UPPER DIR, Sept 9: Army has secured the western borders of the country by thwarting the nefarious designs of terrorists, says Maj-Gen Sanaullah Niazi.

He said that terrorists wouldn’t be allowed to disturb peace of the area. Militants wanted to disturb peace of the region as proxies of some forces, he added.

Maj-Gen Sanaullah, who commands security forces in Malakand division, visited Dir to inaugurate Jashn-i-Kumrat, a sports festival, the other day.

The festival, which couldn’t be held for several years owing to security problems in Malakand division, would continue for 10 days and nights.

Maj-Gen Sanaullah told the participants of inaugural ceremony that the sports festival would promote peace and tourism in the district.

He said that people of Upper Dir not only cooperated with security forces but also fought militants bravely. Every citizen wanted peace as development was not possible without it, he said.

A huge number of people thronged Dir Stadium as more than 3,000 players, participating in different games, marched past the stage. A spectacular show of firework illuminated the sky as people cheered and clapped. The tournaments of cricket, basketball, volleyball, football, badminton, snooker, tug-of-war and table tennis tournaments are part of Jashn-i-Kumrat.

Former minister Najmuddin Khan, the organiser of the festival, said on the occasion that teams from different regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan were participating in the festival. He said that the festival would promote healthy activities and tourism in the district.

Deputy Commissioner Abid Khan Wazir and MNA Sahibzada Tariqullah also spoke on the occasion.

PROTEST: The students of government primary school for girls in Jabaluk blocked the main Dir-Peshawar Road for two hours to protest absenteeism of their teachers.

Chanting slogans against the district education office and district administration, the students said that the school had two teachers but none of them was performing duty.

Accompanied by their parents, the students alleged that one of the teachers had not been performing duty for the last five months and the other for one year. They said that students came to school without getting education.

Shah Zameen, father of one of the students, said they had brought the issue into the notice of the district education department but it failed to take any action against the absentee teachers.

“Inaction by authorities has forced the girls to come on the road and protest against absence of teachers,” Mr Zameen said. The students demanded immediate posting of teachers at the school.