LOWER DIR: The government contractors on Saturday said that they would go bankrupt if government failed to allocate funds for the ongoing development projects in Lower Dir district.

Talking to journalists in Timergara, divisional president of Contractors Association Engineer Ikramullah, general secretary Imran Takur and district secretary information Zubairullah said that construction work on almost all development projects including Kalpani Talash bypass, Soghalay Qaziabad link road and Timergara Khwar beautification project had been stopped owing to lack of funds.

They said that contractors spent their money on those projects while the government unwilling to release funds. They said that government had to pay them millions for their work. They said that they were forced to seek alternate jobs as they were nearing bankruptcy.

The contractors demanded of government to allocate funds for ongoing projects in the next year’s budget. They said that the ongoing projects would be left incomplete if adequate funds were not released for them.

Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl district chief Ameer Sirajud Din expressed his pleasure on construction of a bridge over a stream in Talash and said that its credit went to Federal Minister Mufti Asad Mehmood.

Talking to journalists during his visit to the site, he said that successive governments failed to start work on that project. He said that traffic always remained blocked for hours whenever the stream flooded during torrential rains.

He said that construction of the bridge would help to resolve the problems faced by motorists and residents of the area.

ARREST: Police on Saturday claimed to have resolved a blind murder case and arrested the alleged killer identified as Tariq Hussain, a resident of Shawa area in Adenzai tehsil.

DSP Syed Zaman Shah told journalists that Qasim Khan was mysteriously killed outside his house in Amirabad, Chakdara, a month ago. He said that police with the help of modern technology traced the killer and arrested him.

BAIL: An anti-terrorism court on Saturday granted bail to nine more workers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf including Amjad Khan, Tariq Bacha, Mohammad Asad, Mohammad Zaid, Ubaid Khan, Mehran Khan, Naseeb Gul, Adnan and Irfan Ali, who were arrested after May 9 violent protests from various parts of the district.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2023