KOHAT: Six persons suffered serious burns due to a cylinder blast inside a house in Malangabad area of Jungekhel here on Friday.

The injured included three women and three children.

Rescue 1122 teams rushed to the spot and put out the fire caused after the blast. Later, they shifted the injured to the KDA Teaching Hospital after providing them first aid on the spot. However, KDA doctors referred them to a Peshawar hospital in critical condition.

The injured were identified as children Haider, Fatima and Faheem, and women as wife of Naeem, Palwasha and Laal Bibi.

CANDIDATURE WITHDRAWN: JUI-F candidate Dr Iqbal Fana on Friday withdrew his nomination papers for the by-election on PK-91 here as his party has announced the boycott of the April 21 by-polls. The Feb 8 elections on the seat were postponed after the death of one of the contestants.

Mr Fana said he had followed the declaration made by party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman that JUI-F would boycott the polls.

He said Mr Rehman had rejected the results of Feb 8 elections as his party’s mandate was allegedly stolen.

He said the Maulana had asked him to withdraw his nomination papers and prepare for the countrywide campaign for establishment of a true welfare Islamic state.

Meanwhile, the election commission released the final list of the 11 contestants on Friday.

A tough contest is expected among Daud Shah of PTI, Abdul Sahood and PTI defector, Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2024