LAKKI MARWAT: Police on Wednesday claimed to have recovered an abducted employee of the education department in Abakhel village here.

An official claimed that four armed men had reportedly abducted Gulzardad, a junior clerk posted in the office of a sub-divisional education officer (female), over a monetary dispute after beating him near the office. He said the official was taken to Abakhel village and detained in a house there.

The official said that soon after the incident a party of Lakki Marwat police station raided the suspected house and recovered him safely. Later, Gulzardad told police that he was going to the office on his motorcycle as usual. He alleged that four armed men, including Imran, Hidayatullah and Safeerullah along with an unknown accomplice, took him by force to Abakhel village in their car and detained him in a house.

He told police that his nephew Arshad Nadeem had a monetary dispute with the kidnappers. Police have registered a case against the suspects.

CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED: The district administration launched a campaign against polythene bags here on Wednesday.

An official said the administration had also launched an awareness drive to sensitise traders about the negative environmental impacts of the plastic shopping bags.

He said that two months ago the divisional commissioner, Bannu, had asked the businessmen to remove polythene bags from their outlets and use baskets and degradable shopping bags.

The official said that assistant commissioner Umer Bin Riaz and additional ACs Aminullah Khan, Najibullah Khan and Sultan Haider seized over 400kg polythene bags from shops in Lakki city, Naurang, Shahbazkhel and Darra Pezu towns. Heavy fines were also imposed on the shopkeepers.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2020