KikxNow , Digital Creator

  Musarrat Ullah Jan – kikxNow , digital creator Peshawar: The vast majority of District Sports Officers (DSOs) of the provincial Sports Directorate are using personal email addresses rather than official ones, bringing communication and transparency issues of grave concern. Ideally, all the emails must be entered in the name of the office so that formal assistants can check accounts regularly and reply to public queries in time. The widespread practice is, however, that each new DSO makes a new personal email account and, while being transferred, carries the email along with him. Consequently, public communication is lost and citizens complain that their emails are not replied to. Reports disclosed that in some instances DSOs depend on their personal assistants to undertake financial and administrative issues, bypassing official assistants. This denies transparency and does not allow citizens access to information on time. The same lack of organization is replicated on soc...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan – kikxNow , digital creator Under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Act 2013, information about the use, revenue, and expenditure of the Parang Sports Ground in Charsadda has been requested. A sports journalist has officially made a request to the District Sports Officer Charsadda, requesting the full records for the past three financial years (2023–24, 2024–25, and 2025–26 to date). The application asks for an event-wise and monthly list of matches, training camps, and other activities conducted at the ground, identifying each sport and listing participating teams and players. It also asks for a segregation of the ground's income, be it booking charges, gate collections, sponsorships, advertisements, parking, or other sources, both weekly and monthly. In addition, the RTI application requires a breakdown of expenditure, including maintenance, pitch preparation, utilities, security, cleaning, event management, and sundry expenses. A list of perm...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan – Kikxnow digital creator Upgradation of Battakundi Youth Hostel (Phase-I) has been finished with 100% financial and physical progress, using the entire cost of 33.00 million. Construction of Peshawar Youth Complex has registered 64% financial progress (307.231 million incurred out of 474.499 million) and 72% physical completion, with good quality work in progress. The Jawan Markaz Mohmand stands at 100% financial absorption (111.00 million expended) and 98% physical achievement. Only finishing touches are left. The Jawan Markaz Swabi reflects 32% financial achievement (34.76 million expended out of 107.350 million) and 50% physical accomplishment. Physical progress is lagging behind financial disbursement, reflecting potential delay in fund release. The Jawan Markaz Mardan has expended 32% of money (46.02 million out of 146.060 million) but has made 80% physical progress, indicating effective implementation despite reduced expenditure. The Jawan Ma...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan – Kikxnow digital creator Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Youth Affairs Department has made a huge achievement in the disbursement of loans under the Akhuwat Islamic Microfinance component (PKR 100,000 to PKR 500,000) of the Ehsaas Naujawan Programme. During the fiscal year 2024-25, the whole amount of the allocated budget of PKR 600 million was disbursed by July 31, 2025. The programme has aimed to disburse 4,427 loans during this current fiscal year. Hitherto, 5,931 applications have been submitted, out of which 3,699 have been approved, 601 rejected, and 1,745 are pending. The approved loans totaled PKR 623.12 million, out of which PKR 602.65 million have already been disbursed. The programme has also recovered PKR 42.88 million to date, whereas PKR 559.77 million is still in the outstanding loan portfolio. Under the Akhuwat component, the Youth Affairs Department is providing simple, interest-free loans to the youth to establish micro-enterprises a...

  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Hockey Association invokes grave concerns By Musarrat Ullah Jan – Kikxnow digital creator The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Hockey Association has shown strong criticism to what it terms "unlawful interference" by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and provincial sports directorates in the operations of elected sports authorities. In a letter to the Pakistan Hockey Federation, the leadership of the association — President Syed Zahir Shah, Chairman Muhammad Saeed Khan (retired IGP Police), and Secretary Hidayatullah — contended that with the 18th Constitutional Amendment, sports fell within provincial jurisdiction. So, the PSB's activity should be confined to coordination alone. As the letter states, the PSB has no "powers of an authoritarian nature" and has no right to interfere in provincial sports organization structure or governance. The association charged provincial sports directorates, especially their Director Generals, with conduct...

