KARAK: About 2.8 million children, both boys and girls, are out of school in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to a non-governmental organisation.

Addressing a workshop here on Wednesday, Nuzhat Ameen, the programme officer of Khwaendo

Kor, a non-governmental organisation, said that after the passage of 18th Amendment,

Article 25 A of the Constitution was necessary to be implemented in the province but for the purpose a bill should be passed from the provincial assembly.

The workshop was attended by members of civil society organisations, lawyers, journalists and officials of education department in a large number.

Ms Ameen said that the bill was already passed by the other three provinces of the country.

She said that their organisation had formed working groups of lawyers, journalists and social activists in Hazara division to create awareness among people about the importance of the bill.

Such working group would be also set up in Kohat division, she added.

Ms Ameen said that education was must for the progress of the country.

No society could flourish without education, she added.

Maqbool Khattak, regional manager of Khwaendo Kor, also spoke on the occasion and asked the participants of the workshop to play their role in the passing of the said bill from the assembly.

PROTEST: The residents of Kanda Bajikhel, Kanda Karak and Kanda Hadikhel staged a protest demonstration against the suspension of natural gas to their localities.

The protesters threatened that gas supply would remain suspended to other parts of the country until it was provided to the local people.

They also staged a sit-in near the main transmission line of natural gas in Kanda.

Led by Qari Badrul Islam, the protesters said that they held negotiations with the district administration time and again on the issue but to no avail.

They said that they would not change their stance about provisions of gas to the local people.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2014