KOHAT: A session of the Kohat tehsil council on Tuesday was marred as the opposition leader and the convener exchanged hot words during the debate on the policy about award of annual contracts of cattle markets.

Opposition leader Abdur Rehman tore the copy of the agenda and later staged a walkout along with his members against the attitude of the convener and the treasury to the tehsil nazim.

Speaking on the agenda regarding auction of cattle markets, tehsil nazim Mailik Taimoor said this year the contract had been awarded through e-bidding as per the policy of the provincial and federal governments. He said under the rules the contractor who gave bid 20 per cent higher than the last year’s was given the contract for Rs19.2 million. Last year, the same contract went for Rs16 million.

Opposition stages walkout over award of cattle market contract

He said the tehsil government had sent the contract to the provincial government which advertised it and after receiving e-bidding awarded the contract. He said the tehsil government only checked the licence and the call deposit of the short-listed contractor, so there was no room for corruption or commission.

However, the opposition leader demanded award of the contract through the relevant department, which made the convener Shahid Mehmood angry because it was against the rules.

The opposition leader insisted that the e-bidding was unfair because only one contractor was short-listed.

The convener told him that the short-listed candidate was the highest bidder.

SUSPECTS ARRESTED: The Lachi police arrested 38 suspects from around the PAF firing range and seized weapons from them.

The operation was carried out by the police and elite force personnel on the information of civil intelligence agencies.

The action was conducted in Mahmandi and Khadar Khel areas on the houses of proclaimed offenders and criminals. The seizure included three Kalashnikovs, two rifles, three shotguns, six pistols, 16 chargers and huge number of cartridges.

PRIVATE JIRGAS BANNED: District police officer Wahid Mehmood has banned private jirgas being called by the criminals in a bid to mint money from the rival parties to settle disputes.

He warned that holding of private jirgas should immediately be stopped as it was illegal.

He advised the people to take advantage of the dispute resolution council established to resolve their disputes in minimum time.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2019