MANSEHRA: Two policemen were seriously injured in a firing by drug peddlers in the Lassan Nawab area of Tanawal tehsil here on Tuesday night.

The incident occurred as police constables Mohammad Moib and Mohammad Rehmat raided the “den” of drug dealer Mohammad Azam in the Mangal Dogha area, according to district police officer Shafeeullah Khan Gandapur.

He told reporters here on Wednesday that Azam and two other drug pushers opened fire at the policemen leaving both of them injured, and fled.

The DPO also said women relatives of the attackers threw stones at the policemen to prevent arrests.

The locals shifted the injured policemen to the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital where the doctors removed bullets from their bodies and declared their condition to be out of danger.

Mr Shafeeullah went to the hospital and inquired after the injured.

He said the police had sealed the area to prevent the escape of attackers and would arrest them shortly.

The DPO said the crackdown on ice, heroin, and other drugs would continue.

He said the police had begun hanging banners with pictures of drug dealers and details of their crimes at prominent public places and outside police stations across the district.

POWER CUTS: Traders in Oghi and its suburbs on Wednesday demanded an immediate end to the prolonged and unscheduled power outages.

“The excessive suspension of electric supply has adversely affected our businesses for the last two weeks,” president of the Oghi Traders Association Attaullah told reporters.

Accompanied by other office-bearers of the association, Mr Attaullah said businesses depending on electricity also came to a standstill due to power outages.

He wondered how traders and businessmen could meet expenses and earn a livelihood in such circumstances.

The trader leader said people from all walks of life demonstrated against the excessive power cuts in Oghi earlier this week and demanded a smooth power supply, but to no avail.

“If the prolonged and unscheduled power outages don’t stop, then we [traders] will down our shutters across Oghi,” he said.

Mr Attaullah said domestic and commercial consumers of electricity regularly paid bills, but even then, they’re subjected to the excessive power suspension.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2024