KOHAT: People here have demanded of the provincial government to launch Emergency Rescue Service 1122 in Kohat like other districts with well-equipped ambulances to be used in case of any untoward incident and for transporting the sick to hospitals in case of emergency.

They said that the hospital ambulances were not available to the people in the night and they had to rely on private ambulance service even in the emergencies of the two government hospitals which charge them heavily. The private ambulances lack experienced medical staff or machinery needed by sick people.

When contacted, district police officer Sohaib Ashraf said that the ambulance service was abandoned in Kohat due to security concerns in order to ensure security of the staff.

The Rescue 15 has no trained medical staff and day and night drivers to provide care to the sick people. There is also danger of kidnapping of the policemen in the night.

The DPO said that Kohat needed 1122 service to provide facilities to the people in emergency cases.

He clarified that it was not the job of police to provide such facilities and a separate department was needed for it.

UPLIFT SCHEMES: A development assessment meeting chaired by deputy commissioner Zahir Shah Mohmand was informed that the National Accountability Bureau had found no corruption in the development schemes in PK-37 constituency and shut down the inquiry.

The meeting reviewed progress on the work with 10 per cent royalty from the local oil and gas resources, production bonus, chief minister’s fund and district development initiative.

The NAB had launched an inquiry after allegations of funds misuse in PK-37 constituency of MPA Amjid Afridi. The MPA had already been expelled from PTI before launch of the investigations into the alleged corruption.

Meanwhile, the newly-appointed regional police officer, Kohat, Akhtar Hayat has stated that he expects the Kohat police to strive for protecting the lives and properties of people and enforce laws without any discrimination.

He also interacted with policemen at the police lines and ordered redressal of their issues.

ARRESTED: The police arrested 35 suspects, some of them for keeping unlicenced weapons, in an operation in Mohammadzai and Zawaki Banda on Saturday.

The police teams cordoned off the area and launched a house-to-house search and arrested 37 people who were shifted to the Cantonment police station for interrogation. Cases were filed against some people who were in possession of illegal arms. The police seized one small machine gun, two 12-bore repeaters and five pistols.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2016