MANSEHRA: The residents of Baffa, a historic town in Mansehra district, have constituted a jirga to curb the menace of narcotics by force in the area.

“Our school going children are at the mercy of drug peddlers. We warn the narcotics peddlers to shut their illegal business or get ready to face us,” Niaz Khan Sarkhali, PTI district secretary general, told the maiden meeting of the jirga on Sunday.

People from different walks of life including ulema, traders and local government representatives attended the jirga in a large number. The jirga set one-week deadline for the drug peddlers to windup their businesses otherwise it would forcibly restrict them to do so.

“Baffa town, which was once the centre of traditional games and other cultural activities, has lost its glory. It is under the domain of drug peddlers but now we are exhausted and would not allow them to continue this illegal business in our historic town at any cost,” said Mr Sarkhali.

Set one-week deadline for closure of illegal business in the area

Aslam Khan Baffa, a district councillor, said that members of village and neighbourhood councils would keep vigil on activities of anti-social elements and jirga members would take action against such elements.

“We would first summon drug peddles to local mosques and advise them to leave their unhealthy activities. If they choose the right path, they would be allowed to live there otherwise they would be handed over to police and expelled from the town,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Maulana Saeed Ahmad said that standing firm against evils was a great jihad. The formation of jirga to curb the menace of narcotics was a great step, he added.

COURT: A local court has dismissed a petition moved by director administration of Hazara University for lodging FIR against police high-ups and district administration under Section 22-A of Criminal Procedure Code.

The court presided by Additional Sessions Judge Sumera Wali dismissed the petition moved by Shareen Zaman, the director administration of the university against Hazara DIG, DPO and deputy commissioner over allegedly torturing students and highhandedness of police with the vice-chancellor and registrar following killing of students by another at a snooker club outside the university. The court in its short order said that dispersing students, creating law and order situation, was not a cognisable offense therefore the petition was dismissed.

The university was closed down after the killing of its two students last month.

Published in Dawn December 19th, 2016