TIMERGARA, Dec 19: Seventeen people, including seven police officials, were injured when a passenger van and a police vehicle collided head-on in Nasafa Talash area on Wednesday.

Police said a police vehicle carrying Elite Force personnel was on the way to Chakdara from Timergara to receive the DIG Malakand range when it was hit by a passenger coach coming from the opposite direction in Nasafa Talash area.

They said the injured, including policemen Mohammad Sadiq, Shaukat, Hayat Khan, Najeebullah, Khan Bahadar, Imran Khan and Ali Mohammad, and 10 passengers were taken to Talash and Timergara hospitals.

Police said a case had been registered against driver Umarzada for speeding, negligence and injuring the people.

TEACHERS PROTEST: The secondary schoolteachers on Wednesday boycotted classes and protested in front of the EDO (Education) office in Balambat against the provincial government for ignoring their cadre in the recent upgradation of teacher posts.

Led by SST Association district chairman Abdul Khaliq, protesters marched on Balambat-Timergara Road carrying banners and placards.

They later gave a sit-in outside the local press club.

Addressing protesters, All Teachers Association, Lower Dir office-bearers Mohammad Shah, Abdul Khaliq, Aurangzeb and Muhibullah complained that the government had ignored the SST cadre in the recent upgradation of the teachers’ posts.

They demanded upgradation of the SST posts to Basic Pay Scale-17, approval of time scale and provision of privileges to teachers in the province.

The speakers threatened to boycott classes completely and move the court against the denial of post upgradation.

PROTEST: Employees of Peshawar Electric Supply Company on Wednesday threatened to boycott duty after Dec 30 over denial of area allowance and upgradation of driver and meter reader posts.

During a demonstration led by provincial chairman of Hydropower Union Zafarullah outside the sub-divisional officer, Timergara II office, they also demanded recruitment of the employees’ sons in Pesco.