KOHAT: The residents of Shahabad Colony announced on Wednesday to boycott the upcoming cantonment board elections in protest against absence of basic facilities in the area.

Talking to mediapersons, elders, including Mir Afzal, Asif Khan and others, alleged that the elected members of the cantonment board had failed to pay attention to the upkeep of roads, construction of a sewerage line, collection of garbage, repair of streetlights, and ending low gas pressure.

They said when the residents went to the offices of the cantonment board the officials told them that their area fell in the jurisdiction of the tehsil municipal administration, while TMA officials insisted that providing facilities in the area was the responsibility of the cantonment board.

The residents said no repair work was carried out on the roads since their construction during the tenure of the last Awami National Party government.

They said there was no system to lift garbage and they had to hire donkey carts for the purpose.

They said rainwater entered houses and inundated roads due to choked drains. They also complained about prolonged electricity outages, saying in case a transformer developed fault they had to repair it on self-help basis.

Meanwhile, the district administration closed girls’ college No 3 for seven days after nine students tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday.

Additional deputy commissioner Bashir Ahmed ordered sealing of the college after emergence of positive cases. The tehsil municipal administration conducted disinfection spray in the school.

PASSING OUT PARADE: Passing out parade of over 600 policemen was held at the Police Training School, Kohat, on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, DIG (training) Syed Imtiaz Shah said modern training was being imparted to the policemen to improve their professional capabilities.

He said 29,000 former Levies and Khasadars had been merged into the provincial police force after the merger of former Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The function was also attended by Kohat district police officer Sohail Khalid, training school director Azhar Ibrahim Paracha, and other senior police officers.

The police jawans performing well during the training were awarded with shields.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2021