Peshawar bans horns, toy pistols and firecrackers on August 14

  HARIPUR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has honoured Ammad Ali, founder and Chief Executive Officer of RankingGrow, with the Youth Excellence Award for his contributions to youth development, digital skills training and efforts to create greater opportunities for young people, particularly those living in underserved areas of the province. The award was presented by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Taj Muhammad Khan Tarand during a ceremony organised by the Directorate of Youth Affairs to mark International Youth Day. Ali founded RankingGrow, a digital marketing and IT services company that has been involved in initiatives aimed at equipping young people with practical digital skills and improving their access to professional training and employment opportunities. Through RankingGrow and other youth-focused initiatives, Ali has supported training programmes, workshops and community-based activities in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These programmes have particularly targeted areas where young people have fewer opportunities to access modern technology, professional education, career guidance and exposure to the digital industry. The training initiatives have focused on practical and market-oriented skills that can help young people become financially independent and participate in the growing digital economy. Areas covered by these programmes include digital marketing, search engine optimisation, social media marketing, graphic design, video editing, web development, artificial intelligence, freelancing and entrepreneurship. The programmes aim to bridge the gap between traditional education and the skills increasingly demanded by employers and clients in the digital marketplace. By providing young people with relevant technical and professional skills, the initiatives seek to help participants explore employment opportunities, start freelancing careers or establish their own businesses. Ali has also received recognition for his work on other occasions. He was previously awarded the Pride of Pakistan Award under the patronage of the President of Pakistan in acknowledgement of his services and contributions. In addition, he has received other recognitions for his efforts in youth empowerment, digital skills development and community-oriented initiatives. Speaking at the award ceremony, Ali said the recognition would encourage him and his team to expand their efforts to provide young people with skills that are relevant to the changing job market. He expressed his commitment to continuing initiatives that can help young people gain access to professional opportunities and participate more effectively in the digital economy. Ali emphasised the importance of ensuring that young people from smaller cities and underserved communities are not left behind as digital technology continues to transform the employment landscape. According to him, access to digital skills and professional opportunities should not be limited to young people living in major urban centres. The Youth Excellence Award also highlights the growing importance of cooperation between government institutions, private-sector organisations and community-led initiatives in addressing challenges related to youth employment, entrepreneurship and skills development. With Khyber Pakhtunkhwa having a large and growing youth population, initiatives focused on digital education and employable skills can provide young people with alternative pathways to employment and entrepreneurship. The recognition of Ali’s work reflects the contribution of such initiatives towards creating opportunities for young people and strengthening their participation in the province’s economic and social development.

    The family of a young man who was killed in an alleged police encounter in the Kadhan area on the outskirts of Badin has raised serious objections to his post-mortem report, alleging that the report does not accurately reflect the condition of his body. The relatives of the deceased, identified as Moharram Dil, have declared the post-mortem report to be fake and demanded that his grave be exhumed so that a fresh post-mortem examination can be conducted. The family has called for an impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death and the preparation of the medical report. Moharram Dil’s father said that there were no visible signs on his son’s body indicating that it had been cut open for a post-mortem examination. He said that when the body was being washed before burial, the family observed gunshot wounds but did not see any other marks that would suggest that a post-mortem had been performed. The father said that the family also possesses video recordings of his son’s body taken before the burial. According to him, these videos could provide important evidence regarding the condition of the body and may help determine whether the post-mortem examination described in the official report actually took place. The controversy has emerged over the timing and circumstances of the post-mortem report. Moharram Dil was reportedly killed in an alleged police encounter on July 26, while his post-mortem report was issued five days later, on July 31, by the Rural Health Centre. The family has questioned the circumstances under which the examination was conducted and how the report was prepared. Their demand for exhumation is aimed at obtaining a new medical examination that could independently establish the cause and circumstances of the young man’s death. Badin District Health Officer (DHO) has provided an explanation regarding who can conduct a post-mortem examination. According to the DHO, if a medico-legal officer is not available, the medical superintendent or a senior duty doctor can perform the post-mortem. The clarification comes amid questions raised by the family regarding the validity of the medical report. The authorities may now face pressure to determine whether the procedure was conducted according to the relevant medical and legal requirements. Police, meanwhile, maintain that Moharram Dil was a drug dealer who was killed during a police encounter on July 26. According to the police version, an exchange of fire took place between the police and the alleged drug dealer, during which Moharram Dil was killed. Police also claimed that two officers were injured during the encounter. The law enforcement authorities have presented the incident as an armed confrontation, while the deceased’s family has challenged the official account and raised doubts about the circumstances surrounding his death. The conflicting accounts have increased calls for an independent investigation. The family believes that a fresh post-mortem could help establish whether the injuries on the body correspond with the police account and whether the original medical report was prepared accurately. The demand for exhumation and a second post-mortem is now at the centre of the controversy. The videos reportedly recorded before the burial could also become relevant if an investigation is launched. The case has raised broader questions about transparency in alleged police encounters and the importance of properly documented medico-legal procedures. A fresh examination, if authorized, could provide additional evidence and help address the concerns raised by the deceased’s family.