Tourism in swat under serious threat

Muhammad Faheem

The resurgence of a new bout of terrorism and fear amongst the general public is having a negative impact on the overall tourism situation in Swat and adjoining valleys, a popular tourist destination, especially during summer. Terrorism and fear can have significant adverse effects on the tourism industry. 

When safety and security are at risk many choose to shy away from visiting touristy resorts thus curtailing the commercial potential and depriving thousands of a livelihood that is so dependent on visitors. 

Twin blasts at Kabal CTD Police station have raised many questions about the security of the region and its effect on the tourists’ influx for the summer that is just around the corner. To address this issue, it is important for the local authorities must increase security personnel and implement effective security protocols, and create mass awareness to ensure tourists take safety measures. 

It is also crucial to address the root causes of terrorism and work towards long-term solutions to prevent its re-emergence. Fostering positive relationships and communication between the local community, law enforcement agencies, and tourists can help to build trust and confidence among tourists, and restore Swat's reputation as a safe and attractive tourism destination.

Powerful Branding of Bazar Misgran, Re-Introduction of Double-Decker buses advised

Muhammad Faheem: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Policy directed to plan the powerful branding of Misgran Bazaar at the global level to attract foreign tourists and introduce double-decker buses in the central districts. The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has issued an urban policy that gave the direction for the development of cities, the policy is to be implemented in the next 7 years. In the policy, several important guidelines have been included for the promotion of tourism in cities.

The policy states that pedestrians in Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Swabi, and Nowshera and tours will be set up for tourists to visit historical places on foot. Similarly, double-decker buses will be introduced in these cities.

Historical Bazar Musgran will be branded and promoted internationally to attract foreign tourists. Camps and tours will be organized for tourists in all historic educational institutions of Peshawar such as Islamia College and Lady Griffith School.

 BRT Loan Swelled to 92 Billion Yet to be Completed 

Muhammad Faheem

Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit an ambitious project initiated by PTI Government has so far guzzled up Rs 92 Billion, financed primarily by Asian Development Bank and Agency France Development. The project is still not fully finished. The government is yet to receive more than 12 billion loans after which the value of the loan for this project alone is likely to exceed 105 Billion Rupees. 

The foundation stone of BRT  was laid in October 2017 and was to be completed in 6 months at the cost of 67 billion rupees. The transit project has now been extended to be completed by December 2023. According to the document, 98% of the loan has been disbursed from Asian Development Bank while 63% has been disbursed from Agency France Development. The traffic In Peshawar has become a nightmare for private commuters as existing roads used to make way for BRT public transport may have improved for city dwellers but road congestion has been exacerbated.

 پاکستان اس وقت ایک مشکل دور سے گزر رہا ہے اور ہر شہری کی ذمہ داری ہے کہ اس مشکل دور میں آنے والی مشکلات میں حکومت اور ریاست کا ہاتھ بٹائے جو ہرممکن طور پر کیا جارہا ہے لیکن گلہ صرف اتنا ہے کہ ہر مشکل دور اور مشکل صورتحال کی قیمت اس ملک کا غریب طبقہ ہی کیوں دیتا ہے؟

رمضان کی آمد کے ساتھ ہی حکومت نے مفت آٹا فراہم کرنے کا اعلان کردیا ایک جانب تو یہ اعلان کانوں کو بھلا لگا کہ چلیں کسی غریب خاندان کو مفت آٹا میسر آئے گا لیکن یہ سوچ بھی پیدا ہوگئی کہ حکومت کیوں 30کلو مفت آٹا دے رہی ہے ماضی کی طرح ہی اس آٹے کی قیمت ادا کرکے شہریوں کو خود کیوں باعزت طریقے سے خریداری کا حق نہیں دیا گیا؟ بہر حال یہاں سیاست بھی تو کرنی ہے وزیر اعظم خود پہنچ کر تصاویر بناتے ہیں آٹا مفت بانٹ رہے ہیں اور یہ امید لگاتے ہیں کہ کئی گھنٹوں روزہ کی حالت میں ایک بوری کے انتظار میں کھڑے لوگ انہیں دعائیں بھی دیں گے اور ووٹ بھی دیں گے ۔ نہ جانے کون ان سیاست دانوں کو یہ پٹیاں پڑھاتا ہے اور کیوں سیاست دان اتنے سادے بن کر انکی بات بھی مان لیتے ہیں؟

