KOHAT: Angry people from Kohat, Parachinar and Orakzai Agency on Sunday staged a demonstration at Kacha Pakha area on Hangu road to record their protest against the killing of pilgrims in Taftan border area of Balochistan last week.

The protest organised by Ansarul Muslimeen was taken out from Ustarzai, which turned into a public meeting at Kacha Pakha. Shia community members from Parachinar, Orakzai Agency and Kohat participated in the protest which continued from 9:00am to 1:00pm in the scorching heat. The Kohat-Hangu highway remained closed to traffic during the protest.

Allama Raza Taufeeq, Allama Qaiser Abbas and Allama Shah Raza feared that the already tense sectarian situation in the country could snowball and reach the tribal area where skirmishes were still continuing. They said that Orakzai and Kurram agencies were being targeted by elements who were striking the state institutions from Waziristan.

A participant, Anwar Bangash, said that earlier only Hazara community was being targeted, but now the miscreants had killed people from Kohat and Orakzai Agency. He demanded action against those attacking pilgrims.

FM RADIO: On the occasion of ninth anniversary of FM-93 Radio in Kohat, the local people demanded increase in the timings of transmission from 10pm to midnight. The anniversary was celebrated by senior citizens, students, intellectuals and people from other walks of life.

It was attended by former MNA from Darra Adamkhel Baz Gul Afridi, poets Shahid Zaman, Shujaat Rahi and Aslam Faizi, former MNA Khursheed Begum and others. Hamayun Chacha awarded student Maryam Hussain and station director Zahir Shah Afridi of Radio Kohat.

The function was chaired by MPA Ziaullah Bangash who said that the radio programmes aired from Kohat were popular among people living in rural areas. He also provided a generator to the Radio Pakistan FM-93.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2014