TIMERGARA: The Lower Dir chapter of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Sunday demanded of the Election Commission of Pakistan to appoint polling staff on merit for the upcoming general election.

The demand was made during a consultative meeting, which was held at a local hotel and attended by the party office-bearers and activists. Former NA candidate Bashir Khan, Fazal Wahab and party’s Saudi Arabia region president Abdul Qayyum spoke on the occasion.

They said that the district organisation and workers would support party candidates at any cost. They claimed that PTI would win all the seats in Dir in the next election. They alleged that ECP was appointing teachers affiliated with political parties and demanded appointment of impartial persons as polling officers.

KILLED: A woman identified as wife of Ziarat Khan was killed while another woman and her two children were injured when roof of their mud house collapsed in Ouch Sharqi village here on Sunday.

Residents said that the house collapsed due to recent torrential rains.

The injured were referred by local doctors to Peshawar.

SECURITY WITHDRAWN: Qaumi Watan Party, Lower Dir, president Aman Khan said on Sunday that the district administration had withdrawn security from MPA Bakht Baidar who had been facing serious threats to his life.

Talking to mediapersons here, he said that one of Mr Baidar’s brothers, Ishaq Khan, and six party workers were killed in an attack on his hujra in 2014.

He said that after withdrawal of security Mr Baidar would not be able to move freely in the district.

The Lower Dir administration, in the light of Supreme Court directives, also withdrew 88 police officials and as many Dir Levies personnel on security duty with politicians and other influential people in the district.

According to official sources, all the withdrawn police officials and Dir Levies personnel had reported to the Timergara police lines and the DC office, respectively.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2018