KOHAT: Some prayer leaders and elders of various areas have refused to abide by the SOPs issued by the district administration and the police during Ramazan and vowed to organise Taraweeh prayers in congregations.

Talking to Dawn, caretaker of a seminary and a mosque, Nazeer Ahmed, insisted that Covid-19 was nothing but God’s wrath for their wrongdoings. He claimed that so far no case had been reported from any mosque.

Earlier, two separate agreements were signed between the administration and the leading ulema on Wednesday to implement the SOPs during Ramazan.

Commissioner Syed Abdul Jabbar and district police officer Mansoor Aman, at separate meetings with the religious figures, appealed to them to follow the instructions regarding social distancing during the Taraweeh prayers.

RATION DISTRIBUTED: The Al-Khidmant Foundation distributed ration among transvestite individuals on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, foundation’s president Pir Faheem said transgender individuals living in parts of College Town, Mohallah Sikandar Khan Shaheed, Sangerh, Bypass Road and women hospital were given the ration.

COP WITH AMMUNITION HELD: The Hangu police arrested a policeman while smuggling ammunition from Orakzai tribal district in a car on Wednesday.

DSP headquarters Asad Zubair Khan a police party stopped a car near the Zargari checkpost, and upon search, recovered 1,100 bullets of anti-aircraft gun. The consignment was packed in plastic bags.

The policeman named Karamat Shah is a resident of Orakzai and also serving there. A case was registered against him.

Meanwhile, the Hangu administration sealed a fake beverages factory and arrested the two owners on Wednesday.

Additional assistant commissioner Nauman Wazir raided the factory and seized thousands of bottles, drums full of chemicals and other items.

The police registered case against the owners.

MEDICAL STORES SEALED: The health authorities on Wednesday sealed eight unregistered medical stores.

Provincial drug inspector Irfan Wazir and additional assistant commissioner Murad Hoti raided stores in Kamal Khel and Dhoda on public complaints and found unregistered medical stores and clinics being run by unauthorised persons.

The drug inspector registered cases against the practitioners.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2020