MINGORA: A huge fire which erupted in the forests in Anakar valley of Kalam on Tuesday night is still raging as local residents are struggling to put it out on their own.

The locals said the fire erupted in Anakar valley forests, about five kilometres from Kalam Bazaar. They complained the forest department officials reached the site too late despite having been informed immediately.

They said the fire had so far burnt many precious cedar trees in the forest, adding it could not be known what caused the blaze. However, some locals suspected timber mafia’s involvement in setting the forest on fire.

A social activist, Hayat Mohammad Kalami, told Dawn that the fire had destroyed hundreds of cedar trees. He said the forest department was also helpless in controlling the flame.

The local residents appealed to the provincial government to take immediate steps to control the fire.

When contacted, Alam Khan, an official at the forest office in Bahrain, said the fire erupted at forest compartment 43 in Kalam, adding they had controlled the blaze to a great extent.

ARREST OF STUDENT’S KILLERS DEMANDED: Family and residents of Ningolai village demonstrated here on Wednesday, demanding arrest of the killers of a medical student, who was shot dead by robbers in Peshawar early this month.

They condemned the inaction of the Peshawar police in ensuring early arrest of the culprits.

The protest was led by a local social welfare society and Islahi Committee Kanju.

The protesters said robbers tried to snatch mobile phone from Wajid Ali Khan, a final year student of Kabir Medical College, Peshawar, on the Canal Road at night on Nov 5, but when he put up resistance he was shot dead.

“But despite passage of 10 days since the incident, the police could not arrest the culprits. The family of Ali is in deep shock but no elected representative from the area has bothered to contact them,” said Syed Inamur Rehman, head of the Islahi committee.

The protesters demanded of the police chief of the capital city and corps commander Peshawar to ensure early arrest of the culprits. They also demanded of the provincial government to give compensation to the bereaved family.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2017