LOWER DIR: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq here on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar to admit their failure in the Murree incident and tender resignation.

He was addressing a leadership convention arranged for councillors and local leaders by the party’s Lower Dir chapter at Ahyaul Uloom Balambat.

The JI activists and candidates nominated for the next phase of local government elections attended the convention, which was also addressed by JI district chief Izazul Mulk and others.

Says tragedy proof of govt’s failure

Sirajul Haq said that the Murree incident was an obvious proof of the government’s failure and non-seriousness. He said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had failed on all fronts.

He said that JI had played a key role in development of Dir as it had built roads, schools, colleges, a university and Balambat irrigation channel.

The JI chief claimed that PML-N, PPP and PTI had similar agendas and added that his party would win most of the LG seats in Malakand division if fair elections were held.

POWER OUTAGE: The residents of Samarbagh and Kambat areas on Wednesday staged separate protest rallies against the prolonged power outages.

The protesters blocked the roads in Samarbagh and Kambat and chanted slogans against the government and Pesco for the failure to end power outages.

Speaking on the occasion, JI candidate for tehsil chairman slot Saeed Ahmad Bacha, Hameedullah Mishwani and Haji Rehman said that Tetar, Asharko, Kambat and Darangal areas were without electricity for the last one week due to which the residents had no drinking water at houses, mosques and markets.

Additional assistant commissioner held talks with the protesters on which they dispersed peacefully.

Meanwhile, the residents of Kambat also took to the streets against the prolonged power outage and blocked Kambat-Samarbagh road.

The protesters refused to open the road till resolution of the issue.

Addressing the protesters, Shafiur Rehman, local traders and other speakers complained that their area had been without electricity for a week in this chilly weather.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2022