KOHAT: The Tehreek-i-Tahufuz-i-Kohat has expressed concern about the ‘silence’ of lawmakers over the provision of category-A facilities to the KDA Teaching Hospital for the last one decade.

In a statement, chairman of the movement, Ibrar Kohat and secretary general Zahid Shafi said following a jirga, chief minister’s adviser MPA Ziaullah Bangash and state minister Shehryar Afridi had directed the deputy commissioner to hold negotiations with the protesters, seeking facilities in the hospital. However, they regretted that despite promise the administration took no practical steps in that regard.

They warned of street protests if the required facilities were not provided to the major hospital of Kohat.

LOADSHEDDING: Former tehsil nazim Malik Taimoor has questioned the rationale behind prolonged electricity loadshedding in Gharijaat area when educational institutions, hotels and restaurants were closed due to the lockdown.

He regretted that the outages had resulted in severe water shortage in the area. He said despite the assurance of the state minister for Kashmir affairs that there would be no loadshedding in Kohat frequent power outages continued.

He demanded that Pesco provide smooth power supply, particularly during the morning and evening hours, so that the relevant department could ensure smooth water supply to the households.

ROBBERS ARRESTED: The police busted a two-member gang of robbers who had looted people on gunpoint in the cantonment, city and Afghan refugee camp and recovered money and weapons.

DSP Bashir Dad told reporters that on June 28 an Afghan refugee, Samiullah, told the cantonment police that he along with three others was going to the vegetable market when two armed men stopped them and deprived them of Rs39,000 and the refugee cards. The robbers were named Khan Shaid of Muhammadzai and Ismail, an Afghan refugee.

An amount of Rs80,000 looted from a bakery and other people and three pistols were seized from them.

The robbers told the police that they shifted places after each robbery. They said their targets were daily wagers, businessmen and Afghan refugees.

The DSP said they had disclosed the names of three other members of their gang, adding the police would arrest them soon.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2020