BAJAUR: Local elders, lawmakers and political activists on Tuesday postponed the ‘peace march’ scheduled for July 18.

They made the decision during a jirga held in Khar.

The participants included MPAs Anwarzeb Khan, Eng Ajmal Khan and Dr Hamidur Rahman, former MNA Gul Dad Khan, Khar tehsil council chairman Haji Said Badshah, ANP local chapter president Gul Afzal Khan, Bajaur Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Haji Lali Shah, and others.

The speakers said poor law and order situation in Bajaur was a cause of concern, and said the people would be mobilised to overwhelmingly participate in the peace march, whose date would be announced later.

They expressed concern over the delay in the arrest of the perpetrators of the bomb blast, which claimed the lives of former senator Hadyatullah Khan and his four companions on July 3.

Later, talking to reporters, MPA Anwarzeb Khan said the peace march was delayed for some days on the request of a majority of the participants to make it more effective.

He said the new date for peace march will be decided in the jirga to be held on July 18.

He said the march was delayed just to ensure that a large number of people participated in it.

ROAD REPAIR: Work on repair of a link road, which was damaged in the recent rains in Salarzai tehsil, began on Tuesday.

Khar tehsil council chairman Haji Said Badshah ordered the repair of the Shah Sari-Pashat Road after a delegation of elders met him. The elders informed him about the troubles they faced after portions of the road were washed away by flash floods four days ago.

Following the directives, a team of tehsil administration along with heavy machinery reached the site and launched the repair work.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2024