BANNU, July 29: Traders and shopkeepers took out a rally here on Sunday to protest against the railways authorities for issuing them notices to vacate shops built on the department’s property.

The protesters led by Anjuman-i-Tajiran (Haqiqi) president Abdur Rauf blocked Bannu-Dera road to traffic and chanted slogans against the railways authorities.

Speaking on the occasion, the shopkeepers said that they had established the shops near the vegetable market in Bannu city in 1992 to earn livelihood for their families. They said that they were ready to pay all taxes to the railways department for the shops, but the authorities issued them notices to vacate the shop or these would be demolished.

The traders’ leaders, including Rehmat Ayaz, Ayub Nawaz and Bakht Nawaz, alleged that the department had issued them notices at the behest of some influential people, who wanted to occupy these shops for their personal benefits.

They demanded of the railways authorities to withdraw the notices and hold talks with them otherwise they would launch a protest movement against the eviction of shopkeepers.

POLIO HURDLES: Tribesmen of FR Bannu have threatened to boycott anti-polio campaigns and ban entry of health teams to vaccinate children if their fellow tribesmen are not released by political administration immediately.

The decision was made during a jirga of Mamandkhel and Bakakhel Wazir tribes of FR Bannu here at Shalkandi on Sunday.

Speaking at the jirga, Malik Jameelur Rehman, Umar Nawaz and other tribal elders said that the administration had arrested innocent tribesmen over an issue of electricity supply from the Bakakhel line to other areas.

They said that the administration had announced that Patakkhel area would be linked with Mamandkhel- Bakakhel line for 15 days due power shortage in the area. They said that after six months of the decision the situation remained the same, creating low voltage in Mamandkhel and Bakakhel areas. They said that later the administration arrested the tribesmen when they protested over the issue.