LOWER DIR: Elders, the district administration and Peshawar Electric Supply Company officials on Wednesday agreed to bring down power outage duration on the Balambat feeder to six hours from the current 12 hours a day to provide relief to the consumers.

A delegation of elders led by MPA Azam Khan met Lower Dir deputy commissioner Mohammad Arif Khan and Pesco executive engineer Mohammad Zeb Khan in this regard.

JI former district nazim Mohammad Rasool Khan, Malik Arsalan, PML-N district president Malik Farooq Iqbal, PPP’s Malik Javed Iqbal, ANP leader Malik Sajjad Yousafzai, PTI’s Malik Rahatullah, Malik Ali Bakht and Sawal Mohammad were part of the delegation.

The DC and Pesco XEN were informed that people were braving over 12 hours of power outage.

DC Arif Khan asked the elders to make the power consumers to pay their bills regularly and avoid power theft.

The Pesco XEN announced that there would be no outage from 10am to 10pm.

ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN: District police officer Saleem Abbas Kulachi has said the police have zero tolerance against drug peddlers.

Briefing reporters at his office, he said a total of 32 drug peddlers had been arrested during last 15 days. He said police had also recovered 48 kilogrammes of charas, 530 grams of heroin and 3,000 litres of liquor from them. He said nine of the drug addicts had been admitted to hospitals for their rehabilitation.

He said nine drug sellers had been convicted by courts. He said police officials assisting the drug sellers and users would be dealt with an iron hand.

VARSITY FEES: The Allama Iqbal Open University’s regional director Maaz Ahmad has said the varsity has not increased its examination fee, but degree fee has been included in it.

Talking to reporters here on Wednesday, he said students would now get their detailed marks certificates and degrees at their homes. He said a fake news was circulating on social media about increase in the varsity’s fees. He asked the students to complete their admission process on time and not pay heed to rumours.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2024