Call for stopping tax on potato

CHITRAL, Sept 27: Former MPA from Chitral and ANP leader Zafar Ahmed Khan has demanded of the government to stop the levy on potato collected by tehsil municipal administration Chitral from the farmers of Garam Chashma valley.

In a press statement issued here the other day, he alleged the tax was being exacted by the TMA illegally as the district tax on import and export had been abolished long ago.

He said Rs30 was received on each bag of 40kg potato at the exit point of the district at Ashrait near Lowari Pass while transporting the commodity to the national market.

He termed it a sheer injustice with the poor farmers who cultivated potato for their sustenance. —Correspondent

No change in PTI’s march plan

KARAK, Sept 27: PTI leader Asad Qaisar has said the party’s proposed march to Waziristan would be held according to schedule on October 6 to condemn drone attacks in the tribal areas.

Speaking at a public meeting at Takht-i-Nusrati on Thursday, he alleged through an international conspiracy the land of Pakhtuns was turned into pile of explosives. Through unjustified drone attacks the innocent women and children were being ruthlessly killed in Waziristan, he said.

He alleged the champions of Pakhtun rights had sold out their blood to Americans. He further alleged corruption had crossed all limits and even jobs were being sold while the educated youths were deprived of their due rights. He said the ruling parties had failed on all fronts. —Correspondent

DPC plans rally on Monday

PESHAWAR, Sept 27: The Difa-i-Pakistan Council (DPC) will hold a “Hurmat-i-Rasool (SAW) rally from motorway chowk, Ring Road to Jamrud Phatak (Karkhano market) against the anti-Islam movie on Monday (October 1).

The announcement was made by DPC media coordinator and Jamaat-i-Islami leader Israrullah Khan advocate, during a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday.

He informed that the rally would be led by DPC central chairman Maulana Samiul Haq, JI central amir Syed Munawar Hassan, central amir Jamaatud Dawa Hafiz Saeed and others.

Mr Israrullah said the participants would march from Ring Road (motorway chowk) towards Speen Jumaat (white mosque) at University Road wherein they would offer prayers and then head towards their destination. —Bureau Report

Demand to hang hate filmmaker

PESHAWAR, Sept 27: The workers of PML (Likeminded) on Thursday staged a protest demonstration at Sher Shah Suri Road against the sacrilegious film and demanded death sentence to the moviemaker.

Holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the filmmaker, the protesters also chanted anti-US slogans. The protesters were led by provincial general secretary of the party Malik Riaz.

While speaking on the occasion Malik Riaz said the film had deliberately been made against Islam to spoil peaceful atmosphere in Muslim countries. Mr Riaz said the teachings of the holy prophet (Pbuh) gave message of peace, love, affection, and tolerance. —Bureau Report

Three impersonators arrested

CHITRAL, Sept 27: Three persons were found impersonating in place of their friends in the secondary school certificate supplementary examination conducted by the BISE, Peshawar in its centre at Government High School Chitral on Thursday.

The EDO (education) Chitral Siraj Mohammad told Dawn during his surprise visit to the centre, he found the boys attempting the paper of science in place of their friends. He said the impersonators were handed over to the police while the names of the candidates will be sent to the board authorities to initiate disciplinary action against them for fraudulence.

However, officials of local police station expressed their ignorance about the arrest of any impersonators. —Correspondent

Afghan refugees protest

PESHAWAR, Sept 27: Afghan refugees living in different camps on Thursday held protest demonstration at Jamrud Road near Khyber Teaching Hospital against the disconnection of power supply to their camps and demanded inquiry into the matter.

The protesters were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the power company and demanded early restoration of the power supply to the camps. They also blocked the main road for sometime and created hurdles in the flow of smooth traffic.

Mehmood Shah, who was leading the protesters, said power supply to Shamshato and Baghbanan camps had been disconnected without any reason as they were regularly paying bills. —Bureau Report

Motorcycle rally

MARDAN, Sept 27: The activists of Shabab-i-Mili, Mardan chapter, on Thursday took out a motorcycle rally in connection with the youth convention “Azam-i-Islami Inqilab” scheduled to be held on September 30 in Mardan city.

The participants led by Jamaat-i-Islami leaders Ghulam Rasool, Fazal-i-Rabani advocate and Shabab-i-Mili district president Umair Ali Shah carried banners and placards, chanting slogans against the government and the US.

Addressing the rally outside the press club, the speakers said the youth convention would be a referendum against the present rulers. They claimed more than 100,000 people would attend the youth convention. —Correspondent

Cheques distributed

LAKKI MARWAT, Sept 27: The PPP-led government took practical steps to protect sanctity and self-respect of womenfolk. This was stated by MPA Anwar Saifullah Khan while speaking at a cheque distribution ceremony here on Thursday.

The Benazir Income Support Programme had arranged the ceremony to distribute cheques under Waseela-i-Haq initiative among beneficiaries. Mr Saifullah gave away cheques worth Rs5.4 million to 36 beneficiaries.

He said provision of small loans under Waseela-i-Haq would help eliminate poverty and enable women to play their role in national development. He said by bringing women into the mainstream and providing them with opportunities of working shoulder by shoulder with males would usher into a new era of development. —Correspondent