LAKKI MARWAT: Provincial chief secretary Dr Shahzad Khan Bangash on Thursday inaugurated the rehabilitated and renovated Nicholson House from the British era in Bannu and attended a briefing on mega development projects.

The house was built and used by John Nicholson, the first deputy commissioner of Bannu from 1852 to 1856, as his residence.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Bannu commissioner Shaukat Ali Yousafzai and regional police officer Syed Ashfaq Anwar.

The chief secretary appreciated the commissioner for taking keen interest in restoring Nicholson House to its original condition.

He said historical buildings were a precious asset for future generations, so they should be maintained and preserved.

Dr Shahzad later visited North Waziristan district, where deputy commissioner Shahid Ali Khan briefed him about the region’s overall security situation, pace of work on development projects, and other administrative matters.

General Officer Commanding Maj General Naeem Akhtar, the divisional commissioner and other senior officers attended the briefing.

The chief secretary also visited the Pak-Afghan border in Ghulam Khan area and attended a briefing by the customs and NLC officials on the border terminal.

He also went to the headquarters of Tochi Scouts.

Dr Shahzad attended a tribal jirga and said a new era of development had begun in the erstwhile Fata since its merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the residents would reap its fruits soon.

He said the government was striving to address the problems faced by tribesmen.

Meanwhile, the residents of Chak Dadaan and Mandori Patal Shah area on Thursday demonstrated against the imposition of Section 4 on agricultural land for bus terminal and cattle market projects.

The protesters closed the Bannu-DI Khan Road in Chak Dadaan area and dispersed only after additional AC Mohammad Zaman and DSP Adnan Shahid assured them that a meeting would be held in the deputy commissioner’s office today (Friday) to settle the issue.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2022