SWABI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders here have said that Gadoon belt will be made a full-fledged fifth tehsil of Swabi district.

Talking to Dawn here on Saturday, they said an announcement in this connection was expected to be made by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan when he would inaugurate the Women University Swabi’s newly-built campus in Kotha next week.

The PTI leaders, especially former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, had already announced in public meetings in Gadoon that the area would be made the fifth tehsil of the district.

Gadoon comprises only four union councils, including Gandaf, Kabgani, Ghani Chathra and Gabasni.

They said there were 56 union councils in the district. Razaar tehsil has 21 union councils, Chota Lahor 13, and Swabi and Topi 11 UCs each.

Former district naib nazim Mohammad Jamil said how Gadoon terrain could be made a tehsil. He said if that happened the south Razaar would have the right to be made another separate tehsil.

MPA Rangaiz Khan toldthis correspondent that tehsil status was the longstanding demand of people of Gadoon on which the chief minister had already issued orders to the revenue department to fulfil the formalities in this regard.

“Formal announcement and notification to give Gadoon a tehsil status is expected within next few days,” said PTI district president Sohail Yousafzai.

TOBACCO TAX: Growers in a meeting here the other day opposed the proposed advance tax of Rs380 per kg on tobacco processing, fearing the companies would transfer its effects to them, resulting in losses for them.

They said the federal ministry of commerce had earlier fixed the price of tobacco at Rs245 per kilogramme for the current year.

Tobacco Growers Association Pakistan central president Liaquat Yousafzai asked how the companies and businessmen could purchase tobacco crop from the growers when the imposed tax was more than the real price of the crop.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2022