Olson calls on governor

PESHAWAR, Feb 12: The US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson called on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Engr Shaukatullah at Governor House on Tuesday and discussed with him various issues concerning Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Mr Olson, who was also accompanied by the US Consul General at Peshawar Robert G Reed, discussed with the governor matters of mutual interest with special reference to the security situation in the region. The US ambassador welcomed the governor on assuming the office.

The governor said the law and order situation in Fata and the province was better than in the past and that there existed every hope that it will further improve, according to a press release.

The governor also thanked the US government and the people for their cooperation in supplementing the efforts for socio-economic uplift of the people of the province and Fata. He sought US intervention in education, communications and hydel power sectors.—Bureau Report

Devaluation of currency

PESHAWAR, Feb 12: Pakistan Tehik-i-Insaf has expressed concern over the devaluation of Pakistani currency, inflation and lawlessness.Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday the newly elected president of PTI, Peshawar chapter, Yaseen Khalil said corruption was rampant in every government department. He said the rulers had failed to overcome the problems facing the people.

He said the ‘flawed policies’ of the federal government resulted in inflation, joblessness, loadshedding of gas, electricity and worst law and order situation. “Doctors, aid workers, journalists and even common man have no security. Target and sectarian killings have exposed the poor performance of law enforcement agencies,” he added. He was flanked by PTI district general secretary Younis Zahir.

Mr Khalil said PTI provided a chance to workers to elect their representatives directly through ballot. On the occasion, he announced names of the newly elected presidents of different towns of Peshawar.—Bureau Report

ASWJ to contest polls

MANSEHRA, Feb 12: The Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat will field candidates for the lone national and three provincial assembly seats in Mansehra district in the coming general elections.

Maulana Rabnawaz, the district amir of the ASWJ, told reporters on Tuesday the decision to contest elections was taken to counter the secular parties in parliament. He said as per party’s decision he would contest the election from NA-20 and KP-56.

Mr Rabnawaz said Maulana Shamsur Rehman and Maulana Farooq would contest on KP-54 and KP-55 constituencies, respectively. He said the party’s ‘struggle for implementation of Shariah’ in the country would be taken to the parliament.—Correspondent

Blast damages college lab

MARDAN, Feb 12: An explosion damaged laboratory of the Government Postgraduate College Mardan, police said. They added an IED weighing two to three kilograms planted near the wall of the laboratory went off on the night between Monday and Tuesday, shattering windowpanes, doors and other items of the laboratory.

Officials of the city police station and Bomb Disposal Squad told media persons no one was hurt in the blast as nobody was present inside the building at the time of the blast. The police officials said they had arrested a suspect wandering near the college building soon after the blast. They said they had registered FIR against unidentified persons and started further investigation.—Correspondent

Literary society elections

TIMERGARA, Feb 12: New office-bearers for the Malakand Literary Society were elected during a function held at the University of Malakand (UoM).

Mansoor Ahmad was elected as president, Ms Gul Rukhsar and Mohammad Younus vice presidents, Mohammad Arifullah general secretary, Mohammad Ibrarullah and Syed Zaman press secretaries, Ubaid Hassan male PRO, Ms Shama Safi female PRO, Mohammad Shoaib and Sehresh Mehr joint secretaries and Samiul Haq finance secretary, respectively, according to a press release issued here on Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion, Samandar Khan Samandar congratulated the new office-bearers and urged them to involve youth and students of the Malakand University in positive and healthy activities through engaging them in literary activities.—Correspondent

Bajaur paramedics’ protest

KHAR, Feb 12: The paramedical staff in Bajaur Agency on Tuesday staged a protest in the agency headquarters hospital here against the WHO officials for allegedly manhandling one of their colleagues and detaining him. They threatened to boycott polio campaign in the agency if the two erring WHO officials were not transferred from the agency within two days.

The protest was addressed by office-bearers of all Bajaur paramedical association, including its chairman Gulam Hazrat. They said the WHO employees detained a local health worker in a fake case and misbehaved with him. “We will not accept any intervention of WHO officials in our activities,” they warned, saying that the WHO officials were only meant for carrying out anti-polio drives in the agency.—Correspondent

JI not to attend APC

PESHAWAR, Feb 12: The Jamaati-i-Islami will not attend the ANP-called all parities conference (APC) on terrorism, terming the proposed moot a political point scoring exercise when the government term was about to end.

Commenting on the statement of the Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain, provincial information secretary of JI Israrullah said to devise a policy on terrorism must be left to the future government.

He said subjecting peaceful protesters of Bara to baton charge and tear gas showed that the ANP government wanted to please the US at the cost of Pakhtuns. He asked why the ANP didn’t call the APC earlier.—Bureau Report

Clerks to stage sit-in

TIMERGARA, Feb 12: More than 300 clerks of Lower Dir will join a sit-in outside the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in Peshawar today (Wednesday) to protest delay in implementation of time-scale promotion policy.

Talking to journalists here on Tuesday president of All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA), Lower Dir, Mohammad Shaier Tajak and general secretary Mohammad Salim said more than 300 clerks from the district would leave Timergara for Peshawar early on Wednesday in a vehicular procession.

They said different organising committees had been formed in this regard. They said thousands of clerks would gather in Peshawar to press the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for approval of time scale promotion. The APCA leaders said the ANP-led provincial government had promised to approve time scale promotion for clerks working in government departments but it had been delaying the matter. They said clerks would offer strict resistance if they were stopped to attend the sit-in.—Correspondent