CM for lodging FIRs against PDM leaders

A day after it had failed to stop the opposition parties from holding a rally, the provincial government on Monday said it will register cases against leaders of the opposition parties if a sharp rise in cases of the novel coronavirus is recorded over the next few days.

This was stated by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Monday while presenting a detailed report on Pakistan Democratic Movements’ (PDM) rally in Peshawar to Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad on Monday.

The chief minister briefed the premier about the efforts made by the provincial government to convince PDM leaders to adjourn their public gathering in the provincial capital due to an alarming rise in novel coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in weeks leading up to the November 22 power show.

Mahmood added that a five-member special committee comprising provincial ministers had been constituted to hold dialogues with the opposition leaders but they failed to bring about any change.

Imran, however, endorsed the steps taken by the K-P government ahead of Sunday’s rallies, noting that the report had termed the rally a flop political show, clearly demonstrating how the public had rejected the narrative propagated by the opposition’s coalition.

Establishment of Rescue 1122

Earlier on Monday, CM Mahmood presided over a meeting to review the progress of the K-P Relief and Rehabilitation Department.

The chief minister directed to take measures to expand the rescue services at the tehsil level across the province so that losses to human lives and properties can be minimised in times of calamities and disasters.

For this purpose, available resources will be utilised to strengthen the service and upgrade it to modern standards to ensure that timely rescue is available to the citizens, he added.

Briefing the chief minister about the performance of the Rehabilitation and Settlement Department, it was informed that the owners of 81,509 fully and partially damaged properties in merged the districts have been compensated. Moreover, teams have been deputed for expediting the process of paying compensation to the rest.

The forum was further told that as many as 144,615 houses had been surveyed for compensation. At least 5,425 projects for rehabilitating schools, basic health units and road infrastructure have been completed through PERA while work on 370 projects is underway.

Moreover, Mahmood was told that Rescue 1122 stations have been set up in all districts of the province, while a total of 92 stations are fully functional in the 32 districts of the province while. A scheme has been approved for the establishment of Rescue 1122 stations in the remaining districts including Kolai Palas, Tor Ghar and Upper Chitral.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2020.