KOHAT: District nazim Maulana Niaz Mohammad has said that the claim of transferring all powers to grassroots level by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan has proved hollow as they have not been issued a penny during the last one year or so.

Speaking at a ceremony of inauguration of the office of the village council in Alizai here on Sunday, he said that the provincial government was misleading the PTI chief on the issue.

“We have no money to start work on a single development scheme and the people are angry with us. Even we take tea from our own pocket during the session of the district council. We are also not aware of our powers,” he complained.

Terms Imran’s claim of devolution hollow

The function was also attended by tehsil nazim Taimoor Khan, former provincial minister Qalbe Hassan, district councillor Mehtabul Hassan and others.

Addressing the gathering, Mehtabul Hassan said that the government had failed to fulfil its promise about the functioning of local governments, saying that several schemes like construction of government girls degree college in Ustarzai, higher secondary schools and water hand pumps approved during the previous government had not been started.

HASHISH SEIZED: The police recovered over 437 kilogrammes of hashish from an oil tanker near Gulshanabad police station on Peshawar bypass road on Sunday.

A car, which escorted the oil tanker and was driven by the owner of the consignment, managed to escape despite firing by the police near KDA Town, acting district police officer Sanaullah told mediapersons at a press conference.

Sanaullah said during the briefing that acting on information a police party was constituted which signalled the oil tanker (Balochistan LWC-316) to stop, but instead the driver sped it away. The oil tanker was intercepted after a long chase.

Upon search, the police recovered 437 kilogrammes of hashish from the oil tanker and arrested its driver Akbar Khan, a resident of Lakki Marwat. The detained driver during preliminary interrogation claimed that the consignment was owned by Haji Gulab of Pishtakhara, Peshawar, and Gul Zali Khan of Lakki Marwat, who escaped in the car.

The Junglekhel police station has registered the case.

Meanwhile, three people were killed and five pedestrians injured in different incidents here on Sunday.

In the first incident, Abdul Ali and his friend Noor Mohammad were going to Kohat city from Mohammadzai village when they were allegedly ambushed by their enemies near old Tableeghi Markaz on Hangu road. Abdul Ali died on the spot and Noor Mohammad on way to hospital.

Shehzad Ali, father of Abdul Ali, lodged the case with police, saying that Mehrab Din and Lal Badshah killed his son and his friend on the instigation of one Nazeer Jan Bibi.

In another incident, one Mohammad Yaqub was shot dead and five passers-by were injured on Kohat-Rawalpindi road. The police registered the case on the complaint of Aslam Khan, brother of Mr Yaqub, against Manzoor Khan and his brother Saifoor Khan.

The injured passers-by were admitted to the KDA hospital.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2016