Sports
KPK
Decade-Long Feud Ends in Tahkal Payan Through Jirga Reconciliation
STAFF REPORTER
PESHAWAR : A nearly decade-long dispute between two rival factions in Tahkal Payan has finally ended after sustained reconciliation efforts by local elders and the Khalil Awami Ittehad Islahi Committee.
The reconciliation was led by Alhaj Maulana Abdullah, president of the committee, along with other respected elders, who brought the two sides to the negotiating table and resolved their differences through dialogue and the traditional jirga system.
During the jirga, members of both factions took an oath on the Holy Quran, forgave one another for the sake of Allah and pledged to leave their past grievances behind. They embraced each other and vowed to live together with brotherhood, mutual respect, love and harmony.
The first faction included Alhaj Malik Nasir Khan, Haji Malik Shah Nawaz, Alhaj Mir Azam Khan and Alhaj Noor Zaman Khan, while the second comprised Hidayat Shah, Naeem Shah, Javed Shah and others.
Former KP Assembly member and ANP provincial leader Yasin Khan Khalil, former MPA and JUI-F provincial leader Atif-ur-Rehman Khalil, Sheikh Naeem Khan of Regi, Malik Bashir Khan of Tahkal Bala and other prominent elders and community leaders attended the jirga.
Speakers praised the reconciliation efforts and stressed that dialogue, patience, mutual consultation and the traditional jirga system remain effective means of resolving disputes peacefully. They said prolonged conflict only creates divisions and suffering within families and communities.
The participants pledged not to allow past differences to resurface and expressed hope that the reconciliation would strengthen peace, unity and social harmony in Tahkal Payan.
The jirga concluded with the two sides embracing each other, marking the end of their nearly 10-year hostility and a new beginning of brotherhood and peaceful coexistence.
National
PIMS Fire Tragedy: Were Earlier Warnings Ignored?
Aamir Lashari
Islamabad: The devastating fire at the PIMS MCH nursery has raised serious questions over fire safety and administrative preparedness, particularly after an earlier blaze at the hospital’s nursing hostel exposed major safety lapses.
The July 6 fire at the PIMS female nursing hostel put the lives of more than 78 nurses at risk. An inquiry into the incident reportedly found the absence of CCTV cameras, smoke detectors and an effective fire alarm, besides inadequate emergency arrangements. Security personnel were also reportedly absent during the initial stage of the fire.
The inquiry committee recommended disciplinary action against officials responsible, a comprehensive fire-safety audit, emergency drills and other corrective measures.
The latest tragedy has now raised a crucial question: were those recommendations implemented before the MCH nursery caught fire? If they were, when and how was compliance verified? If they were not, why were the identified vulnerabilities allowed to persist?
PIMS had reportedly been receiving fire-safety warnings for nearly seven years. Even if an AC or electrical fault triggered the latest blaze, the systems designed to detect, contain and respond to such emergencies require thorough scrutiny.
Parents and eyewitnesses have alleged inadequate staffing, locked ward doors and delays in reaching the babies. The hospital administration, however, maintains that rescue teams reached the scene within six minutes and that firefighting equipment was operational.
CCTV footage, duty rosters and emergency call records could help establish the sequence of events and determine whether there were delays or failures in the emergency response.
The ongoing renovation work at the hospital also warrants examination, particularly whether it affected electrical systems, fire-safety arrangements or emergency access.
The authorities must determine whether the nursery’s fire alarms, emergency exits, firefighting equipment and oxygen systems were functional at the time of the incident.
The two incidents point to a broader issue of institutional follow-through. PIMS had reportedly received repeated fire-safety warnings, while the July 6 hostel fire exposed serious deficiencies and prompted specific recommendations.
The latest tragedy makes it imperative for the inquiry to establish not only how the fire started, but also what happened to the earlier warnings and recommendations—and whether failure to act contributed to the scale of the loss of life.
