CHITRAL, Aug 27: Two girls committed suicide here on Tuesday, police said.

Chitral police spokesman Inspector Buzurguddin told Dawn here that Shehr-i-Tamseel of Shakarandur Booni, hanged herself to death inside her room after she failed to get good marks in the intermediate examinations.

He said in a similar incident, Neelum Said of Ghoru village committed suicide by jumping into Chitral River.

Her body was later retrieved from the water. The victim was studying at a school in Mastuj town in 8th class, he said.

The spokesman said the police were conducing inquiry into both the incidents to find the reasons behind the suicides.

Over 20 girls, including these two, have committed suicide during the current year, according to a local human rights activist.

WHEEL JAM STRIKE ANNOUNCED: A wheel jam strike will be held on September 1 throughout Chitral to protest authorities’ refusal to establish a 132KV grid station in the district to provide them electricity from the proposed 30MW Golen Gol hydropower project.

This was decided at a meeting of a power committee here on Tuesday.

The participants said that the strike would be peaceful and meant to give a strong message to the government that the people of Chitral would to go to any extent to get their right of electricity generated in the district.

The Golen Gol project is likely to be executed by 2014 end and electricity generated through it will be added to the national grid through the grid station situated in Timergara.

However, the people of Chitral have opposed the plan and formed the power committee comprising representatives of all the political parties and representatives of civil society to press the government to set up a 132KV grid station in the district for the power project.