LOWER DIR: Hundreds of residents, including shopkeepers, youth and political activists from different areas of Upper Jandol, on Sunday took to the streets against ‘prolonged’ electricity loadshedding.

The charged protesters blocked the road in Kambat Bazaar and chanted slogans against the Peshawar Electric Supply Company high-ups for their failure to ensure smooth power supply to the area.

Speaking on the occasion, Jamaat-i-Islami’s youth wing president Malik Hayat and others complained they had no power supply for the last one week.

They said people of Kambat and Darangal union councils were supplied electricity on alternate days. They said the locals also faced low voltage.

The speakers threatened to close the Shahi Road for indefinite period if power loadshedding was not done away with.

INTEREST-BASED ECONOMY: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq has said the country’s prosperity is linked to ending the interest-based economic system.

He was addressing a Khatam-i-Bukhari Sharif function held at Ahyaul Uloom Balambat on Sunday.

He said rulers were not in favour abolishing the interest-based banking system.

The JI chief urged religious scholars and prayer leaders to play their role in making the people aware of the Islamic teachings. He said Islamic justice and economic systems would ensure prosperity and real development in the country.

He said the country was reeling from lawlessness, corruption and unemployment.

ARREST DEMANDED: Activists of different parties on Sunday demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief to ensure early arrest of the killers of a Dir youth, Rahimuddin, who was killed in Katlang area of Mardan two months ago.

Speaking at a press conference in Timergara, JI’s Shad Nawaz Khan, PPP’s Fazal Hussain, ANP’s Imran Takur, Dir Qaumi Pasoon’s Malik Shah Nasim and others said Chief Minister Mahmood Khan had announced compensation for the family of the victim, and assured a jirga to arrest the killers soon, but to no avail. They said the deceased was killed on the Swat Motorway inside a passenger coach on Nov 5.

They said the deceased was an active worker of the ruling PTI, but it was pathetic the government did not provide justice to his family.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2023