MANSEHRA: Chairman of the Mansehra tehsil council Sheikh Mohammad Shafee on Wednesday complained about a lack of development funds but said he was ensuring the effective resolution of people’s problems.

He said he had allocated additional funds for cleanliness and streetlight installation in the city.

Mr Shafee was speaking to a group of councillors, who called on him in his office.

The visitors included Malik Mumtaz, Basharat Ali Swati, Manzoor Shah, Mohammad Arshad, Abdul Qayyum, Murad Khan, Akmal Khan, Mohammad Arif and Nasira Bibi.

They informed the council chairman of the problems facing their voters in village and neighbourhood councils.

Councillors allege corruption in flour distribution

Mr Mumtaz said local bodies were formed after the second phase of local body elections in the province in April last year but they were still without development funds.

He said village and neighbourhood councils didn’t have money to install streetlights, supply drinking water to people and provide them with other basic facilities.

The councillor also insisted that the food department didn’t consult the local body chairmen before designating points for the distribution of free flour and therefore, corruption was reported in the government’s programme.

GUTTED: A fire gutted five houses in Kanshian Bala area of Balakot tehsil here on Wednesday.

No damage to public life was reported as families were safely moved out of the houses by neighbours.

The fire was apparently caused by a short circuit and it destroyed household goods, ornaments and cash worth millions of rupees, according to Balakot SHO Tariq Khan.

He told reporters that firefighters and fire engines couldn’t reach the mountainous area as it was inaccessible.

The SHO said the locals and police controlled the fire with the help of water, soil and sand.

He said the police had registered an FIR before starting an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the fire.

RELEASE DEMANDED: The Oghi tehsil council on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution demanding immediate release of local body chairman Nawabzada Hassam arrested under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order.

Chairing the sitting, presiding officer of the council Arif Shah said he and other members of the house believed in the rule of law and freedom of speech and strongly condemned the arrest of Mr Hassam for carrying out a peaceful rally against the “illegal” arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan.

He claimed that participants of the rally didn’t commit any act of violence, so their arrest was against the law.

The council members later staged a rally to demand the release of Mr Hassam and others detained over May 9 rallies.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2023