SWABI: A local jirga on Sunday demanded of the Frontier Works Organisation to immediately vacate the Razaar tehsil building. The jirga was also attended by leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Awami National Party, Qaumi Watan Party, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, Jamaat-i-Islami and various pressure groups.

Presided over by Faiz Mohammad Kaka of Shewa, the meeting noted that any further delay in vacating the tehsil building would create unrest among the people.

They said the work on the building was started in 2010 when the Razaar region was upgraded to the tehsil level by then ANP government. The building was completed in 2016 and soon it was given to FWO and contractors when construction work on the Swat Motorway was started during the previous PTI government.

The jirga members said the tehsil council held its sessions in the old municipal committee building in Karnal Sher Kili because there was no other venue for the purpose. Similarly, they said the tehsil nazim sat in a dilapidated office and the entire activities of the council remained disrupted.

“The judiciary could not commence work because the court offices have also been in the possession of FWO,” said Faiz Mohammad. Mohammad Ishfaq, an ANP leader, said the Peshawar High Court should take notice of the issue and immediately get the building vacated.

Liaqat Yousafzai, social activist, who convened the jirga, said the next meeting of the jirga would be held on Sept 30 and more unions and political parties would be invited to attend the meeting. “We may approach the Peshawar High Court in this connection,” he said.

BY-ELECTION: ANP parliamentary leader in KP Assembly Sardar Hussain Babak has said the by-election on PK-44, Swabi-II, is a test case for all political parties to defeat the PTI candidate.

Ghulam Hassan, ANP candidate for the seat, enj ys the support of all other major political parties against PTI’s Aqibullah Khan, brother of NA Speaker Asad Qaisar.

Addressing a meeting on Sunday, he said leaders and workers of ANP along with other parties should work hard to ensure victory of Ghulam Husain on Oct 14.

He said the PTI government had failed to take any step for people’s welfare except imposing massive taxes and increasing gas prices.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2018