KOHAT: The administration has established 45 joint checkposts manned by the police, Frontier Constabulary and volunteers along the porous Orakzai border due to the danger of infiltration of terrorists from Orakzai Agency into Kohat during Muharram.

Officials said that two each policemen and FC personnel and six Shia volunteers were guarding the checkposts.

They said that on the request of Shia elders to allow the community members to participate in the mourners’ meetings and processions in Kohat the long belt had not been sealed.

Police, FC and volunteers man these checkposts

The tribesmen could travel subject to checking at these points.

Also, a peace jirga held between the religious sects in the predominantly Shia area near Hangu Road on Saturday stressed harmony and brotherhood to ensure peace during Muharram.

The elders decided to cooperate with the administration and hold processions and public meetings according to the police protocol.

The jirga sponsored by Ittefaq Welfare Organisation was attended by Ustrazai reconciliatory council chairman Manzar Hussain, SHO Gul Janan, Maulana Khalid, Maunlana Abdullah, Khaksar Ali, Amanullah Khan, Inayat Ali and Esar Bangash.

Meanwhile, the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat agreed to the frisking by non-local Shia volunteer force on the routes towards imambargahs where police will perform security duty.

The Shia representatives had recommended deployment of their own trained guards for the safety of the mourning sermons and processions in Kohat.

As the number of Shia community was nominal in three imambargahs in the city, the volunteer force has been summoned from Hangu Road area and Orakzai Agency.

Even the cardholders of police and the people who had homes near the imambargahs would be subject to checking while moving between bazaars.

ELECTION BOYCOTT: The president of Private Educational Association Kohat (Peak) and member of provincial Private Schools Regulatory Authority (PSRA) for southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rab Nawaz, has announced boycott of the elections for PSRA scheduled for Oct 3.

In a statement issued here on Saturday, he said that all the four members of PSRA from KP would file an appeal for issuance of stay order before the Peshawar High Court in next few days to increase the number of private members in PSRA from four to eight like the government members.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2017