MANSEHRA: The district education officer (female) of Upper Kohistan has withdrawn orders for the appointment of two drivers to the department, accusing a local MPA of pressuring her to do so.

“I have withdrawn the appointment orders of two drivers on receiving life threats from MPA Mohammad Dildar as such threats had led to the assassination of district education officer (male) Nawab Ali in Kolai-Palas last year,” Upper Kohistan DEO Yasmeen Bibi told reporters on Monday.

She said as a woman, she couldn’t resist life threats, so she withdrew the driver appointment orders and updated her bosses about it for necessary action.

The DEO said the lawmaker was upset at her for making those appointments without his consent. She said she’d appointed the drivers two months ago to fill vacancies, which were badly affecting her department’s affairs.

Ms Yasmeen said she had dispatched the copies of the appointment withdrawal orders to the elementary and secondary education director (Peshawar) and Upper Kohistan deputy commissioner.

When contacted, MPA Mohammad Dildar Khan denied the allegation and said he didn’t issue life threats to the DEO (female).

“I just warned her that I’ll raise the gross violation of rules for those [drivers’] appointments with anti-corruption watchdogs and on the floor of the provincial assembly,” he said.

KILLED: A girl was killed and two women, including her mother, suffered injuries in a road accident in Oghi tehsil. The accident occurred as a rickshaw overturned due to speeding.

ASSISTANCE: The Mansehra District Bar Association has distributed Rs2.7 million worth of financial assistance to its members badly hit by the outbreak of coronavirus.

“We have lost five bar members to Covid-19 since its outbreak early this year. Many of our members have been facing financial problems and therefore, we’re helping them out through financial assistance,” association president Amir Khan Swati told reporters here on Monday. He said Rs13,000 each was distributed to 208 such lawyers.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2020