Author: Syed Tauqeer Zaidi

By Syed Tauqeer Zaidi DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Vice Chancellor of Gomal University, Professor Dr. Zafar Iqbal Baloch, has received nationwide acclaim for implementing reforms that have rescued the university from prolonged crisis and set it on a path of stability and progress. Under Dr. Baloch’s leadership, the university has undertaken extensive administrative and financial reforms. Long‑standing pension issues have been resolved, staff salaries are now paid fully and on time despite financial constraints, and systemic administrative weaknesses have been addressed, strengthening the institution’s foundations. Shafqat Qayyum Alizai, chairman of the All Pensioners Federation, described Dr. Baloch’s decisions and transparent policies…

By Syed Tauqeer Zaidi DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A farewell ceremony was held by the District Police Dera Ismail Khan to honor SP Ali Hamza Butt (PSP) ahead of his transfer to Abbottabad. District Police Officer Sajjad Ahmed Sahibzada presented a shield and souvenir to SP Butt in recognition of his services. The event was attended by senior police officers including SP Investigation Malik Shakeel, SP CTD Iftikhar Ali Shah, SP Saddar Muhammad Nawab Khan, SP Security Dera Gul Naseeb Khan, and a number of DSPs from the district. Addressing the gathering, DPO Sahibzada praised SP Butt’s performance, noting that he…

By Syed Tauqeer Zaidi DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Poor students at the Working Folks School in Dera Town for Boys have reportedly been struck off from classes on minor pretexts and coerced into paying heavy fines for re‑admission, raising concerns among parents about the conduct of the school principal. According to complaints submitted by students and families, after recent exams, First Year and Second Year pupils who were out of uniform and spending time near the school grounds were expelled by the principal. Each student was fined Rs1,000 before being allowed to return to class the following day. Affected families, many…

By Syed Tauqeer Zaidi BANNU: The brigade commander in Bannu has visited hospitals to inquire after police personnel and civilians injured during a joint security operation against militants in the Takhti Khel area. BANNU: Brigadier Umair Niazi, accompanied by the deputy inspector general of the Bannu region, visited DHQ Hospital Bannu and KGN Hospital to meet those injured in the operation. During the visit, he spoke with patients undergoing treatment, reviewed their condition and held discussions with hospital administrators and doctors, directing that the injured be given the best possible medical care. The brigade commander paid tribute to the sacrifices…

By Syed Tauqeer Zaidi DERA ISMAIL KHAN: District Police in Paharpur have successfully foiled a militant presence in the area, arresting 21 suspects and seizing weapons and ammunition during a large-scale operation led by DPO Sajad Ahmad Sahibzada. The operation involved active coordination among SP CTD Iftikhar Ali Shah, SP Paharpur Asad Ali Shah, SP Mohammad Nawab Khan, SHO Shaheed Nawab Khan, Faheem Mumtaz Khan, and personnel from Al Burq Force, Elite Force, CTD, and District Police. Police engaged militants in cross-provincial hilly terrain across areas including Syeduwali, Barzwali, Ali Wanda, Chanda, Kali Wanda, Garah Pir Imam Shah, Gluti, and…

By Syed Tauqeer Zaidi DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Tribute in Dera Ismail Khan recalls her struggle against dictatorship and commitment to public rights and constitutional rule. Senior Pakistan People’s Party leader Sardar Malik Iqbal Khan Aseer has paid tribute to the late Benazir Bhutto on her death anniversary, describing her as a shining symbol of democracy, public rights and the supremacy of the constitution. In a statement issued in Dera Ismail Khan, Aseer said Benazir Bhutto waged a long and determined struggle against dictatorship and consistently raised her voice for the people during some of the country’s most difficult periods. He…

By Syed Tauqeer Zaidi DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The passengers robbed of cash, phones and jewelry in overnight raid in Dera Ismail Khan as residents warn of worsening security. Armed assailants set up an illegal checkpoint on Chashma Road in Dera Ismail Khan, stopping vehicles and looting passengers before fleeing the scene, police and local residents said. According to initial reports, about a dozen unidentified men, believed to have arrived in three or four vehicles, blocked the road between Super No five and Super No six within the limits of Kaddi Khisor police station. The attackers stopped passing traffic and forcibly…

By Syed Tauqeer Zaidi DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Officials stress merit, transparency and support for educators as province seeks to strengthen public education. A formal ceremony was held at the office of the deputy commissioner in Dera Ismail Khan to honour newly recruited teachers, with senior officials emphasising merit-based appointments and the responsibility of educators to shape future generations. The event was presided over by the commissioner of the Dera Ismail Khan division, Dawoodi Khan, and attended by the deputy commissioner Abdul Nasir, senior district administration officers, the district education officers for male and female schools, and representatives from the accounts…

By Syed Tauqeer Zaidi LAKKI MARWAT: At least 18 people, including five police officers, were injured in Takhti Khel, Lakki Marwat, following a series of coordinated attacks carried out using quadcopters, police sources confirmed. The assaults, which targeted a local mosque and nearby residential areas, left women, children, and elderly residents among the wounded, prompting a swift emergency response. Hospitals in the area, including Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Naurang and the District Headquarters Hospital, were put on high alert, with the most critical cases transferred to Bannu for advanced treatment. Authorities said a joint operation by local police, the Counter-Terrorism Department…

By Syed Tauqeer Zaidi DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Authorities move to verify approvals at provincial headquarters as action looms against projects operating without valid clearance. Preparations are under way for action against illegal housing societies across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with provincial authorities ordering a comprehensive verification of records to identify projects operating without valid approvals or on the basis of forged documents. Following government directives, all housing societies in the province have been asked to submit their records so that those lacking proper no objection certificates can be identified. Officials say the verification of approvals and related documents will now be carried…