MANSEHRA: The police department has planned to induct 3,254 personnel in Hazara division.

Deputy inspector general of police, Hazara range, Mirvais Niaz told reporters here on Wednesday that police officials would be appointed to eight districts before the end of the current financial year.

He said the fresh recruitment would address staff shortage and help improve policing to the relief of the people.

The DIG said procedural formalities were being fulfilled to hold tests and interviews for those positions.

He said 1,097 police personnel would be appointed to Abbottabad, 890 to Mansehra district, 566 to Haripur, 484 to Battagram, 80 to Lower Kohistan, 73 to Upper Kohistan, 40 to Kolai-Palas and 24 to Torghar.

Mr Niaz also said 12 Special Security Unit personnel were being appointed to Abbottabad, 10 to Haripur and 14 to Mansehra, while 170 of the 1,097 personnel to be recruited for Abbottabad would be traffic wardens.

He said Abbottabad was the only district in Hazara division to get 170 traffic wardens, who would ensure smooth flow of traffic on the Karakoram Highway, Murree Road and within Abbottabad city.

SECURITY OF TRANSGENDER PERSONS: The Aawaz District Forum has demanded of the government to address threats to the life of transgender persons on priority basis.

“We demand of the government to include transgender persons in the Ehsaas financial assistance programme and check the growing incidence of violence against them,” read a resolution passed by the forum in a meeting here on Wednesday.

Transgender persons, people with disabilities, members of religious minorities, and women attended the meeting and highlighted their issues.

Former Shinkiari nazim Maulana Wasiur Rehman said Islam gave equal rights to people but unfortunately, transgender persons, people with disabilities and women were denied rights and privileges in society.

Saibaan Development Organisation programme manager Rafique Abbasi complained that the child protection unit hadn’t become functional for a long time.

He urged the relevant authorities to ensure that the unit begins operation without delay to check child labour.

Another member, Abdul Haq,resented non-implementation of job quota for people with disabilities in the public sector and demanded the early appointment of such people to government departments.

Aawaz District Forum coordinator Izbah Abbasi said the forum would take up major issues of women, transgender persons, children, PWDs and religious minorities with the relevant departments in the district for corrective measures and if the need arose, they would be raised at the provincial level.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2022