MANSEHRA: The government has decided to reallot forests to tribesmen in Torghar district.

“All formalities for the reallotment of forests to tribesmen have been finalised and the provincial cabinet will finally approve them in its meeting next week,” political adviser to the chief minister and MPA Zargul Khan told reporters here on Wednesday.

The adviser said the forests spread over thousands of acres of land in Torghar would be given back to five main tribes of the district, including Bassikhel, Nusratkhel, Madakhel, Akazai and Hassanzai.

He said the forests were the property of tribes before Torghar was given the status of a settled district in 2012.

Mr Zargul said the ANP government had ‘snatched’ forests from tribesmen, who had been agitating against it since then and the current PTI would return forests to them without delay.

HOUSES GUTTED: Seven houses were gutted in a big fire here on Wednesday evening.

Though no damage to the public life was reported in the incident, a firefighter suffered serious injuries after falling from a rooftop.

The Nari Mohallah fire reportedly caused by electric short circuit first engulfed a house and then spread to others panicking the people.

The fire tenders showed up shortly after the fire broke out and prevented the fire from spreading.

A firefighter fell from a rooftop suffering serious injuries and was shifted to the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital.

POLICEMEN SACKED: District police officer Shahzad Nadeem Bukhari on Wednesday terminated the services of five local policemen over links with outlaws and drug pushers.

Also in the day, the provincial police chief ordered the transfer and posting of three police officers here.

Mansehra superintendent of police (investigation) Gul Zarin Khan was transferred and posted as Karakoram Patrol Police Force SP in Battagram, acting SP of the Karakoram Patrol Police Force, Battagram, Mohammad Suleman as the acting SP (investigation) in Mansehra and Peshawar DSP (security) Tahirur Rehman as the acting SP (investigation) in Upper Kohistan.

TERROR SUSPECT HELD: The counter-terrorism department has arrested a man suspected of being involved in the 2010 attack on the US charity, World Vision, in Doghai area of Mansehra district.

The seven staff members of the charity, including two women, were killed in the attack.

The CTD officials said Nazar Shah alias Ahsanullah, who belonged to Mustoj area in Chitral district, was an active member of a banned outfit and that he had been shifted to an undisclosed location in Hazara division for interrogation.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2018