Seized falcons freed PESHAWAR, Oct 10: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Environment and Wildlife Haji Ibrar Hussain Tanoli on Thursday set free six falcons seized from a house in Changarabad area of the provincial capital.

The same falcons had been caught by wildlife`s raiding team led by SDFO Sardar Ali.

These precious falcons are worth Rs10 million. The wildlife team on Sept 19, 2013, had also caught four other falcons from Badhber area of Peshawar that were being taken to Karachi.

On the occasion, the minister was informed that the birds fetched high prices in the Middle East as these were used in hunting.

These falcons migrate in winter season from the central Asian states to Pakistan and other countries. Due to poaching, the number of these birds is falling and therefore a ban has been imposed on their hunting.

Mr Tanoli on the occasion also gave Rs50,000 cash award to the raiding team. -Bureau Report Opening of schools demanded PESHAWAR, Oct 10: Students of various areas of Kurram tribal region have expressed grave concern over the government`s failure to reconstruct the damaged educational institutions in the area and asked for immediate opening of the schools.

This demand was raised by office-bearers of Kurram Students Organisation at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday. Giving details, the organisation president, Mohammad Saleem, said that teachers were also avoiding performing their duty.

He demanded of the federal government to take stern action against the absent teachers for not attending classes regularly.

He alleged that some of the teachers had gone abroad but still they were drawing their salaries. In many cases the permanent teachers were paying an amount from their salaries to educated jobless youth to perform duty in their place, he added. -Bureau Report Sports promotion in Bajaur KHAR, Oct 10: Bajaur Agency additional political agent Imran Hameed Sheikh has said that the sports activities in the agency would be further enhanced to provide the youth with healthy and positive activities at their door step.

This he stated while addressing at a meeting of the agency sports council here on Thursday.

Agency sports officer, Agency physical supervisor, principal of Government Postgraduate College Khar and heads of different high and higher secondary schools and representatives of sports organisation were in attendance on the occasion.

The participants of the meeting discussed various issues related to the promotion of sports and plan for holding mega sports events in the educational institutions in various areas of agency.

The meeting decided that mega sports events in high schools will be held in November 2013. -Correspondent Doctors` shortage in Karak KARAK, Oct 10: Khattak Ittehad, a local rights body, has expressed concern over lack of female doctors in the hospitals of Karak district and said that only four female doctors were available in the government healthcare facilities in the entire district.

This was stated by the elders of Khattak Ittehad at a meeting held here on Thursday. Speaking on the occasion, Ahmad Jan and others said that women patients were facing severe hardships due to shortage of female doctors at healthcare facilities in the district. They added that two of the four doctors had proceeded on leave to perform Haj.

They said that now one lady doctor was working in the women and children hospital Karak and one in tehsil headquarters hospital Takht-i-Nusrati while the rest of the hospitals of the district were running without any lady doctor. Correspondent Presentation on mega city PESHAWAR, Oct 10: A presentation was held in the conference room of housing department regarding the mega city project along the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway (M-I).

Haleem Khan of AA Associates, Engineer I A Usmani of Usmania Associates and others from various parts of the country gave their expert opinion about the feasibility and preliminary infrastructure design in this regard.

Amjad Khan Afridi, special assistant to the chief minister, presided over the presentation.

The presentation was held following a presentation given to PTI chairman Imran Khan and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak by Zahid Arif, secretary housing department, wherein the chairman PTI had directed the chief minister to obtain expert opinion from reputed consultants of the country on the project. -Bureau Report