LOWER DIR: Owners of stone crushing units and local government representatives in Balambat here the other day protested the demolition of plants by the district administration.

The protest was preceded by a meeting at the office of the Balambat tehsil chairman, where political and local government representatives voiced concern over the action.

Addressing the protesters, PTI leader Malik Mohammad Ziaul Haq, ANP village council chairman Saifullah, Manogai village council chairman Kalimullah Noor and others claimed the district administration razed stone crushing plants without prior notice, depriving scores of people of their livelihood source. They argued that if the plants were illegal, the previous administrations should not have granted them permission to operate in the first place.

They warned if the operation was not halted and their losses were not compensated, they would be compelled to resist the administration’s actions.

MEDICAL COLLEGE: Despite the passage of over a decade and spending of billions of rupees the Timergara Medical College (TMC) has yet to be made functional, according to well-informed sources.

They said the project, inaugurated by then prime minister Imran Khan and former chief minister Pervez Khattak on July 15, 2014, has failed to take off even after 11 years. The sources claimed the college had been facing controversies since its inception, including allegations of corruption in the procurement of equipment, which also echoed on the floor of the provincial assembly.

According to insiders, over 100 low-grade employees have been recruited at TMC, who receive salaries regularly. They added the most critical requirement, and the approval of faculty positions had not yet been granted, without which the idea of a medical college could not be realised.

The sources said the TMC administration had sent nearly 200 letters to the chief minister, secretary health and other relevant authorities, seeking their attention towards the matter, but no response has been forthcoming.

They pointed out that other medical colleges in Swat, Mardan and Dera Ismail Khan had become functional due to the personal interest of the then chief ministers Mahmood Khan, Ameer Haider Khan Hoti and Akram Khan Durrani, respectively. In contrast, they added the elected representatives from Lower Dir and successive provincial governments had shown little interest in making TMC operational.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2025