Teachers threaten agitation

BANNU/KARAK, Nov 18: All Primary Teachers Association (APTA) provincial president Malik Khalid Khan has said 75,000 primary schoolteachers would boycott work if the government failed to redress their grievances on priority basis.

Speaking at a meeting of teachers in Bannu on Friday, he said their peaceful struggle for achievement of rights would bear fruit. He said the provincial government had agreed in principle that the problems of primary schoolteachers would be resolved.

Meanwhile, talking to reporters in Karak, Khalid Khan claimed the provincial government had given scale 9 on permanent basis to primary schoolteachers. He said the government had agreed to the time-scale formula for promotion of teachers under which PST teachers would be promoted to scale 12 after securing seven years service instead of ten years.—Dawn Report

Protest against drone strikes

WANA, Nov 18: The religious and political parties on Friday organised a demonstration in the Wana bazaar to protest against the US drone strikes in the South Waziristan Agency.

A large number of tribesmen and elders joined the protest and chanted slogans against the US and its allies. They demanded of the government to effectively stop the drone attacks.

The entire Wana bazaar remained closed during the demonstration. They said that protests would continue if the government failed to stop the drone strikes.—Correspondent

Trader robbed

PESHAWAR, Nov 18: A businessman was robbed by unidentified armed men, who took away Rs2 million from him on the main Sher Shah Suri Road no Friday.

In his report to East Cantonment police, Irfan, son of Momin Khan of Yakatoot, said that he was dealing in Afghan transit trade and had just came out from Deans Commercial Centre with the amount that he found his motorbike punctured.

“I was pulling my bike towards a mechanic that three armed men riding a bike snatched the bag from me near Peshawar Press Club and disappeared,” he told police. The police registered a case against unidentified robbers in this regard.—Bureau Report

Agricultural inputs distributed

GHALANAI, Nov 18: The political administration of Mohmand Agency on Friday distributed agricultural inputs, including wheat seeds and fertilizers, among 1,000 militancy-affected growers of Pindialai and Ambar tehsils for rabbi season.

In this connection a distribution ceremony was held at Ekkaghund where assistant political agent Rasool Khan Wazir was the chief guest.

APA Rasool Khan distributed 1,000 bags each of 50kg DAP fertiliser and certified wheat seeds among 1,000 farmers. Rasool Wazir said the government was committed to providing quality seeds and fertilizers to the growers to rehabilitate the agriculture sector in the area. He said this scheme was initiated to increase per acre wheat production.

He asked the growers to utilise the inputs properly and help the government in its efforts to enhancing the crop productivity.—Correspondent

Service protection

PESHAWAR, Nov 18: Minister for Information and Culture Mian Iftikhar Hussain has reiterated the provincial government’s resolve to ensure service protection to all the employees of the devolved departments. He added a viable strategy was being evolved for absorption of these employees.

This he said while chairing a meeting of the cabinet committee on absorption of the employees of the devolved departments under 18th Amendment on Friday.

The meting was informed that total 17 ministries/divisions were devolved to the province with its employees out of which 4,107 employees had been absorbed while for the remaining a strategy was being evolved.

The minister formed a committee for the purpose which would submit its report to the cabinet committee after consultation with the departments concerned.—Bureau Report