KOHAT: The deputy commissioner of Kohat has ordered the lifting of restriction on the movement of Afghan refugees outside their camps.

The development comes in light of the orders of state minister for interior Shehryar Afridi. The ban was imposed on March 1 for 10 days in light of the Indo-Pak border tensions.

Eighty-four Afghan nationals held under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code were allowed to carry on their businesses in the city and outskirts.

An official statement issued here said the state minister for interior took serious note of the ban on the entry of Afghan businessmen to the city and ordered its immediate lifting.

Meanwhile, the minister visited the house of lawyer Asif Hussain, who was killed by gunmen on Friday, and condoled with the family. He promised the early arrest of killers.

UPROAR: Turbulence was witnessed during the elections for the Awami National Party’s Kohat chapter office-bearers here on Monday.

A group boycotted elections by rejecting the nomination of ‘non-ideological’ members. Secretary of the election commission Masoodur Rehman Khalil refused to conduct the electoral exercise declaring it bogus. He claimed that from the beginning, a powerful group participating in the elections denied him the relevant records.

“I called ANP central secretary general Iftikhar Hussain in Peshawar and informed him about grievances, but to no avail,” Masood told Dawn.

ANP leader Arshad Khan shouted slogans against election committee chairman and parliamentary leader of the party in the provincial assembly Sardar Hussain Babak saying the alleged election irregularities were ignored by him.

Alleging the polling of bogus votes, he demanded fresh elections under the supervision of a neutral committee.

Javed Khattak from Karak was elected the ANP president by getting 24 votes against Moeen Shah, who bagged four votes, while Rasheed Sadaat, Tahir Shiwnari and Said Mohammad were elected secretary general, vice-president and senior vice-president respectively unopposed.

HELD: The police on Monday arrested a proclaimed offender wanted in several murder cases here and seized a Kalashnikov with two chargers. The arrest of Asim was made during a raid on his hideout in Khelon Jungle area.

Also, the police held gamblers in Jhandi Station area and seized Rs165,000 cash put at stake.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2019