KOHAT: The district administration closed a girls’ higher secondary school in Ustarzai area for seven days after emergence of 12 Covid-19 cases on Friday.

Following the school’s closure, a team of the tehsil municipal administration conducted disinfection spray in the institution.

Meanwhile, the administration officials also arrested four shopkeepers and sealed 10 shops over violation of the Friday lockdown orders and disregard of the standard operating procedures against Covid-19.

The district administration has imposed lockdown on Fridays and Saturdays to contain the coronavirus spread.

Separately, social circles and elders of Togh Bala Town have complained about shortage of medicines and staff in the basic health unit (BHU).

In a joint statement on Friday, chairman of Togh Bala association Mohammad Inam Khan, president of a local youth welfare body Faheem Shah, and elders Malik Mehboob and Malik Rehman said the BHU also catered to the health needs of large Jawaki tribal belt, but it even lacked lifesaving drugs and was also short of staff.

They also complained about shortage of medicines at the local veterinary hospital, and appealed to director livestock, Kohat, Mohammad Sohail to ensure availability of essential medicines and vaccines at the facility.

ELECTED: Malik Atif Khan was elected new district president of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Friday after the resignation of Malik Iqbal over alleged differences within the party.

After his election, Mr Atif Khan addressed a press conference, saying that his priorities would be to resolve burning issues like excessive electricity loadshedding and reconstruction of British-era schools.

He said the high tension line supplying electricity to Kohat was 50 years old and needed to be replaced. He said he would take up the matter with the Pesco chief.

Mr Atif said he would take suggestions from chairman parliamentary Kashmir committee Shehryar Afridi and chairman District Development Advisory Committee Ziaullah Bangash to strengthen the party in the district before the next general elections.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2021