Author: Sudhir Ahmad Afridi

By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi KHYBER: Marking World Press Freedom Day on May 3, the District Press Club Khyber organized a special ceremony to honor the sacrifices of journalists who lost their lives while performing their duties. President PCK Aman Ali Shinwari, addressing the gathering, reaffirmed the club’s commitment to standing in solidarity with all journalistic bodies in defence of press freedom, particularly in tribal regions where reporters have long endured extraordinary risks. “Tribal journalists have kept this sacred profession alive by risking their lives. Today, we salute all those across the globe who embraced martyrdom while fulfilling their journalistic responsibilities,”…

By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi KHYBER: An All-Party Conference (APC) organized by the Awami National Party (ANP) in Khyber district at the Jammrud Press Club has strongly rejected the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Bill 2025, with unanimous opposition from political leaders, local organizations, lawyers, journalists, and tribal elders. The conference, which aimed to voice concerns over the bill, saw participation from prominent political figures, including ANP President Abdul Razzaq Afridi, PML-N’s Haji Shafiq Sher Afridi, JI’s Khan Wali Afridi, JUI-F’s General Secretary Syed Kabir Afridi, PTI’s Muhammad Sadiq Afridi, and PTM’s Aftab Shinwari, among others. “The resources of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa…

By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi LANDI KOTAL: In the first four months of 2025, Landi Kotal, a region in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, saw a worrying surge in leishmaniasis cases, with 800 individuals, including a significant number of children, affected. The outbreak, which has raised concerns among local residents, has been met with a swift and coordinated response from the Landi Kotal District Headquarters Hospital, where the majority of the patients have received treatment. Health officials reported that most of the patients have now recovered, following proper treatment at the hospital. The hospital has been commended for its prompt action and…

By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi LANDI KOTAL: In a landmark anti-narcotics operation, Landi Kotal police thwarted a major attempt to smuggle drugs through the Ziarai checkpoint in Khyber, seizing 48 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine (ice) hidden in a car’s secret compartments. The seized drugs are estimated to be worth millions of rupees. The operation was led by SHO Landi Kotal, Adnan Afridi, following a tip-off, and executed under the supervision of checkpoint in-charge Bahar Gul. Two suspects from Zakha Khel were arrested on the spot, and a case has been registered. They are now under interrogation to uncover wider smuggling networks…

Immigration sources disclosed that among the 1,198 deported individuals, 578 lacked documentation, while 620 possessed ACC cards, commonly used by Afghan nationals for identification in Pakistan By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi KHYBER: In an ongoing effort to regulate immigration and manage border control, the government has successfully deported a total of 1,198 illegal Afghan immigrants from Khyber. The deportees were residing in various districts across Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, areas that have seen increasing efforts to tackle undocumented migration. Immigration sources have revealed that out of the 1,198 individuals deported, 578 were found to be without any documentation, while 620 held…

By Sudhir Ahmad afridi KHYBER: The latest round of Pakistan’s polio eradication campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has hit serious roadblocks, as threats to worker safety and longstanding civic neglect threaten to derail progress in some of the province’s most vulnerable districts. In Khyber District’s volatile Bara Tehsil, a polio officer, Rahman Gul, was abducted by unknown assailants while conducting door-to-door vaccinations in Brakmber Khail. Gul, attached to the Basic Health Unit (BHU) Abdullah Jan Kalli, was performing routine duties when he was taken by force. Authorities have launched an investigation, though no leads have emerged and the perpetrators remain unidentified.…

By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of the Pakistan Journalists Safety Coalition (PJSC) has issued a pressing call to the provincial government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership to break their prolonged silence on journalist protection, urging immediate enactment of long-delayed legislation to shield media professionals from mounting threats. Chaired by PJSC KP Chairperson Saif-ul-Islam Saifi, the coalition’s recent meeting culminated in a unified demand: where is the long-promised protection bill? First introduced during PTI’s tenure under then-Speaker Asad Qaiser, and later resubmitted under Mushtaq Ghani’s speakership, the draft law remains stuck in bureaucratic limbo. “We want to…

By Sudheer Ahmad Afridi  KHYBER: In an effort to combat the widespread issue of out-of-school children, authorities in Khyber District have launched an ambitious campaign aimed at enrolling 15,000 children into schools. As of now, an estimated 61,000 children remain out of school, according to the local education department, highlighting the significant challenges faced by the region’s education system. A ceremony to mark the start of the school admission campaign was held at Government High School Hashimabad in Jamrud, with a modest but meaningful gathering of officials, teachers, and students. Among the attendees were key figures such as Additional Assistant…

By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi KHYBER: The Khyber District chapter of the Mines Owners Association has fiercely rejected the proposed Mines and Minerals Act 2025, denouncing it as an instrument of economic injustice and a direct threat to the livelihood of Pashtun communities. In a unified declaration, the association described the legislation as a “systematic economic murder of the Pashtun nation”, warning that it would further strip already marginalised tribal regions of their rights to natural resources. Attendees voiced fears that the act would intensify deprivation, deepen economic marginalisation, and centralise control over mineral wealth in the hands of bureaucrats and…

By our correspondent KARACHI: Veterinary authorities in Balochistan have issued a critical alert in response to reports of lumpy skin disease (LSD) affecting livestock in parts of Sindh. The disease, which has already been detected in the districts of Moro and Naushahro Feroze, has raised concerns about its potential spread to neighboring regions, including Balochistan. The fresh wave of fear is compounded by memories of the devastating 2022–23 outbreak, which caused significant losses to the region’s livestock sector and severely impacted rural communities dependent on cattle for their livelihoods. In a formal advisory, the provincial Livestock Department has confirmed the…