MANSEHRA: The only transgender person contesting the provincial assembly elections here has advocated education.

“Education promises prosperity and development and therefore, I’ve focused my attention on its advocacy in my election campaign,” PK-31 independent candidate Maria Khan told reporters here on Saturday.

She had launched a door-to-door campaign after the PK-31 returning officer cleared her documents for the July 25 elections.

Maria Khan said if the people elected her as MPA, she would strive to deliver the goods.

Maria Khan contesting election in PK-31, Mansehra, independently

She said all segments of society and both men and women supported her in the election campaign.

“I will address members of the district bar association on Tuesday to get the support of lawyers in election,” she said.

The transgender person criticised the successive governments for failing to develop the people and said she would go all-out for the people’s development.

She said after winning elections, she would set up an old age home for members of her community.

KKH BLOCKADE THREATENED: The people have warned that they will block the Karakoram Highway today (Sunday) if the Wapda doesn’t restore electric supply to Lower and Upper Kohistan and Kolai-Palas districts.

The electric supply to Lower Kohistan, Kolai-Palas and parts of Upper Kohistan was suspended on Friday morning after the 33KV grid station in Pattan developed a fault.

A group of local residents met Lower Kohistan deputy commissioner Khuda Buksh and warned that the people would block the KKH if electric power was not restored to their region by Saturday night. The DC assured them of early resumption of electric supply.

“We have no electricity for 24 hours but the Wapda is not taking this issue seriously,” resident Maulana Kareemdad told reporters.

He said if the problem wasn’t restored, the people would take to the streets on Sunday,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2018