SWABI, June 17: A thunderstorm accompanied by torrential rain and hailstones on Friday damaged standing crops including that of tobacco and disrupted power supply to the entire district.

Thick clouds suddenly appeared in the afternoon followed by severe storm, rain and hailstones which badly damaged the tobacco crop which is in the critical stage of curing.

The curing of Virginia tobacco has already started in many regions and the hailstones badly damaged its leaves. The growers said the hailstorm would certainly reduce tobacco yield and quality. In addition the hailstones also damaged vegetables widely grown in different areas of the district.

The storm also resulted in power suspension to the district, which also uprooted signboards and trees. Many roads were blocked by falling of trees and the staff of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company was busy restoring electricity supply.

VACANT POSTS:

About 200 posts of the primary schoolteachers (PSTs) are lying vacant in the district. Dawn

Sources in the education department told on Friday that of the vacant posts about 150 were old posts and the 50 were the newly created posts in the newly established primary schools. The sources added that there was no shortage of trained teachers to fill the vacant posts. The sources said Executive District Officer, Education, Abdul Salam and primary education officer had discussed the issue and agreed to appoint the teachers on vacant posts, but any practical step was yet to be taken.

TEACHERS DEMAND:

All Teachers Association (ATA) president Abdul Latif has urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to shun discriminatory attitude and give advanced increments on higher education to teachers of all cadres instead of benefiting only Certified Teachers (CTs).

Presiding over a meeting on Friday he said it was great injustice that physical education teachers (PETs), primary schoolteachers (PSTs) and drawing masters (DMs) had been ignored, violating the verdicts of the Service Tribunal. The participants said when the Service Tribunal and the Peshawar High Court had given verdicts in their favour why the finance department was creating hurdles in implementing the decisions. They alleged the ANP-led government was responsible for the mess.

SHOT DEAD: A man was killed allegedly by his uncle over a dispute on a power meter in their house in the Khalabat area on Friday. The victim was identified as Tausif. The police registered the case against Shamruz Khan on the report of Tausif's mother.

Meanwhile, another person who was injured in the Peshawar's supermarket blast succumbed to injuries in hospital on Friday. The victim, Taimur Khan, belonged to Panjpir village. His body was brought to native town from Peshawar. Earlier, Farhad Ali, resident of Swabi city, who was also injured in the same blast, had died.