SHANGLA: The local leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf alleged that funds were released to contractors during the caretaker government without initiating work on development projects.

They were addressing a meeting of PTI held in Alpuri on Thursday with district president of party Liaquat Ali Yousafzai in the chair. Besides district office-bearers of PTI, Alpuri tehsil chairman Waqar Ahmad Khan, deputy general secretary Mian Sohrab Khan, Ikram Shah and Hafiz Islam Zada attended the meeting.

Speakers said that most of the funds for development schemes were released to contractors during the caretaker government.

Liaquat Ali said that no work was initiated on the projects but funds were released to contractors. He said they would lodge complaints with anti-corruption establishment and move court against embezzlement of uplift funds and misuse of power by district administration.

“The deputy commissioner, former DPO and other officials involved in election rigging would be brought to justice through legal means,” he said.

He said that those officials, who misused power and tortured the PTI workers on February 9, would have to face consequences. He said that they would never forget the sacrifices of their brave workers, who stood by their leadership and Imran Khan at difficult time.

WILDFIRE: Hundreds of precious pine trees were damaged after a fire erupted in the forests of Garhai Top in Dandai area on Wednesday night.

Dandai SHO Mohammad Arif Khan told Dawn that he was informed about the fire, which was rapidly engulfing the forests. He said that the fire was near the populated area.

However, he said that he along with the officials of forest department and locals made hectic efforts and extinguished the blaze. He said that the fire erupted first in the mountains where hundreds of precious trees were damaged by it.

The SHO said that they were afraid about human losses. He said that they first evacuated families to safer places and then put off the fire. He said that the area was inaccessible and hard to reach due to its terrains. However, he said that the fire was extinguished without using modern equipments.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2024