STAFF REPORTER
PESHAWAR Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spokesman Ajmal Wazir Monday categorically rejected media reports about missing of over 1100 (zaireen) pilgrims from quarantine centres in KP and termed the news baseless and fabricated. In a media briefing here, he said that initially zaireen were kept at three quarantine centres two in D I Khan and one in Peshawar, adding that all the zaireen have left for their homes while the only corona patient was at Darazinda quarantine centre who was found corona positive in re-test. Ajmal said that media should confirm any news related to coronavirus before its dissemination saying that at this present situation any such false news could create panic in the society. Referring to disbursement of financial assistance among deserving and poor people, he said that a total 3600 points have been set up in the province to give Rs12,000 to each deserving family under Ehsaas Program of Prime Minister of Pakistan. He said that in second phase Rs6000 would be distributed among the poor people on behalf of the provincial government while as per the directives of Chief Minister Mehmood Khan some 1,000 KP families would also get financial assistance under Zakat fund. Ajmal said that the disbursement of money was being made in highly transparent manners and there were three modes of disbursement of funds including Bank AlFalah, Easypaisa and NADRA where each person could gets Rs12000 after biometric verification of his/her thumb. He said initially the government received some complaints of cheating public in disbursement of funds and but strict action was taken against the accused persons. He said that now the process was very transparent and in case of any complaint the accused would be taken to task. He said that on the directives of chief minister the coronavirus testing capacity was being enhanced and for the purpose 25,000 corona testing kits have been distributed among districts, adding that health officials are in contact with private labs to increase the testing capacity to 10,000 per day. Ajmal said KP government was committed to protecting people from havoc of coronavirus and KP CM has talked to PM on video link and has informed him about future input.