BAJAUR: Residents of several hilly areas of Salarzai tehsil here on Thursday staged a demonstration demanding immediate restoration of mobile phone service.

People of the areas, including Barsadeen, Batwar, Baramadak, Okasheen and Sasari, attended the demonstration held on Pashat-Batwar road.

The protesters said that they did not know the reasons for suspension of the mobile phone service in their areas for the last several weeks. They expressed concern over the suspension of the phone service and termed it an injustice with the poor residents of these hilly areas.

The area elders said that suspension of mobile network had not only deprived the residents of communicating with their relatives and friends living outside the region, but also created a sense of deprivation among them.

The protesters asked the local lawmaker and the district administration to play their role for immediate restoration of the mobile service in their areas.

They said that they would have no choice, but to arrange more such demonstrations if the phone service were not restored in their areas within a week.

HOUSE SET ON FIRE: Scores of household items were gutted when unknown people set ablaze the house of a resident, Yousaf Khan, in the hilly locality of Barang tehsil, police and residents said on Thursday.

They said the incident occurred in Solai village on Wednesday night. When the family members woke up, they immediately called for help and residents of nearby houses reached there and put out the fire. No casualty was reported.

The police said they had launched investigations into the incident.

KILLED: Unidentified assailants shot dead a man in remote Sarowano area of Salarzai tehsil, officials said on Thursday.

They said the incident took place on Wednesday night when unknown persons opened fire on Noor Bacha, 40, outside his home. They said that Mr Bacha, a driver by profession, was seriously injured and died on way to the DHQ hospital, Khar.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2021