ان حکمرانوں کو مشورہ دینے والے بیوروکریٹ سے کوئی پوچھے کہ کیا وہ باعزت طریقے سے اسی طرح اپنے گھر کی بہو بیٹیوں کو بھی لائن میں کھڑا کرنے پر اسی اطمینان کا اظہار کرینگے جس اطمینان کا آج وہ ایک غریب شہری کی بہن بیٹی کو کئی گھنٹے لائن میں کھڑا کرنے پر کررہے ہیں؟ یہ بیوروکریٹ خود تو دفتر سے نکلتے بھی نہیں اور اگر نکلیں تو بڑی گاڑی سے کم میں نکلنے کا جواز ہی پیدا نہیں ہوتا بیوروکریٹس کیلئے پوری حکومتی مشینری تیار ہوتی ہے وہ دفتر سے نکلتے ہیں تو پولیس اہلکار ان کے ساتھ ہوتے ہیں میڈیا کو تصویر جاری کرنے کیلئے بھی دو بندوں کی ڈیوٹی لگی ہوتی ہے ایک تصویر بنائے گاتو دوسرا سرکار کی وڈیو بنائے گا پھر انہیں بریفنگ دینے کیلئے بھی افسران کی لائن لگی ہوگی پھر جس جس کو مفت آٹا دینا ہے انہیں لائن میں لگانا اور سب کو سرکار کے وزٹ میں خاموش رکھنے والے بھی ہونگے لیکن ان سب کے اس ڈرامے میں عوام کو کیا فائدہ؟ روز فوٹو شوٹ ہورہے ہیں روز تصاویر بن رہی ہیں لیکن افسوس کہ کوئی غریب کے دل کا حال جاننے کیلئے تیار نہیں

اس پاکستان کی عوام نے ہر دور دیکھ لیا یہ بھی گزر جائے گا لیکن حقیقت یہی ہے کہ عوام بھولے گی نہیں آج ایک بوری آٹا دے کر احسان جتانے والے جب کل احتساب کے کٹہرے میں ہونگے تو یہ گلہ نہ کریں کہ ہم نے کیا کیا اور کیوں عوام نے ہم سے منہ موڑ لیا؟ بیوروکریٹ تو پیدا ہی ریاست کا خون چوسنے کیلئے ہے لیکن عوام سے ووٹ لے کر سنگھاسن پر بیٹھنے والے بھی جب ان بیوروکریٹس کی خوشامدیوں میں آجائیں گے تو پھر گلہ کس سے کریں؟ 

Purpose of the audio leak?

Muhammad Faheem

After the end of the government of Chairman Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan, a new trend has emerged in the politics of Pakistan in which audio tapes are leaking; Initially, the audio leaks were of the the current government i.e. PDM, which the PTI tried its best to use the revelation of the conversation inside the Prime Minister's House to its advantage, but later Imran Khan alleged audios started leaking, which included the issue of buying and selling to MNAs to fail the no trust motion against him.

Even the former first lady was not safe from these audio leaks and her phone calls with PTI social media chief Arslan Khalid, Ex Advisor to PM, Zulfi Bukhari and later Bani Gala's assistant were leaked in which the PTI narrative was prepared and the sale of Tosha Khana souvenirs is also included.

Former Finance Minister Senator Shaukat Tareen's conversation with the Finance Minister of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in an alleged attempt to derail talks with the IMF made the matter more serious.

As long as the matter was a political conversation, everything was understandable, but now this matter has escalated to extreme absurdity and now due to the audio leaks, every line has been crossed.

Leaking of alleged audios attributed to former Prime Minister Imran Khan continues on social media. Four different audios have been released over two days in which the PTI chairman is allegedly having a highly inappropriate conversation with a woman.

Social Media users declared the audio fake but till now no words from Lahore or Islamabad in this regard. All four audio tapes are currently available on all social media platforms and are being commented on, both positive and negative.

Two audio tapes released on Monday allegedly contain a highly personal conversation with a woman with a voice and accent similar to Imran Khan's, but the 15-minute audio tape released on Tuesday, this tape is released in two parts. One of the special reasons for this new audio tape is that there is a conflict between PTI and Q-League in Punjab at the moment. In the latest audio, Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Muhammad Ali Durrani, Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain are also mentioned, but these persons are addressed by alias.

