SWABI: Dispute Resolution Council (DRC) chief of Tehsil Razaar was shot dead by unidentified motorcyclists on Friday, said the police official.

DSP Shakeel Khan said that Tehsil Razaar’s DRC chief Rahat Khan was going home when the attackers, riding a motorcycle, opened firing at him, killing him on the spot. The attackers escaped from the scene after committing crime.

The body of the deceased was shifted to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital for autopsy. The police registered an FIR against unidentified assailants and started investigation.

SHO Abdul Wali Khan said that the deceased had played a key role in the settlement of various disputes in the area. The motive behind the killing could not be ascertained till the filing of this report.

TOBBACO GROWERS: Leaders of Itehad-i-Kashtkaran (IK) on Friday said that tobacco growers should not become victim of companies’ propaganda about surplus crop for the current year.

During a meeting held at the residence of IK president Arif Ali Khan, the growers unanimously demanded that tobacco companies should purchase the crop at Rs 1800 per kg The meeting was informed that according to the schedule announced by Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB), the companies would start purchasing of the Flue-cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco from July 3 to 5.

The speakers said that the purchasers had unleashed a propaganda campaign that production of the FCV tobacco was surplus for the current year, and the best option for the growers was to sell their cured crop as early as possible.

Liaqat Yousafzai, central president of Tobacco Growers Association Pakistan said that the growers had rejected the Pakistan Tobacco Board’s fixed price of Rs 900 per kg as it could not even cover the expenditures of the growers.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2024