LAKKI MARWAT: The district administration retrieved over 889-kanals tract of land of graveyards in Abakhel union council during anti-encroachment operation on Tuesday.

The employees of tehsil municipal administration, local government and revenue department took part in the operation. A contingent of police was also present to avert any resistance by the land grabbers.

The local elders had complained about occupation of graveyards’ land by people during a khuli kutchery convened by Deputy Commissioner Jehangir Azam Wazir over a month ago.

Mr Wazir had directed the revenue officials to demarcate the graveyards’ land and initiate action against illegal occupants after fulfilling legal formalities.

The land grabbers had grown wheat and gram crops on the illegally occupied land that were destroyed with the help of tractors and heavy machinery. Other encroachments were also removed with excavator machine.

The municipal employees also fixed concrete demarcation stones around the boundary of graveyards.

Mr Wazir visited the area and inspected anti-encroachment operation. He said that the operation was launched on the directives of provincial government to clear state-owned land of encroachments.

Meanwhile, the deputy commissioner visited shelter homes in Naurang and Lakki towns on Monday night.

The district administration has established the two shelter homes for deserving and homeless people on the directives of government. Mr Wazir directed the officials concerned to take care of the people staying in the shelter homes and ensure provision of basic needs to them.

KILLED: Two persons were killed when their motorcycle was hit by a vehicle on the busy Indus Highway on Monday night.

The accident occurred near Manjiwala Chowk in the limits of Shaheed Asmatullah Khan Khattak police station of Naurang town apparently due to heavy fog. The deceased motorcyclists were identified as Hamza Ali, a resident of Gandi Khankhel, and Shafqatullah of Nar Mohammad Ghaznikhel.

The bodies were shifted to a hospital in Naurang and then handed over to relatives after fulfilling formalities. Police said that they had registered a case against unidentified driver and began investigation.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2020