The alleged audio tapes released during two days have not been forensically investigated by any side, while the woman identified in the audio and the PTI chairman have not spoken about whether the tape is fake or genuine.

It should be noted that these audio tapes were allegedly recorded before 2013 when Imran Khan's party was not had any representation in Parliament. Some are benefiting and some are being harmed by these audio leaks, but Imran Khan's politics and his role are being targeted in every possible way. PTI workers have nothing in defense of these audios but it is also clear that they are standing with Imran Khan today as they were in the past. These audio leaks have once again changed the politics of Pakistan. All this is recalling 90s when Sheikh Rasheed used to defame and publicly harrass Ex-PM Late Benazir Bhutto in public gatheringzs.

Deliver to do all possible character assassination of him and now all this is being done with Imran Khan as well. In politics, if when one does not have any answer to the narrative of the other, they cames down to such low. When the hacker who leaked the audio came to know that Imran Khan's workers were still with him after the audio leak of corruption, Tosha Khana and Parliament market, he released this almost a decade old audio, which is ow using to damage the people's trust in Imran Khan. Just as today Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is talking about the economy pact and the way the democracy pact was done in 2007, now there is a need for politics pact in which one party will not low at low against the other to such an extent.

2 millions without health, 4 millions without sanitation facility in erstwhile FATA

Local Government Khyber Pakhtunkwa, USAid, UNDP and IM Sciences study reveals lack of facilities in newly merged tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

"Village Councils/ Neighbourhood Councils Profiling and Development Plans in merged Areas" shows that there are only two poly technical colleges for women in entire erstwhile FATA while 13 are for men similarly there are 10 women, 13 men and one co education college is in ex-fata. Study shows that there are 15 high secondary schools for women and 37 for men, 73 secondary schools for girls and 213 for boys, 180 middle schools for girls and 293 for girls while 534 girls, 640 boys and 7 co education primary schools are in ex-fata.

Study shows that 17 percent girls and 2 percents boy lacks education facility.2.19 million has no health facility, 1.96 million has single health facility, 0.58 million has two while 0.19 has three health facilities that includes Civil Dispensary, Basic Health Unit, Rural Health Center and Civil Hospital.

In Tribal districts 76 Basic Health Centers, 170 Civil Dispensary, 16 Civil Hsopitals, 10 Mother Child Center, 9 Rural Health Centers and 4 TB Centers were non-Functional.

Approximately 0.72 million has no paved roads,1.47 million has no clean drinking water facility and 4.08 million has no sanitation facility. Study indicates that 10 out of 25 Tehsils of tribal districts has no post office, 15 has no bank and 14 has no fruits and vegetable market in town. Total of 702 VC/NC were covered by 150 field researchers for profiling while 259 field researchers covered the development aspect of the study. 690 VC/NC in tribal district has no street light, 400 has no market, 539 has no play grounds and parks, 287 has no electricity and 196 has no mobile service.

  

Harassment at Work Place Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

After 18th amendment in the constitution of Pakistan many departments devolved to provinces including social welfare. Provinces were not ready to take that burden but slowly and gradually they started to take responsibility.
Harassment was an issue that also needed the attention. Law was passed at federal level but implementation was needed at the provincial level. After more than 8 long years fight from the social sector led by the Khuwando Kor's Khursheed Bano, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government decided to appoint their first ever women Ombudsperson.

Rakhshanda Naz hails from Baluchistan, studied in Rawalpindi and lived in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for many years became the first women Ombudsperson of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Having experience of more than 25 years in development and social sector, Naz worked for the empowerment of women and she already shown her intentions as Ombudsperson as well.
Rakhshanda Naz said that their will ne mo space for a person who shrunk the space for women at workplace, the code of conduct at each office should have been displayed and each woman will be encouraged to file a complaint.
Rakhshanda Naz said that law is very clear about the situation, if a person is found guilty he might lose his or her job, that person can be tranfered or demoted as well. Its not necessary that only a woman file the complaint, if a male employer feel harassed as workplace he can also lodge the complaint.

A woman Complaint could be against male of female person of her office too,  Naz added that providing secure work enviorment to the employees will be our target and we are starting from government offices. In the next phase private offices and then Bus stops including BRT will be our target.
Rakhshanda Naz requested development sector to become her strength and guide her through the challenging task.