PESHAWAR –No one would be allowed to harm the culture of Pakhtuns, who are a dignified nation having a history older than over 4,5000 years, rich culture and heritage.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Minister for Information, Mian Iftikhar Hussain said Pakhtuns had a culture, which is their identity and authority. This he said during a certificate distribution ceremony of a two-day Cultural Revival of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Festival held at Nishtar Hall, Peshawar, on Sunday night.
MPA Tabbasum Katozai, Secretary Culture Azmat Hanif Orakzai, and Director Culture Pervez Khan were also present on this occasion. The minister said that they loved their land and culture by heart and each and every means would be utilised for its protection. He said their culture was also a tool, which was being used efficiently to counter terrorism.
He declared that the war on terror was their own war as it directly affected them, so it was the responsibility of all of them to get united against it.
Mian Iftikhar maintained that they were against the obscenity and vulgarity, adding that no obscenity and vulgarity would be tolerated in the name of culture. He said that there was a noble and clear cause in holding of cultural activities in the province. “Through these activities, we want to provide some pleasant moments to our people who are facing terrorism and militancy for the last 30 years, making their lives miserable,” he clarified.
The minister continued to say that by a preplanned conspiracy, the Pakhtuns’ culture was being damaged.
He added that the symbol of Pakhtuns unity and a manifestation of a minimal portion of their culture - Hujra - was being targeted, besides killing of progressive people.
He however, said, they had come to front against terrorists with a clear commitment that they would ensure the safety of this land and its people at all costs. He said that they were not afraid of death as that day was fixed by Allah almighty.
Praising the efforts of administration for holding a successful festival, he assured that the government would patronise such healthy and positive activities in future also. Later, the minister distributed certificates among the administration members and stallholders at the festival.
Meanwhile, in order to provide relief to people suffering from the deadly forms of hepatitis, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chief Minister, Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has launched a programme for ‘Prevention & Control of Hepatitis’ in the province with a total cost Rs 920 million.
The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was committed to social uplift of the masses. In accordance with the government policy, the KP Health Department is striving hard to carry its communicable disease prevention and control services to the people’s doorstep in order to actualise the dream of health for all.
The programme is of high essence, aims at prevention and control of both water and food borne (A&E) and blood borne (B,C&D) forms of viral hepatitis.
Since its launch, the program has selected 29 teaching/DHQ hospitals across the province as the viral hepatitis sentinel sites in continuation and consultation with the National Program’s for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis initiative started from 2005.
The selected hospitals have been equipped with requisite laboratory equipments, consumables, kits and reagents, drugs, hepatitis B vaccine and biological (Interferon) to extend the facilities of diagnosis and treatment to the deserving affected population free of cost.
Moreover, the DG Health, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has requested in a letter to all the MNAs, MPAs, Commissioners and DCOs to make sure that eligible for treatment patients of Viral Hepatitis and properly being attended in Public Sector Hospitals with free diagnostic and treatment facilities to all population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The letter further added that the task of hepatitis prevention & control is gigantic and merits commitment on part of all concerned and stressed for guidance and support in operationalizing the already established sentinel sites as well as the leadership of public representatives for the program’s advocacy and awareness campaign in their respective constituencies.