KOHAT: The All Kohat Tajir Ittehad has assailed the tehsil council for increasing the problems of the business community during last four years by imposing several taxes and licence fees.

But, it regretted that no one was serious in removing encroachments, uprooting power and PTCL pylons from the middle of the bazaars, controlling excessive commercial gas loadshedding and ensuring cleanliness.

Talking to journalists here on Monday, the association’s secretary general Haji Saifullah Khan Bangash said the officials of Halal food authority, district food controller, district administration and tehsil municipal administration were frequently conducting raids in the markets, thus seriously affecting the business environment.

He regretted that there were instances when a businessman had been fined three times a day which was grave injustice with them.

He said the tehsil council had multiplied their problems by imposing loading unloading tax which had been abolished by the courts. He also criticised the water supply and sanitation company for poor performance as its employees cleaned the streets and bazaars and put the dirt onto the drains which were choked.

OPEN FORUM: The people have demanded constitution of peace committees and strengthening of public liaison councils to curb crime and maintain law and order as the police have failed to do so.

They made the demand at open kutcheries held in Tappi and Khwasi Banda areas which were addressed by SP operations Silahuddin Kundi to keep himself abreast with the people’s problems. Local bodies’ members, elders and large number of people attended the forums.

The people pointed out that gambling, firing in the air, drug sale and other criminal activities had become rampant due to absence of effective patrolling. They said the police should coordinate with the elders before taking any action. They demanded increase in police force at police stations.

SP Kundi assured them that their problems would be resolved on a priority basis.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2019