TIMERGARA: Jamaat-i-Islami chief and Senator Sirajul Haq on Thursday said the federal government shouldn’t forcibly repatriate Afghan refugees until their country had lasting peace.

“Afghans have been staying in Pakistan for years in line with an international treaty. If we forcibly send them back, we’ll be losing the fruit of our hospitality of 35 years,” he said.

He was speaking to different delegates of the party and reporters during a visit to Samar Bagh area here.

The JI chief said Pakistan should have closer ties with neighbours and that sincere efforts should be made to bring peace in Afghanistan.

He demanded inclusion of all districts of Malakand division in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project and said the people of Malakand had rendered matchless sacrifices for the country and therefore, the government should make its areas part of the corridor.

Mr. Siraj said the government should consider Chitral Highway as an alternate route of the CPEC.

He said his party would never stand any injustice meted out to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the CPEC project.

The JI chief said the government should include poverty-stricken areas of the country in the project for their better economic growth.

DHQ HOSPITAL: Lower Dir deputy commissioner Irfanullah Wazir on Thursday cancelled the contract for District Headquarters Hosp-ital Timergara’s canteen over sale of substandard meals.

The development came during a surprise visit of the DC to the hospital along with AC Mohammad Ayaz Mohmand. The DC met patients and asked them about their treatment.

He expressed annoyance over poor cleanliness in and outside wards and asked the administration to ensure proper sanitation on the premises and make the drug addict ward functional within a week. The DC announced the construction of a separate waiting room for women in the hospital.

FOREIGN NOTES SEIZED: The Federal Investigation Agency on Thursday raided several markets here and seized foreign currency valuing millions of rupees.

The raids were led by FIA sub-inspector Mohammad Naseer and Timergara SHO Mohammad Naeem.

The FIA also arrested Asfandyar and Gul Naseeb for possessing foreign currency without official permission and shifted them to an undisclosed location in Peshawar for investigation.

MISSING TEACHER: A resident of Nawagai Rabat area has complained about the mysterious disappearance of his 36-year-old son for more than two weeks.

Sheikh Rehmatullah told reporters here that his son, Khizar Hayat, 36, a teacher at the Government Primary School, Ghuzano Banda, had been missing since Aug 13.

He said he had filed a complaint with the Khall Lower Dir police about the disappearance of his son, but to no avail. The citizen demanded that the relevant administration help him trace son.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2016