KOHAT: Dengue emergency has been declared in Lachi tehsil, after 43 cases were confirmed positive in the subdivision.

The Lachi tehsil had been centre of dengue fever for last many years and it had witnessed more than 150 cases in 2017.

An emergency meeting of the Lachi administration was held to cope with the increasing cases of dengue and stop its spread.

MPA Shahdad Khan, who presided over the meeting, directed that the TMA should ensure door-to-door and across-the-city fumigation as a precautionary measure.

He stressed that an awareness campaign should also be launched besides allotment of a separate ward in hospitals for dengue patients.

SHOPKEEPERS FINED: The district administration fined 27 shopkeepers for profiteering and encroachments and removed extended portions of some shops on Friday.

Assistant commissioner-I Tahir Ali visited Jinnah Plaza, College Town, and Bannu Road and checked bakeries, hotels, restaurants, general stores, dairy outlets, and fined 12 shopkeepers for violating the relevant laws.

Additional assistant commissioner-III Murad Hoti conducted sudden raids in chicken market and Mian Khel bazaar, and fined 15 shopkeepers for price hike and encroachments.

Later, he visited the revenue offices of Garhi Mawaz Khan, Mian Khel, Mir Ahmed Khel and directed the patwaris to wind up the pending cases at the earliest.

MOURNING PROCESSION: A combined mourning procession of 47 imambargahs was held on Hangu highwayin the Bangash belt attended by mourners from Kohat, Hangu, Orakzai, and Kurram districts on Friday.

Addressing the traditional 13th Muharram meeting at Mitha Khan provincial president of Shia Ulema CouncilAllama Hameed Hussain Nizami said they could achieve the worldly and doomsday benefits by following in the footsteps of the grandson of Muhammad (SAW).

The congregation was held amid tight security with helicopters monitoring the procession overhead.

IMMUNISATION DRIVE: A 12-day special expanded programme for immunisation has been launched in the Kohat division for vaccination of children against deadly diseases.

EPI director Dr Mohammad Saleem, in a statement said, however, that the programme would be started in Orakzai and Kurram districts from Sept 22. He said the children would be vaccinated against TB, polio, pneumonia, measles, hepatitis, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), meningitis fever, spasm, and diarrhea

He said the vaccinators and WHO staff would make efforts to immunise the children, especially newborns, who skipped the initial course.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2019