    Musarrat Ullah Jan – Kikxnow digital creator Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Youth Affairs Department has made significant progress in the process of loan disbursement under the Bank of Khyber component (PKR 1.0–5.0 million) of the Ehsaas Naujawan Programme. For fiscal year 2024-25, the total amount of Rs. 500 million allocated funds have been released in full by July 31, 2025, out of which Rs. 450 million remain to be disbursed. The target of the year for FY 2024-25 is to issue 225 loans. 210 loans worth a total of Rs. 552 million have been approved until now. Of these, 142 loans totaling Rs. 415 million have already been disbursed and 52 approved loans totaling Rs. 68 million are to be released soon. Since its inception, the Bank of Khyber has so far received 13,275 applications. Of these, 10,618 applications were processed and decided, and 2,446 are pending consideration. The Youth Affairs Department says that this programme is opening massive business opport...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan – Kikxnow digital creator Peshawar: There have been doubts cast on the transparency and effectiveness of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Private Schools Regulatory Authority (KP-PSRA) after a citizen's Right to Information (RTI) application, submitted on January 7, 2025, was replied to with incomplete information after six months of inaction. The citizen had asked for in-depth information regarding sports facilities in private schools throughout the province, such as how many schools possess their own sports grounds, the arrangements made for accessing government sports facilities, information pertaining to internal sports facilities, and district-wise numbers of qualified sports instructors. Yet, the response given by the authority in July did not answer the specific questions and rather made reference to data "available on the website," which, when checked, was found to be entirely absent. As per the citizen, "This postponement and partial respo...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan – Kikxnow digital content producer Dir Upper sportsmen have made the region proud by representing their district on both national and international levels. The District Sports Office Dir Upper has extended financial support to these sportsmen for boosting their endeavors and supporting local sports. In cricket, the delegations are Karam Ghulam, Adil Naz, Riaz Ullah, Israr Tajak, Adnan Saeed, Danyal Aziz, Abdal Javed, Muhammad Salman, Zakria, and Shabib Gohar. Volleyball players Tahir and Faisal, taekwondo practitioners Muhammad Yasir, Jami Ullah, and Shahzada Murtaza, boxer Usman Ullah, basketball player Naeem Ullah, and marathon runners Hilal and Azlan Mashum also received attention for the district. Moreover, Hazrat Abbas in football, Muhammad Jamal in badminton, and Muhammad Yasir in hockey also benefited from these scholarships on both national and international levels. According to the District Sports Office, these scholarships will also continue to ...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan – Kikxnow digital content producer For the past two years, the sports fields of Upper Dir have been alive with activity. From cricket to volleyball, football to taekwondo, boxing to athletics, hardly a month passed without a tournament or sports festival taking place. According to official data, a total of 117 sporting events were held in 2023–24 and 2024–25, drawing thousands of athletes from across the region. Government records show that in 2023 alone, major events included the Dir Premier League, All Pakistan Volleyball Tournament, Aman Sports Festival, Shuhada-e-Chitral Football League, Inter-School Athletics Championship, and a series of Night Tournaments. Participation ranged from 50 players in smaller competitions to as many as 2,000 in larger events. Some festivals combined multiple disciplines under one banner. For example, the Aman Sports Festival featured cricket, football, volleyball, a marathon race, and competitions for differently-abled ...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan – Kikxnow digital content producer Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cultural and Tourism Authority has not yet released the full information about Shandur Festival 2025. A formal application was submitted under the Right to Information (RTI) Act on June 30, 2025, but no information is available yet. The issue is now being considered at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Commission, complaint number 12792. The RTI application particularly asked for the following information for the 2025 festival: Dates, venue, and key arrangements of the festival. Total budgetary amount sanctioned and breakdown of expenses (stage arrangement, arts programs, security, accommodation, hospitality, publicity). Names of departmental participants, sponsors, and private parties. Number of local and international players/guests, and the list of cultural and sports activities conducted. Security arrangements and other amenities such as transport, sanitation, and medical ass...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan – Kikxnow Digital Creator PESHAWAR — An RTI request submitted to the Regional Sports Officer (RSO) Kohat on May 14, 2025, remains pending even after three months. The applicant sought detailed information under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Act 2013 regarding the budget and expenditure for the fiscal year 2024–25. The matter has now been taken to the RTI Commission under complaint number 12595. The request focused on Fund KT21C46 – Sports, Culture, Tourism & Museums, with provided figures showing: Original budget estimate: PKR 10,516,970 Amount released: PKR 18,598,049 Amount spent: PKR 21,059,690 The applicant questioned why funds exceeding the original budget estimate were released and why the expenditure surpassed even the released amount. The RTI request also sought a breakdown of each project or activity, including receipts, invoices, details of “Miscellaneous” expenses, beneficiaries’ names, and the basis for payments. In a...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan – Kikxnow Digital Creator Khyber District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — The “Shapola Archaeology” conservation project has come under scrutiny after allegations of an extra payment of Rs. 2.009 million for stone chipping work surfaced. A Right to Information (RTI) request was filed on May 1, 2025, with the relevant department, but no response has been received to date. The RTI application questioned why, according to the approved Bill of Quantities (BOQ), only 2,544 CFT of work costing Rs. 712,320 was sanctioned, yet a total of 9,719 CFT was measured and paid for. Who authorized the extra 7,175 CFT? And was a Technical Sanction (TS) obtained for the additional work, or not? The applicant also requested: A complete copy of the contract with M/s Shah Brothers (total estimate Rs. 30.44 million, payments made Rs. 15.803 million) The original MBs (measurement books) and records of the additional work The special audit report identifying the extra payment Minut...

Musarrat Ullah Jan – KikxNow Digital Creator Five years ago, a promising vision germinated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: creating a new crop of squash champions. Drawn by giants such as Jahangir and Jan Sher Khan, the Provincial Sports Directorate undertook a scheme to construct eight modern squash courts. The intention was to establish modern facilities in schools and colleges in Peshawar, providing a pipeline of new talent and taking the pressure off established outlets. But now, this dream is a haunting emptiness. The multi-million-rupee venture has yielded nothing but a series of empty, abandoned courts. The issue started with a total lack of openness. The contract for the project was a bureaucratic maze, with a new company for every phase of construction. This disorganized process led to low-quality, uneven construction. A walk-through of these courts shows the dismal consequences: peeling paint, cracked floors, and a general air of neglect. Nowhere is this breakdown more pronounce...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan – KikxNow Digital Creator Severe questions have been raised about a juice stall that is running within the Hayatabad Sports Complex, belonging to the Directorate General of Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. As a gesture towards transparency, a concerned citizen has formally submitted an application under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information (RTI) Act 2013 requesting complete information regarding the approval and funding of the stall. The candidate has asked for information on who gave the permission to set up the juice stall within the complex and on whose official or departmental authority this permission has been given. Copies of any written clearance, file notings, or notices pertaining to this permission have been sought. The main issues revolve around the allegation that the stall was assigned to a young person identified as a "deserving athlete." The applicant inquires who decided this and on what basis or documentation his or her inability t...