LOWER DIR: Retired police officials from across the Malakand division on Wednesday held a rally and also threatened to march on Islamabad if a 100 per cent increase was not made in their pensions.

Former SPs, DSPs, inspectors, sub-inspectors and constables from Swat, Lower and Upper Dir, Buner and Shangla districts participated in the rally held in Chakdara.

Speaking on the occasion, divisional chairman of all retired police employees’ association Noor Zada, president Akhtar Shah, Haq Nawaz, Noor Faraz and others said the price hike and inflation had stressed them out.

The speakers said they had served the police department for 40 years, adding while pensions and allowances of retired employees of other departments were increased from time to time the police department employees were ignored.

They said they had not even been paid the coronavirus and medical allowances and educational funds for their school-going children.

The retired employees pointed out that fixation of quota for retired police officials in Haj scheme and merger of ad hoc relief into pensions were yet to be announced, adding dowry fund for their daughters was also not paid.

They also complained that the retired employees were yet to be paid financial assistance under the benevolent fund.

Also in the day, the local people including civil society activists held a demonstration outside the Timergara Press Club to protest prolonged and unscheduled power outages.

The protesters were holding banners and placards inscribed with demand to end loadshedding.

Addressing the protesters, JI activist Eng Yaqubur Rehman, government contractors association’s district general secretary Imran Takur, PTI activist Kalimullah and others complained the consumers had been facing excessive loadshedding for last two months.

They said the prolonged outages had affected the business of tailors, welders and mechanics while majority of water supply schemes were lying idle.

Separately, the residents of Timergara and Talash on Wednesday demanded of the district administration and police high-ups to abolish one of the two security checkposts in Chakdara.

Talking to journalists, Mutahir Zeb and others complained security officials checked CNIC of each passenger of public transport and private vehicles at the checkposts established within a short distance, thus wasting their precious time.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2021