MANSEHRA: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader and former MPA Sardar Zahoor on Monday warned that his party would stage street protests in case of any delay in the acquisition of land for a graveyard in Mansehra.

“Former premier Nawaz Sharif had transferred Rs200 million for the acquisition of land for a graveyard almost two years ago but despite the imposition of Section IV for the Land Acquisition Act, the PTI government in the province has begun creating hurdles to it,” Mr Zahoor told reporters here on Monday.

The PML-N leader said the district administration had completed legal formalities and imposed Section IV of the Land Acquisition Act during the last PTI government when he was MPA but the matter hadn’t seen any progress due to the unjustified interference of the PTI’s provincial government.

“There is an acute shortage of space in the existing cemeteries of Mansehra city and its outskirts but the government is not sincere about addressing it despite having sufficient funds,” he said.

Mr Zahoor said things were equally disappointing about development projects as Rs130 million funds meant for development schemes in the district had lapsed despite the issuance of work orders.

Meanwhile, senior superintendent of police Arif Javed has asked investigation staff and officers of the police to follow modern means of investigation with utmost honesty to ensure punishment of outlaws.

“If your investigation is based on truth and modern lines, I am sure that criminals can’t escape punishment,” Mr. Javed told the ‘monthly crime meeting’ of investigation staff and deputy superintendents of police from the district here on Monday.

The SSP said the police were working independently and that he would take strict action on complaints against police’s investigation staff in the district.

“Investigators should discharge duty purely on merit and with utmost honesty otherwise they will be taken to task under the relevant laws,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2019