KOHAT: Scholars, poets and writers from all over the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province participated in an Adabi Jirga held in Ghuarzai Payan area of Gumbat here the other day to pay tribute to poet Khushal Khan Khattak.

Scholars Froze Khan Sadiq, Ghulam Sher Afridi, Saadat Sher, Prof Nasir Wazir, Azad Hastnagri and Prof Mohabat Khan presented their research papers at a literary session highlighting the achievements of the great Pashtu poet.

The session was presided over by Saeed Rehbar. A poetry session was also held on the occasion presided over by deputy director information Sarwar Khattak.

The Youth Welfare Organisation, Ghurazai, and Khushal Khan Adabi Jirga organised the sessions.

Those who recited their pieces at the poetry session included Mazhar Khan Mazhar, Zahid Afridi, Niaz Ali Talib, Sajjad Khan, Inam Badshah, Millat Khan Millat, Yaseem Minawal, Mustaqil Shah, Taj Wali, Masoom Shah Masoom, Hayat Iqbal Hayat, Naveed Khattak, Sabir Shinwari, Tahir Lachvi, Aqil Abid Khel, Ahmedzai Bangash and others.

The elders presented awards and swords to the poets at the end of the function.

REOPENING OF GATE ORDERED: Adviser to the chief minister on information technology, Ziaullah Bangash, acting on the complaints of elders of Tablighee Markaz has ordered the relevant officials to reopen the entrance to the premises for the convenience of preachers.

During a visit to the Markaz on Tuesday, he was informed by the elders that Pakistan Railways had closed the entrance to the Markaz due to work on the track passing by the Markaz.

Mr Bangash called the federal railways minister Azam Swati on the spot and requested him to order the reopening of the entrance.

Separately, the police claimed on Tuesday to have arrested 50 drug peddlers, and 12 others for firing in the air across Kohat and recovered drugs and weapons from them.

Cases were registered against them in different police stations.

According to a statement, district police officer Sohail Khalid had ordered crackdown on smugglers and sellers of ice, hashish and heroin.

The seizure included 110kg hashish, 2,500 grams ice, 250 grams heroin, four Kalashnikovs, a kalakov, a rifle, three shotguns, 15 pistols and 900 cartridges.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2021