مرزا نیاز احمد بیگ
افسوس ہے کہ ۷؍ فروری کو دارالمصنفین کے ایک قدیم رکن مرزا نیاز احمد بیگ بھی رحلت فرماگئے، وہ اعظم گڑھ کے ممتاز اور کامیاب وکیل اور شہر کے عمائد میں تھے، مولانا شبلیؒ اور ان سے نسبت رکھنے والے تمام اداروں سے ان کو بڑا تعلق تھا، شبلیؒ نیشنل پوسٹ گریجویٹ کالج کی مجلس انتظامیہ کے برسوں رکن اور نائب صدر رہے، اب ان کی تمام تر توجہ دارالمصنفین کی طرف مرکوز ہوگئی تھی جس کی مجلس انتظامیہ کے وہ آخر دم تک رکن رہے، دارالمصنفین کے نازک اور بحرانی دور میں ان کے مفید قانونی مشوروں سے اس کو بڑا فائدہ پہنچا، اب وہ اپنے ایک سچے بہی خیرخواہ اور مخلص ہمدرد سے محروم ہوگیا، وہ صوم و صلوٰۃ کے ہمیشہ سے پابند رہے، حج بیت اﷲ سے بھی مشرف ہوئے، آخر عمر میں ان کی دینداری زیادہ بڑھ گئی تھی، علماء و صلحاء سے بھی تعلق رکھتے تھے، حضرت مولانا سید ابوالحسن علی ندوی سے خاص عقیدت تھی، اﷲ تعالےٰ ان کی بشری لغزشوں سے درگذر فرمائے۔ اور انھیں اپنے جوار رحمت میں جگہ دے۔
(ضیاء الدین اصلاحی، فروری ۱۹۸۸ء)
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the top most cause of morality around the world. It is predicted that the number casualties from CVDs will increase to more than 24 million till 2030 people. Medicinal plants provide the major raw materials for medicine preparations. They are gaining high consideration due to their effectiveness and increasing cost of modern medicines. Many successful drugs are plant based, including aspirin from the willow bark, morphine from opium poppy, quinine from the cinchona bark, and digoxin from the foxglove. According to World Health Organization (WTO), ~70% to 80% of people around the world rely on herbal sources for the treatment of their disease. Plant sources are endorsed due to the fact that they contain an optimal amount of antioxidants and phytochemicals that help to avoid and treat many diseases. Phoenix dactylifera L. Particularly Ajwa variety, is the most rich in phytonutrientsthat can benefit to control many cardiovascular diseases. It contains6 vitamins (vitamin A, C, B1, B2, B3 &riboflavin), high amount of fibers, Potassium, Magnesium and 23 amino acids which play a healthy role towards hypertension, muscular contractions, and blood pressure control. It has been studied that Niacin (B3) helps to control cholesterol and low density lipoprotein levels (LDL), as high cholesterol is the one of the main cause of cardiovascular diseases so, Ajwa could be a vital regulatory source. According to the findings of Sabbah M. Et al, Ajwa extracts significantly improved the DNA integrity and also reduced the cardiomyocytes congestion, edema and the cellular stress wielded on cardiac muscles resulting the restoration of cardiomyocytes architecture in Doxorubicin (DOX) induced cardiotoxicity in rats. Research done by Alqarni et al, proves that Ajwa extracts has successfully decreased the LDL‐C, VLDL‐C, and triglycerides concentration. Additionally, treatment with ajwa pulp also improved the HDL‐C level and antioxidant enzymes activity. In another invivo study, Ajwa preparation has successfullydecreased the diclofenac-induced pulmonary and hepatic instabilities. Vitamin-K play important role in blood coagulation, and in case of anticoagulant therapy, activity of vitamin-K controlled by drugs (warfarin) that sometimes causes serious side effects. According to the reported data, Salicylic acid is the vitamin-K antagonist and has capability to block the action of vitamin K during the coagulation pathway. Dates contain ~3.75 to 4.50 mg/100 g of salicylic acid. Thus, providing anticoagulation effect too. So, the limelight of the reported data provides an enough reason that plants can be used as primary source of drug designing for the cardiovascular disease. They hold true momentum to address the increasing healthdiseases, which cannot be lost to distraction or apathy. Fight against the burden of CDVs, is affecting all countries and specially, under developing and the poor countries.
Pesticide is any agent used to kill or control pest thus helps in preventing crops from being harmed by insects, weeds or pathogens etc. Besides their advantages, the pesticides may cause unfriendly effect both on health and environment if not dealt with care. Human health and environmental risks associated with pesticide exposure are a global concern. The present study was thus an endeavor to investigate the health and environmental hazards of pesticides use to farming community in Khyber Pakthunkhwa, Pakistan. The prominent objectives of the study was investigate the toxic pesticides used by farming community in reference to the WHO toxicity classes, health and environmental risk to farmers due to improper use, possible ways to reduce the use of pesticides and part of Agriculture Extension Department in judicious use of pesticides. Cross sectional survey design was utilized as a part of the current investigation. Four union councils through multistage sampling technique was selected i.e. UC Band Kurai, Khanmai, Baffa and Baidara from districts D.I.Khan, Charsadda, Mansehra and Swat respectively. Sample size of 384 respondents was selected for the present study. SPSS ver. 20 were used for analysis of data collected. Simple frequencies, percentages were calculated whereas chi-square test, t-test and binary logistic regression model was utilized. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that majority of the respondents were using pesticides from the last 10 years. The respondents were not using proper personal protection measures while using pesticides and re-enter their fields the following day thus increases the odds of health issues to the farming community and were suffered from various acute poisoning cases i.e. headache, sneezing, cough, nausea, dizziness, feeling weak, difficulty in seeing, eye irritation, shortness of breath, burning sensation etc. Moreover, the knowledge of the farming community regarding the health and environmental hazards was also low. Overall 49 different sorts of pesticides were reported by the farming community as the most commonly used by them and majority were insecticides. Mostly the insecticides were from Class-II (moderately hazard) of the pesticides toxicity level followed by the Class III (slightly hazard) and Class U (unlikely to present acute hazard). Only two insecticides i.e. Carbofuron and Cartap from Cartap Hydrochloride chemical group were from Class-Ib which are highly hazardous. Moreover, number of sprays in field crops were low as compared to vegetables and fruits and mostly they pick their produce in 3-5 days of pesticides application in vegetables and fruits. Similarly the other unhealthy practices of pesticides observed were the re-spray of the leftover pesticides in the same season or in the upcoming season which results in increase in number of sprays per season. Disposing the left over pesticides in field or solid waste and overdosing & low dosing against the prescribed/recommended was also an un healthy practice recorded during the study which was due to the fact that majority of the respondents had less knowledge about the prudent use of pesticides and not checking and following the guidelines on labels. In this connection the role of the Agriculture Extension Department (AED) was also not palatable. Almost half of the respondents got training regarding the pesticides application, and other health and environmental issues related to pesticides but still the respondents were not fully aware of the healthy practices which showed that the office didn‘t not completely conferred or imparted the knowledge about the highly toxic pesticides, calibration of pesticides, pesticides application techniques, safety measures, understanding the labels/instructions on pesticides containers and so forth to the respondents. It is concluded that farmers on account of less extension services regarding pesticides, uses the pesticides improperly, having no idea of proper selection of pesticides and their application time. This improper use causes various health hazards like nausea, vomiting, headache etc. it was also concluded that farmers were not been trained properly. Therefore it is suggested that farmers should be properly trained for the safe and efficient use of pesticides. Furthermore, it is also suggested that the Agriculture Extension Department ought to strictly check the sub-standard and highly toxic pesticides in the market.