KOHAT: District development advisory committee chairman MPA Shafi Jan has said that work on the new building of the Liaquat Memorial Hospital, which had been half-demolished after it was declared dangerous, would be completed with a revised cost of Rs2.5 billion.

Speaking at a function held at the Kohat Press Club here, he said that the hospital project had hit snags since 2019 despite its inauguration by former chief minister Pervez Khattak in 2018 at a cost of Rs1.2 billion, which had proved to be an election stunt. Provincial law minister Aftab Alam was also present on the occasion.

Shafi Jan said that now the hospital’s new building would be raised in 18 months with a revised cost of Rs2.5 billion, which would bear the patient load from the entire Kohat division, including Kurram, Orakzai, Hangu and Karak districts.

Similarly, he said the work on the choked main artery from Kutchery Chowk to PAF Cinema, for which Rs800 million funds had been approved, would be started soon.

It is important to mention here that in 2016, Rs160 million had been sanctioned for the same project.

Two Afghans held: The Federal Investigation Agency on Sunday busted a two-member gang of Afghans involved in human smuggling, and also linked to the boat, which capsized in Greek waters, also carrying Pakistanis.

In a statement, the FIA, Kohat spokesman said that acting on an intelligence report, the agency arrested two Afghan land route agents, Raheemullah and Abdur Rehman.

He said that the ring leader, Abdur Rehman, was taken into custody from his hideout on the identification of his companion, Raheemullah.

He said their cell phone data had also been gotten, which included their contacts with the victims, and the handlers of the capsized boat.

“Evidence has been recovered of the calls between them, victims, and those ferrying illegal Pakistani migrants to Iran and Turkey by road and then by sea to Greece in a boat,” he added.

The spokesman said that raids were being conducted to arrest the other members of the gang, which lured the people into the trap of taking them to Europe after receiving huge amounts from them.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2025