MANSEHRA: A non-governmental organisation has announced to provide parents and teachers with a platform to promote education, particularly of girls, in the remote and backward Kohistan district of Hazara division.

This was stated by Hafizur Rehman, coordinator of Alif Alan, an education project, while speaking at a seminar in Kohistan on Friday.

“It is unfortunate that neither parents nor teachers are sincere in promoting education, resultantly people of the district are deprived of their basic rights and prosperity,” said Mr Rehman.

The seminar was held at government high school in Seu area of the district.

He urged parents and teachers to play their due role in promoting education in the district.

District education officer Mohammad Tanveer Khan, sub-divisional education officer Khursheed Khan, parents, students and teachers also spoke on the occasion.

Mr Rehman said that Alif Alan would provide a platform both to parents and teachers in the district to sit together every week and pinpoint the issues and find solution to them for educating girls and boys without any discrimination.

“If we want to increase our literacy rate in both sexes then we should take education as a serious task as our future lies in the hands of our offspring,” he said.

GRAFFITI REMOVED: The police on Friday launched efforts to arrest those involved in graffiti on the wall of a bus stand on the Karakoram Highway, praising militant group Islamic State’s chief Abu Bakar Baghdadi.

“We are investigating to reach those behind the wall chalking of IS and its leader Abu Bakr Baghdadi,” said Zulfiqar Khan Jadoon, deputy superintendent of police, while talking to media men here.

The graffiti appeared on the wall of a passenger waiting shed next to the Ashoka rock inscriptions near a police post on the highway. The graffiti was removed by the personnel of law enforcement agencies.

According to sources, the walk chalking had apparently taken place two days ago, most probably during night.

“The counterterrorism department has launched investigation to arrest those behind the wall chalking,” said Mr Jadoon.

EXTORTIONIST ARRESTED: Mansehra police claimed on Friday to have arrested an extortionist who extorted a trader on gunpoint.

A police party led by deputy superintendent of police Zulfiqar Jadoon arrested Mohammad Javed alias Javeda from Lari Adda area.

Tahir Ali, the trader at Shinkiari road, in the FIR stated that the extortionist came to his shop and demanded on gunpoint the extortion money threatening to kill him if he wasn’t paid the money.

Meanwhile, in another incident eight people three of them women were injured when rival groups clashed in Behdadi area of Shinkiari on Friday.

The injured were taken to King Abdullah Hospital, from where three of the critically injured were referred to Ayub Medical Complex in Abbottabad.

Published in Dawn February 14th , 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play