LOWER DIR: A local jirga on Sunday expressed grave concern about the spate of killings in Talash and increasing drug addiction among youth, and demanded of the district administration and elected representatives to provide justice to the families of the murder victims.

Talash Dushkhel Qaumi Islahi Jirga was held at the residence of Dr Noor Mohammad in Kalpani Talash with its chief Malik Taj Mohammad Khan in the chair.

Speaking on this occasion, Malik Taj, Dr Noor, Syed Hassan Advocate, Ghulam Rashid and others said frequent incidents of killings had worried the locals.

They said a university girl student was killed near the Talash post office a few days ago, while another varsity student (male) was killed at a bakery shop in the bazaar on Nov 29. Days earlier, they said three people were shot dead in a village of Talash.

They said the Talash valley was famous for peace, harmony and brotherhood in the Upper and Lower Dir districts, but the migrants were destroying this tranquility.

The speakers said the police had arrested the accused in the murder cases, but they were set free because of the flawed justice system.

The jirga members decided to meet deputy commissioner Aun Haidar Gondal, district police officer Irfanullah and local MPAs to apprise them of the unrest among people.

They also decided to check the records of migrants before they purchased property in the area. They said property dealers would be asked to avoid selling land to outsiders.

GOVT’S DOWNFALL HAS BEGUN: Awami National Party’s former councillor from Darangal, Wilayat Khan and a several Jamaat-i-Islami activists on Sunday announced joining the Pakistan Muslim Leaque-Nawaz at a function held in Samarbagh the other day.

Speaking on this occasion, PML-N provincial president Ameer Muqam, MPA Ikhtiar Wali, divisional president Malik Jehanzeb Khan, district president Malik Farooq Iqbal and others said the PTI government’s downfall had begun after the defeat in the local body elections.

Mr Muqam said PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif would soon return to the country. He said the next three to four months were important as it was difficult for the PTI to govern the country any more.

He said the results of the local body elections in southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa proved the PTI’s slogan of change had reached its logical end. He said the results of the second phase of local government polls would be no different.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2021