TIMERGARA: Workers of different political parties on Sunday blocked the Timergara-Dir Road against the proposed shifting of Government Commerce College for Women, Rani, to Thana area of Malakand district.

The protesters threatened to stage a sit-in outside the Chief Minister House at Matta Swat if the decision was not withdrawn within a week.

Addressing the rally, PPP former MPA Mohammad Zamin Khan, JI’s Shad Mohammad Khan, district bar president Jehan Bahadar Advocate, former tehsil councillor Saifullah and others said the people of Lower Dir would not let the government shift the college from the district.

They said the college was sanctioned by the then coalition government of PPP and ANP. They said the women of Dir deserved to have a commerce college in their area.

The speakers criticised the chief minister for shifting development projects from one area to another.

Meanwhile, PTI MPA Azam Khan told journalists that the building of the commerce college at Rani was to be utilised for the proposed Timergara Medical College which was approved by the previous PTI government.

He said the PTI lawmakers won’t allow the government to shift the commerce college elsewhere. The MPA said he would soon talk to the chief minister on the matter.

ANP TO PARTICIPATE IN AZADI MARCH: ANP, Lower Dir chapter on Sunday announced to fully support the JUI-F’s Azadi March, and also stage a joint protest rally at Timergara on Oct 27 to express solidarity with the Kashmiris.

The announcement was made at a meeting of the party’s general council at Balambat chaired by district president Haji Bahadar Khan. JUI-F activists Qazi Ayazuddin and Khurshid Khan were also in attendance.

MPA Bahadar Khan, general secretary Malik Mohammad Zeb and others said the ANP workers wearing red caps and carrying party flags would join the JUI-F protest march. They said it was the right time to rid the nation of the inefficient government.

QURAN CLASSES: The seven-day Fahm-i-Quran classes organised by the Lower Dir chapter of Jamaat-i-Islami concluded at the Timergara Rest House ground on Sunday.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief khateeb and prominent religious scholar Maulana Ismail conducted the classes.

Addressing the concluding session, Maulana Ismail said women played vital role in nurturing the new generation and asked the participants to focus on Islamic education of women so they could bring up their children according to the teachings of Islam.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2019