LOWER DIR: Paying tribute to former Jamaat-i-Islami chief late Syed Munawar Hassan for his services to the party cause, the Lower Dir leaders on Sunday urged the party workers to follow in his footsteps.

The JI Lower Dir chapter arranged a condolence reference for late Munawar Hassan at Ahyaul Uloom, Balambat, which was attended by former lawmakers, lawyers, former councillors and political activists.

The gathering offered fateha for the departed soul of the former JI chief and others who died during coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking on the occasion, JI district emir Izazul Mulk, former MNA Sahibzada Yaqub Khan, former MPA Saeed Gul, Ameer Zaman and Fazal Rehman shed light on the life and contributions of Munawar Hassan.

The speakers said that simplicity, honesty, humility and straightforwardness were the character traits of late Munawar Hassan.

They said that once Mr Hassan joined the ranks of Jamaat-i-Islami he never looked back and served the party cause with utmost devotion and sincerity.

The speakers termed the demise of Mr Hassan a great loss not only for the party, but also for the entire Ummah.

SECRETARIES’ COMPLAINT: All Secretaries Village Councils Association, Lower Dir, president Salahuddin Khan on Sunday expressed dismay over no acknowledgment of their services during coronavirus pandemic by the district administration.

Talking to mediapersons here, complained that the officials of local government and rural development department and secretaries were neither invited to the function arranged by the administration for acknowledging their services nor were they awarded commendation certificates.

Lauding the role of his colleagues, he said they had played a vital role in ensuring implementation of the standard operating procedures, making announcements through loudspeakers, collecting data of daily wagers for relief packages, etc.

When contacted, assistant director local government, Lower Dir, Mohammad Mamoon Nawaz said village council secretaries had been rendering services during Covid-19 pandemic and they were at the forefront during such emergencies.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2020