CHITRAL, Dec 21: The chairman of the District Development Advisory Committee (DDAC) has warned the heads of government departments to mend their ways or face action.

Addressing the officials of departments here on Tuesday, DDAC chairman Haji Ghulam Mohammad said negligent and corruption officials would have to leave the district. Mr Ghulam also expressed his annoyance over absence of a number of officials from the first meeting of the committee after its revival.

He expressed his dissatisfaction over the performance of public works department especially its communication and works wing whose executive engineer was also among the absentees.

Haji Ghulam said that the working season in Chitral was about six months a year due to its extreme climatic conditions and keeping in view this factor, the public works department should ensure that different development projects were completed during that time. He asserted that no compromise would be made on the quality of development projects.

He directed the heads of departments to ensure their attendance in the periodical meetings of DDAC with full preparation and not to send junior officers in their place.

GENDER-PARITY: Speakers at a training workshop for women police officers on Tuesday called for developing social harmony and civility among the members of different strata to eliminate gender-based violence in the society.

The workshop was held in the district police lines by Legal Aid Programme for Human Rights (LAPH) with the financial assistance of Trocair.

Resource person Ajaz Ahmed, a local intellectual, highlighted the role of police to deal with the incidents of gender disparity.

He expressed satisfaction over the gender equality in Chitral where the weaker sex was accorded due place due to which gender-based incidents of violence were rare.

LAPH chairman Niaz Ali Shah elaborated achievements of his organisation regarding gender equality in the district.

Acting DPO Mumtaz Ahmed and Khateeb of Shahi Masjid Maulana Khaleequz Zaman also addressed the participants of the workshop.

The participants also gave their feedback on how to eliminate the violence against the weaker sex and what role the people in uniform could play in this regard.

EX-NAZIM DIES: Former nazim of union council Mastuj Syed Ibrahim Shah died of heart failure who had returned home from Saudi Arabia only four days ago after performing Haj. He was 58. He left behind a son and a widow.

He was buried in his ancestral graveyard at Parwak village.