LAKKI MARWAT: The provincial government is serious about implementation of the agreement it had signed with elders of Janikhel for development of the region.

Bannu division commissioner Shaukat Ali Yousafzai said this while speaking at a jirga of Janikhel elders in his office on Thursday.

Provincial minister Shah Mohammad Khan, DC Mohammad Zubair and DPO Imran Shahid were also in attendance.

The commissioner briefed the elders about the pace of implementation of the agreement reached with the tribesmen after they staged a sit-in for several days in March, demanding arrest of culprits involved in the kidnapping and murder of four teenagers.

Chief Minister Mahmood Khan had accepted all demands of the protesters on the occasion.

“After inauguration of a mandi (bazaar) in Janikhel, the administration ensured provision of facilities there to boost business activities and enable local tribesmen to earn livelihood in a dignified manner,” he said.

Bannu commissioner briefs elders about new schemes

Mr Yousafzai said that besides expediting work on ongoing uplift schemes the government had approved new projects for the area. He said the police department had relaxed the criteria for induction of local youths in the police force.

KILLED: Three people were killed in separate firing incidents in Bannu on Thursday.

Police said Mumtaz and Shamtayaz shot at and injured Junaid Khan in Paraite Gate locality. They said the attackers also injured a traffic police cop Alamgir Khan who had tried to capture them.

The injured were taken to the DHQ hospital where Junaid was pronounced dead.

Separately, body of a young was found along roadside in Zabita Khan Dreydareez locality. Police said the victim was identified as Abdul Hamid.

In another incident, Irshad Khan, Abdul Rehman and Allah Yar allegedly gunned down Walidad over a money dispute in Aimaroo Kallay. Police registered separate cases and have started investigations.

ENCROACHMENTS RAZED: The district administration razed illegal constructions on state land in Bannu city on Thursday.

An official said the action was ordered by the deputy commissioner. He said the officials of revenue department and municipal administration were sent to the urban locality for demarcation of illegal encroachments and the operation was launched in the light of report submitted to the district administration.

He said assistant commissioner Tayyeb Hayat supervised the operation wherein permanent structures built on the state land were demolished.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2021