BAJAUR: The students of the Government Postgraduate College Khar here on Tuesday staged a protest demonstration by blocking the main Bajaur-Mardan Artery to press for resolution of their issues.

Scores of students attended the demonstration held outside the college’s main gate at the main Bajaur-Mardan Road.

The protesting students, who blocked the artery to all kinds of vehicular movement for a while, pointed out that they had been facing multiple issues for the past several months.

They, however, said that the lack of facilities in the college hostels, such as insufficient accommodation, absence of solar based electricity system, and the sudden increase in the both the accommodation and food charges were among their pressing issues.

They noted that the two student hostels, which already had precarious solar-based electricity systems, were further affected by the presence of internally displaced persons of the Mamund region who had been residing there for the past two months.

“Moreover, they claimed that the displaced families caused significant damage to most of the facilities in both the hostels. Both student hostels in our college, which were already in bad shape, have been reduced to just walls after a large number of displaced families were accommodated there,” they alleged.

Several student leaders addressed the demonstration, stating that they were forced to stage the protest after the college management failed to address their grievances.

The speakers said that all their concerns were genuine and urged the deputy commissioner and other senior officials of the district administration to play their role in this regard.

EXPLOSIVES SEIZED: Police on Tuesday said to have foiled a bid of sabotage in Lowi Mamund tehsil by recovering several explosive devices placed by unknown miscreants.

According to a statement, these multiple explosives, placed for sabotage purposes by some miscreants, were recovered by a team of police’s bomb disposal squad.

The statement issued from the DPO office said a team of the bomb disposal squad was immediately rushed to the sites after receiving the information from locals about the presence of these devices, placed in different areas.

The statement said all the explosives devices recovered were later diffused.

HOUSE DAMAGED IN LIGHTNING: A house was partially damaged after it was struck by lightning in the Laghari area of Lowi Mamund tehsil here on Monday night.

Local residents told Dawn on Tuesday that the incident occurred at Taj Muhammad’s house at around 11:30 pm.

They said that people of the nearby homes immediately rushed to scene after hearing the horrific sound of the lightning, to undertake potential rescue efforts.

However, they stated that fortunately, all family members remained safe and secure in the mishap, which destroyed a room, where no one was present at the time of occurence.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2025