Prioritizing salaries: KP’S four-month budget to exclude new projects
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has issued a directives to all administrative departments, urging them to refrain from including new development projects in the upcoming budget and instead prioritize payment of salaries to project employees. The caretaker KP government has planning an estimated budget of Rs30 billion, which will be presented for a four-month period leading up to the general elections. In correspondence sent to all departments, the planning and development (P&D) department highlighted that the forthcoming developmental budget for the fiscal year 2023-24 will not incorporate any new projects. Moreover, a significant portion of funds will be allocated to projects that are in the final stages of completion. The P&D has further emphasized that priority will be given to projects falling under relief agencies and public sector development programs, ensuring a smooth allocation of funds. Additionally, an evaluation of approved developmental programs from various departments is scheduled to take place during a meeting on Monday.
Family: Christian boys accused of blasphemy after argument with policeman
Two Christian boys, one of them a minor, have been arrested and charged with blasphemy after a minor altercation with a police constable in Lahore earlier this week, reports citing sources said. According to Babar Sandhu Masih, his 18-year-old son Adil Babar and their 14-year-old neighbour Simon Masih were arrested by the Race Course police on the complaint of police constable Zahid Sohail, who accused them of disrespecting the prophet. “Adil and Simon were standing in the street talking to each other when Sohail picked up a fight with them, alleging that they had committed blasphemy,” said Masih, who works at an auto workshop as a car painter. “When elders of the neighbourhood asked Sohail to substantiate his accusation with the evidence, he failed to satisfy them and left,” Masih said. He added that the Race Course police raided the locality later that evening and arrested Adil and Simon. “The boys were booked under Section 295-C of the blasphemy law,” he said. Section 295-C of Pakistan’s blasphemy statutes prohibits disrespect of the prophet and is punishable by death. Masih said that Adil had left school some years ago and was training with him to become a car painter. “A judge sent the two boys to prison on judicial remand on Friday. The allegation against Adil and Simon is completely baseless and we hope the court will provide justice to us. “Adil’s mother is a heart patient and doesn’t yet know what has happened to him. I don’t know how she will react when she comes to know that our youngest son is in prison on such a serious charge,” he said.
FALSE ACCUSATIONS
Several people have been lynched or killed unlawfully over false accusations of blasphemy in Pakistan. Last week, a court released on bail a Christian woman charged with blasphemy after she and a Muslim coworker were accused of intentionally burning papers containing Quranic verses.