstwhile Fata, including Waziristan, Orakzai, Kurram, Khyber, Mohmand and Bajaur, the same spirit persists. "I have purchased 500 green badges and stickers for my family and relatives as part of Jashin-e-Azadi celebrations. It's our way of showing immeasurable love for Pakistan," said Asghar Afridi, a journalist from Bara, Khyber district in Peshawar said. With his young son helping decorate the family car at the bustling Qissa Khwani Bazaar, Afridi's joy was full of national enthusiasm. "This is our family tradition we have followed since creation of Pakistan and now I am passing it on to the next generation with immense pride," reiterates Afridi. From Landi Kotal to Torkham and Jamrud to Shalman valley, all bazaars, markets and streets in Khyber district are adorned with colourful bunting and lights. Irrespective of caste and colours, tribal youth, children, and elders alike can be seen donning green-and-white outfits, echoing a common sentiment such as this is our celebration and our tribute to the great nation and Quaid e Azam that gave us an identity and freedom on August 14, 1947. "Pakistan was not gifted to us rather it was earned through blood and sacrifices," said Shah Jee Gul Afridi, former MNA and a respected elder of the Afridi tribe, while talking to APP. "We are honouring those sacrifices by celebrating Jashn-e-Azadi with full zeal and patriotism." The connection of the tribal people with the creation of Pakistan is not just emotional but historical. In 1948, just months after the country's independence, Founder of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah visited Peshawar where he addressed a grand tribal jirga at the Governor House here. There, in the heart of K-P, he acknowledged the loyalty and sacrifices of the tribesmen calling them a "frontline force" of the Pakistan Movement. "The great Quaid had deep respect for the tribes' patriotism and their love for Islam and Pakistan," said Prof Dr AH Hilali, former Chairman of the Political Science Department at the University of Peshawar. "He emphasised education and development as keys to their future and today, those words still resonate." Quaid's love for education led him to promise a university for the region, a vision fulfilled with the establishment of the University of Peshawar near the historic Islamia College - another site he visited three times and highly praised its students' role during the Pakistan Movement." The scenes playing out in these tribal regions today reflect a deeper narrative not just of celebration, but for peace and development. "We see lights, we see national flags, but we also see a determination among our youth to build a better and prosperous future for their country," said Afridi. "My son is already asking questions about the Pakistan Movement, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Dr Alama Iqbal, Quaid-e-Azam and what independence means. That's where the real celebration begins, creating awareness and education of young minds about Pakistan." In an area long known more for security and economic challenges than festivity, this great transformation speaks volumes of tribesmen's love for their country. Where once silence loomed, now laughter, joy and music echo through narrow alleys and open bazaars. The tribal belt, once on the margins of national attention, is today stepping forward, waving the national flag not just as a symbol of statehood, but as a badge of honour and prestige. As the clock ticks closer to August 14, the message from people of erstwhile FATA is clear that "We are Pakistan, and Pakistan is us."
Express Tribune
27-07-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Drop in postgraduate admissions hits UoP
The University of Peshawar, one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, is grappling not only with deepening financial troubles but also with a sharp decline in student enrollment in its higher education programs, particularly the M. Phil and PhD disciplines. According to official documents obtained by The Express Tribune, the number of students enrolling in postgraduate research programs has dropped significantly over the past five years. In 2020, 178 students were enrolled in the PhD programs, however, by the academic year 2024-2025, this number had dwindled to just 66 PhD students. Similarly, the total number of postgraduate students, which was 4,708 in 2022, has decreased to 4,081 in 2025. The decline appears to be part of a troubling trend. Data shows that in 2021-2022, 661 students enrolled in M. Phil and 208 in PhD programs. The following year saw a rise, with 800 M. Phil and 223 PhD students. However, the numbers began to fall again in 2023-2024, with 714 M. Phil and 172 PhD students, before plummeting in the current academic year. The university documents further revealed that several departments failed to attract a single PhD candidate over the last five years. These include key disciplines such as computer science, data science, fashion designing, interior designing, software engineering, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Alarmingly, only one student has enrolled in the PhD program for Computer Science since 2020. Equally concerning is the lack of interest in foundational social science disciplines. Departments like political science, psychology, regional studies, and Urdu saw no new admissions in recent years. The absence of enrollment in such core subjects reflects a growing disillusionment among students, raising concerns about the university's academic environment. Tufail Khan, a prospective M. Phil student who was unable to secure enrollment, blamed the academic staff for neglecting their responsibilities. "Teachers don't take interest in classes. Many of them are preoccupied with foreign students because they receive stipends from international programs. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) must establish guidelines requiring faculty to actively supervise postgraduate students and ensure annual PhD completions. However, no one here holds the teachers accountable," he noted. Khan further alleged that many faculty members were distracted by part-time jobs, social media, and foreign-funded projects, leaving little time for teaching or student mentorship. This, he claimed, is one of the major reasons behind the growing academic disconnect on campus. Speaking on the issue, Dr Danish Baber, a researcher and head of the creative wing at the Directorate of Information and PR, pointed to soaring tuition fees as a major barrier. "Students do enroll, but most cannot afford to continue their education. Persistent government budget cuts have forced public universities to raise fees annually in order to survive. Until the government increases funding for higher education, the decline in research and postgraduate study will continue," he warned. Dr Muhammad Uzair Khan, former president of the Peshawar University Teachers Association, painted an even grimmer picture. "UoP has struggled to pay salaries to its staff in recent months due to severe budget shortfalls. Financial constraints are crippling the institution. We can't even pay our employees on time. Moreover, the growing number of sub-campuses across the province is another contributing factor since many students now prefer to study at institutions closer to home, reducing the appeal of the main campus in Peshawar," said Dr Khan. Despite these challenges, Dr Khan emphasized the urgent need for the government to allocate special grants to save the university from further decline. "If immediate steps are not taken to promote higher education and invest in research, the situation will deteriorate beyond repair," he cautioned. Conversely, an official from UoP, speaking on the condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the proliferation of universities across districts, combined with high tuition fees and institutional neglect, might be pushing students away from the main campus.
