TIMERGARA: After stiff resistance by the political parties and transporters the Lower Dir district administration has stopped operation against reassembled vehicles.

Talking to this scribe on Thursday, district nazim Mohammad Rasool Khan confirmed that operation against cut vehicles had been stopped after the district government took up the issue with the authorities concerned.

“I called on the provincial home secretary along with MPAs Aizazul Mulk and Saeed Gul and informed him of the situation and its impact on the livelihood of the people of the district,” he said, adding that he had also discussed the matter with commandant Dir Task Force Col Khalid Mahmood.

He said that earlier three provincial ministers hailing from Malakand division, including Muzaffar Said, Inayat Khan and Habibur Rehman, also met the general officer commanding, Malakand division, Maj-Gen Ali Amir Awan and informed him of the people’s difficulties following operation against reassembled vehicles.

Transporters and dealers of reassembled vehicles in Lower Dir have welcomed the decision to stop the operation.

GRADE-9 PAPER: The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), Malakand, chairman Prof Shaukat Ali on Thursday said that the board had taken notice of misprints and mistakes in the mathematics paper for grade-9 and action would be taken against the officials responsible for the negligence.

Talking to Dawn by phone, Prof Ali said that mathematics paper for grade-9 had been prepared by controller BISE, Swat, adding that a three-member committee of subject experts had been constituted to probe into the matter within three days. “The future of students wouldn’t be compromised at any cost,” he said.

The question number 2, 4, 5 and 9 of the mathematics paper for grade-9 had some essential letters and figures missing that spread confusion among students on Wednesday (March 22). Prof Ali hinted at holding the mathematics paper again in case the probe committee suggested so.

COUNCIL SECRETARIES: The All Lower Dir Union Council Secretaries Association on Thursday demanded of Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to honour his pledge regarding secretaries’ upgradation that he had made during a convention of LG representatives at Qayyum Stadium, Peshawar, last year. The demand was made at a meeting held at Balambat here with the association’s Lower Dir president Salahuddin Khan in the chair.

Speaking on the occasion, Salahuddin Khan said that UC secretaries were appointed and retired in the same grade. He reminded the chief minister that he had announced promotion of UC secretaries, but despite a lapse of one year notification in this regard was yet to be issued.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2017