KOHAT: The local residents on Monday staged a demonstration against PTI lawmaker Ziaullah Bangash, holding him responsible for delay in launch of development projects, and nepotism in awarding tickets for LG polls.

Mr Bangash, who is also the chairman of the district development advisory committee, had gone to Nasrat Khel, in his KP-37 constituency in connection with party’s election campaign for the local body polls, but the protesters besieged him and started shouting against him for alleged corruption and nepotism in award of tickets to candidates for LG polls.

Mr Bangash had announced Rs30 million projects for his constituency last year.

Malik Ahmed Khan, Malik Saeed Iqbal, Malik Mawaz Khan and Malik Iqbal led the protesters, who wore black bands on their arms. The people were holding placards inscribed with the slogans against PTI, MPA Bangash and MNA Shehryar Afridi.

The protesters told the MPA that they were not ready to hear him as he had been ‘lying’ to them for two years.

They alleged that the lawmaker had announced gas, power supply and road projects, but work could not be started on them till date.

Moreover, they alleged that the MPA had fielded his relatives as independent candidates for the LG polls.

The protesters alleged that Rs700 million allocated for the repair and reconstruction of Kohat roads had not been accounted for.

A protester recalled that last month a mad dog bit eight people in the area, but the district administration didn’t help them in availing the treatment.

The protesters asked the MPA not to come again in the area for seeking votes, otherwise they would turn violent. The MPA was escorted to his car by the police when the people became more charged.

OUTLAWS ARRESTED: In a crackdown against wanted outlaws on Monday the police arrested 166 suspected criminals and their facilitators and destroyed three hideouts.

The police teams also seized huge quantity of arms, ammunition and hashish from the outlaws who had been declared as absconders by various courts.

The teams led by DPO Mohammad Sohaeb Ashraf raided different places on a tip-off and arrested the proclaimed offenders. Three hideouts of criminals were also demolished in Kardhand area.

The seizure included 14 Kalashnikovs, six kalakovs, 19 repeaters, 22 rifles, 32 pistols and 23 kilograms of hashish.

They were presented before the courts after registration of cases against them and were sent to prison on judicial remand.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2015

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