MANSEHRA: A jirga on Saturday announced “social boycott” of drug peddlers and their harbourers in Balakot tehsil.

Scores of people, including elders, traders and SHO of the Balakot police station, attended the meeting at the Garlat neighbourhood council’s offices.

Council chairman Mohammad Mahroof Awan said narcotics dealers couldn’t be allowed to destroy the future of youth, so they should leave the area otherwise the residents would stay away from them and inform police about their illegal activities.

He said the jirga wanted such people to abandon the unlawful trade.

“We will force them out of our land besides helping police act against them,” he said.

Says people will also help police crack down on outlaws

On the occasion, trader leader Javed Iqbal said the local community would extend all-out support to police for eliminating anti-social elements, including drug sellers.

He said the jirga decreed the social boycott of drug pushers and promised to help police crack down on them,” he said.

Elder Mohammad Riaz Mughal demanded of police to seal the areas used for drug smuggling into Garlat and Balakot areas.

Balakot SHO Tariq Khan, who was also in attendance, said if the community stood with police, then nobody could dare enter the area to supply narcotics.

“We have finalised a crackdown on narcotics dealers. You [residents] should also tip us off about their dens and movement for action,” he said.

DROWNS: A teenage boy drowned in the reservoir of the Boi hydropower project in Garhi Habibullah area here on Saturday.

Rescue 1122 workers searched for the body but didn’t find it until sunset, according to Sami Khan of the emergency service.

He said Umar Aurangzeb, 14, slipped into deep water while bathing and drowned.

The official said the boy’s family pointed out some places but the Rescue 1122 workers didn’t find the body.

Meanwhile, the residents of Khaki and adjoining areas complained about the growing incidence of cattle theft and demanded of the police chief to order a crackdown on it.

They told reporters that the cattle were stolen from Hamshirian and its suburbs.

CNG PRICE: Filling stations increased CNG price by Rs15 per kg in Mansehra and other parts of Hazara Division on Saturday.

“We have enhanced CNG rate after consulting authorities following hikes in power tariff and oil prices and the minimum wage increase in the budget,” All Pakistan CNG Stations Association chairman Khalid Latif told reporters here.

He said the CNG price had gone up from Rs225 per kg to Rs240 per kg and from Rs220 per kg to Rs235 per kg in the rest of the province.

Mr Latif said filling stations were struggling to manage expenses, so CNG rate hike was unavoidable to prevent suspension of operation.

Meanwhile, transporters increased fares citing higher oil and CNG prices as the reason.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2023