Express Tribune
24-07-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Rising mercury exposes gaps in hospital systems
Over the past few years, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) has faced a dual climate crisis, with intermittent rainfall in some areas, and an unrelenting heatwave in others, leading to a surge in heatstroke and waterborne illnesses. Despite the worsening situation, authorities have yet to take meaningful preventative steps or establish dedicated heatwave response mechanisms in hospitals. From Peshawar to Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat to Mardan, temperatures are soaring dangerously. The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned of more heat in the coming days, with temperatures expected to reach as high as 50 degrees Celsius in Peshawar; a level of heat that health experts believe is life-threatening, especially for children and the elderly. "There has been a clear rise in climate-related heat in K-P due to global climate change. Countries that have effectively managed climate challenges must be studied and their strategies should be localized. Infrastructure projects have led to the cutting down of thousands of trees, which were never replaced," noted Professor Dr Muhammad Nafees, Chairman of the Environmental Sciences Department at the University of Peshawar, who believed that unless swift action was taken, the province may see more heatwaves, floods, and natural disasters in the near future. On the other hand, medical staff in the city's major hospitals are now stretched thin. Dr Ahmad Khan, a medical officer at the emergency department of the Khyber Teaching Hospital revealed that they were receiving 10 to 15 heatstroke cases daily; a number that is steadily climbing. "Most patients are either elderly people or children. Along with heatstroke, we are also witnessing a spike in diarrhea and other gastrointestinal infections, which are directly linked to excessive heat," said Dr Ahmad who urged the public to stay indoors during peak heat hours and increase fluid intake. At the Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar, the province's largest public health facility, similar concerns were echoed. Muhammad Asim Khan, the hospital's spokesperson, told The Express Tribune that between 50 to 60 patients affected by heat-related illnesses were being admitted daily. However, there was no dedicated ward for dealing with such cases. "There is no designated facility or cooling center for heatwave patients. We are transferring them to the general emergency medical ward, where doctors and nurses are trying their best to stabilize them. But the volume of patients is increasing fast, and this approach is not sustainable," warned Dr Khan. As K-P struggles with climate unpredictability, the glaring lack of preparedness is putting lives at risk. With no emergency plan in place, no public awareness campaigns launched, and no infrastructure adapted for high temperatures, the province appears to be dangerously lagging in its response to one of the most predictable yet deadly effects of climate change. Experts warn that without long-term climate resilience policies including urban tree plantation, public cooling centers, awareness drives, and hospital preparedness, K-P could face even deadlier summers in the years ahead.
Express Tribune
22-07-2025
- Express Tribune
Commercial waste pollutes water bodies in K-P
A rescue worker rows a raft while searching for survivors, after tourists, who were on a picnic, were swept away by overflowing floodwaters in the Swat River, in Swat Valley in Pakistan June 27, 2025. Photo: Reuters Tourists planning a vacation to the northern areas try hard to locate a hotel with the perfect proximity to the nearest river or nearby mountains. However, the demand for picturesque views has come at the cost of the purity of water bodies in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). Rafiq Lala, the head of a family that has lived in Mingora for the past 40 years, told The Express Tribune that during summers, local and foreign tourists would prefer to sit beside the river, lakes, and beautiful mountains to enjoy fresh fish from the Swat River. 'However, due to the rapid construction of hotels, encroachments along the riverbanks, and the discharge of sewage from hundreds of hotels into the river at various points, the river's water has become polluted and unfit for consumption,' observed Rafiq. Zehra, a tourist who has been visiting the Kalam and Swat valleys since the past 13 years shared the changes she observed in the purity of the water of the Swat River. 'Within a short period, the river's water has not only changed in colour but fish are no longer visible in it. I recall fishing in Kalam a few years ago, but now, seeing the current condition of the river deeply saddens me,' said Zehra. Around two years ago, a research study involving environmental experts from five universities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including the University of Peshawar, found that samples from river water, fish, human hair, and nails were tested for methylmercury levels. Samples collected from Upper and Lower Swat showed methylmercury levels 6 per cent higher than the WHO-recommended limits. The presence of methylmercury in the river water, its transfer to fish, and the eventual consumption of this water and fish by humans are leading to various health issues. Mohammad Rafiq, former Professor of Environmental Sciences at the Institute of Management Sciences Peshawar revealed that the permissible level of methylmercury in fish or the human body should be one micro cubic meter, but the research revealed levels far above normal which is causing serious health effects such as organ damage, typhoid in children, and gastrointestinal diseases. 