MARDAN, Oct 14: Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti on Sunday inaugurated the Rescue-15 office in Mardan.

The chief minister was warmly welcomed and presented a salute by a group of police personnel when he arrived to inaugurate the rescue unit. He also visited different sections of the office.

On the occasion, Abdullah Khan, the Deputy Inspector General of Police (Mardan region), while briefing the chief minister regarding the Rescue-15 said the said unit was established for providing early relief to the aggrieved people. He said the rescue unit would take quick action over the information provided to it regarding missing persons, crimes and any natural calamity like floods.

Mr Abdullah informed Mr Hoti that female police personnel had also been recruited to help women and children at times of emergency.

The chief minister while lauding the sacrifices of police force said that they had stood behind the nation in every critical time.

He said the establishment of Rescue-15 office in Mardan city was need of the hour. He said it would not only provide quick relief to citizens but would also help maintain law and order situation.

MARDAN BYPASS: Affected people of the western bypass road have rejected the provincial government’s proposed plan to build service road and install steel fence alongside the bypass constructed recently in Mardan city.

Leaders of the affected people, including ex-union council nazim Rahmat Shah Afridi, Haji Fazal Ghani, Ameer Nawab, Hafiz Fazal Raziq, Iftikhar Ahmad, Mohammad Yousaf and Haji Misbahullah, expressed these views at a press conference on Sunday.They said the provincial government had acquired their land at a paltry Rs4,000 per marla after imposing section 4 against its market value of Rs100,000 to build the western bypass. They lamented that now the government had again imposed section 4 over their agriculture lands and planned to build service road and install steel fence along the bypass. They said misusing the powers of section 4, their lands were being again acquired on nominal price.

“The government has adopted discriminatory attitude with us as nowhere in the country service road or steel fences are built alongside bypass roads,” they regretted.

They appealed to the chief justice of the Peshawar High Court to take suo motu notice of the matter. However, they threatened to launch violent protest against the authorities concerned if their demand was not met.