Energy crunch: KP approves two weekly holidays, early closure of markets

Educational institutions exempted from the decision.


Our Correspondent May 03, 2012

PESHAWAR:


In accordance with the energy conference’s decisions, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government on Wednesday approved two-weekly holidays from May 5th but exempted educational institutions from the decision.


While giving a media briefing after the 46th cabinet meeting, provincial Information Minister Main Iftikhar Hussain said the timings of government departments will remain unchanged, and markets will be closed by 8:30pm.

Iftikhar said that the authority of redeploying 180 platoons of Frontier Constabulary (FC), out of 294 deputed in various parts of the country, has been given to Chief Minister K-P Ameer Haider Khan Hoti to protect various areas of the province and the tribal areas. The chief minister can now recall these personnel at any time, he added.

While giving details of the platoons, Hussain said that 60 platoons were rendering duties in Karachi, 16 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 35 in Islamabad, 107 in the Army while 82 platoons are with the police department.

The platoons are supposed to defend the frontiers along the porous Pak-Afghan border and the tribal belt, the minister said.

The meeting also approved various training courses for the capacity building of the government employees, he added.

Hussain also said that legal complications have surfaced in formulating the legislation to confiscate the property of officials who have links with militants.

The report compiled by a committee formed to investigate the Bannu jailbreak will be discussed in a special meeting of the provincial cabinet, he said, adding that the officials involved in the massive dereliction of duty will be taken to task.

A wave of sectarianism across the country is spilling over into K-P, and affecting the law and order situation in the province, he added.

Meanwhile, Director Education K-P Rafiq Khattak told The Express Tribune that schools and colleges of the province will remain exempted from the decision of two weekly holidays.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3rd, 2012.

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