'The sources of toxic chemicals in the Swat River include riverside constructions, use of cleaning chemicals in restrooms, and concrete particles mixing into the water, making it unfit and dangerous for use,' noted Rafiq. According to information obtained by The Express Tribune from the K-P Irrigation Department, there are about 1,600 hotels in Swat Valley and around 300 in Kalam Valley. The Swat River flows approximately 240 kilometers from Kalam Bazaar to Charsadda. Across several locations including Kalam, Mingora, Madain, Bahrain, Matiltan, Usho, Fizagat, and Khwazakhela, more than 200 hotels are directly responsible for polluting the river by dumping chemically contaminated wastewater and disposing of plastic and other solid waste into the river. However, over the past five to eight years, no major action has been taken against those polluting the Swat River. 'Within just the past one and a half months, 160 hotels involved in polluting the river have been issued notices, 15 hotels were sealed and fined, and 40 were given warnings. Under the River Protection Act, no construction is allowed within 200 feet of the riverbanks. However, demolishing existing buildings is a legal challenge, as court cases have been filed,' said Commissioner Swat, Abid Wazir. while speaking of the K-P River Protection Act, the implementation of which would require demolishing approximately 80 percent of existing buildings and hotels from Kalam to Chakdara. K-P Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah stated that a temporary ban on new construction at tourist sites had been imposed. 'All previously issued NOCs for construction in these areas have also been cancelled. A master plan is under consideration to tackle encroachments and poor drainage at tourist sites,' said Shah.
Express Tribune
29-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
K-P budget leaves hopes in the dust
Where the budget for the fiscal year 2025-2026 shattered people's hopes of a new mega transit or development project for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), it simultaneously hit the province's ailing industry by imposing new fixed and additional taxes on the business classes. Reportedly, the total budget for the upcoming fiscal year has been estimated at Rs2119 billion while the annual total expenditure has been estimated at Rs1962 billion. The budget has been kept at a surplus of Rs157 billion while the allocation for the annual development program has been kept at Rs547 billion. Despite some tax relief, the scope of new taxes and old taxes has been expanded in the budget. According to the finance bill, a ten per cent property tax will be collected from institutions including government, semi-government, development finance, corporate, autonomous, public limited, public sector, private commercial, and distribution businesses, warehouses and guest houses in case of renting or leasing buildings or lands. Similarly, a fifteen per cent tax will be collected from all banks and financial institutions, five per cent from private hospitals, five per cent from medical stores and other businesses related to the health sector. Likewise, a five per cent tax will be levied on endowment land or property used for business purposes. In an interview with The Express Tribune, economist and lecturer at the University of Peshawar, Dr Sanam Khattak cautioned that the proposed tax increases in both the federal and provincial budgets may be too heavy for the province to bear. "Extending the tax net would not only impact the business community but would also increase the prices of daily commodities. Citizens are already burdened with multiple taxes like sales tax, duty tax, excise tax, TV tax, and numerous federal levies. Under such circumstances, the government should focus on offering tax relief rather than imposing further increases. With purchasing power drastically reduced, even the poorest families are struggling under inflationary pressure and taxes. Charging taxes on already unaffordable essentials goes against the principle of equity," explained Dr Khattak. Dr Khattak further explained that given low purchasing power, stagnant incomes and small industry closures, a budget focused on tax hikes presented new economic threats to the province. "While the government aims to boost revenue, increasing taxes under current economic strains may lead to a "bubble effect", with businesses already suffering from energy crises facing further losses," predicted Dr Khattak. Similarly, K-P Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Fazal Muqeem Khan opined that the increased taxes will not have a good impact on the business community. "Currently, half of the 500 factories in the Hayatabad Industrial Zone in Peshawar are closed while seventy per cent of industry in the Gadoon Industrial Estate Swabi is also nonfunctional. Facilities should be provided to small businesses and large units. The government should take interest in providing loans to traders from banks on easy installments, and not impose new taxes or increase the rate of old taxes," said Khan. Conversely, K-P Finance Advisor Muzammil Aslam expressed his satisfaction with the recent budget. "Due to the opposition government in the province, the federation is not paying us the arrears. The government has achieved 93 per cent of the revenue generation target in the province. No new taxes have been imposed in the budget while some taxes have been reduced," claimed Aslam. Criticizing the budget for rewarding its members, K-P Assembly Opposition Leader Dr Ibadullah claimed that the Assembly had not given even a single penny from the previous budget. "The opposition has been sidelined again. Development projects in the corruption-ridden province will again be a victim of corruption. The opposition was not even consulted in the preparation of this budget. The suggestions we had given were not discussed. This budget is nothing but a manipulation of words," lambasted Dr Ibadullah.
