Workers’ strike today

PESHAWAR, May 9: The All Government Employees Coordination Council will hold protest demonstrations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa today (Tuesday) against the government for not accepting their charter of demands.

A statement issued here on Monday said demonstrations would be held at all the district headquarters and outside press clubs. The statement said the employees would also observe complete strike and demonstrations in the province on May 16.

The coordination council will also observe strike on May 26 and set up hunger strike camps at all the district headquarters. On May 28, they would observe complete countrywide strike and would hold sit-in outside Parliament House in Islamabad the same day.

Meanwhile, the All Pakistan Labour Federation and Muttahida Labour Federation will observe a sit-in outside Parliament today (Tuesday) to press for their demands.—Bureau Report

Anti-polio drive

PESHAWAR, May 9: Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti has appealed to ulema, media persons and people from all walks of life to help the government in eradicating polio from society.

He was speaking at a function at the CM house on Monday to launch the national polio eradication campaign.

Mr Hoti said children were future of the nation and no nation could endanger her future. He said polio made the children handicapped for the life, and added that proper look after of the children and saving them from the diseases was our collective responsibility. He said the government wanted to make Pakistan a polio-free country.

Mr Hoti thanked national and international organisations for extending support in this connection. Officials of health department and representatives of international organisations were also present in the function.—Bureau Report

Land mafia

PESHAWAR, May 9: The inhabitants of Bashirabad have accused the Faqirabad police of backing land mafia and demanded of the government to take action against the concerned officials.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Monday a group of elders said some influential people belonging to Jamrud were trying to forcibly occupy their land at Madina Colony but police were not ready to take action against them. He said the same people had destroyed their wheat crop by plying tractors in the fields.

The attackers, he said were in the habit to occupying lands of the people.—Bureau Report

Police ‘highhandedness’

PESHAWAR, May 9: Residents of Akhunabad on Monday held a protest demonstration at Sher Shah Suri Road against the Pando police station for raiding their houses, and demanded of the high ups to take notice of the action.

The protesters holding banners and placards inscribed with demands for taking action against the concerned SHO Khushaal Khan were also shouting against the police for resorting to violence against innocent people.

The protestors were led by a local activist of Pakistan People’s Party Mohammad Israr Khan, who informed media persons that police had made it a habit to conduct raids, beat up inhabitants, including children and women, to get money from them.—Bureau Report

Boy sexually assaulted

HARIPUR, May 9: A schoolteacher allegedly sexually assaulted a boy the other day.

Khanpur police quoted the boy, 16, of village Choee Khanpur as saying he was going to nearby mosque to offer Isha prayer when a man, who is a teacher, forcibly took him to a nearby house and sexually assaulted him.

The victim after getting freed from the accused informed his relatives who overpowered the accused and handed him over to police after beating him severely.

Meanwhile, bandits deprived a filing station employee, located on GT road near Darwesh village, of cash on Monday.

Police said Haji Mohammad Ashraf, cashier of Tareen filling station, was going to bank for depositing cash worth Rs725,000 when two robbers, riding motorbike’ intercepted him and snatched the cash from him.—Correspondent