Call to raze abductors’ houses

PESHAWAR, May 26: The people residing in suburban parts of the provincial metropolis have expressed concern over the involvement of the local people in increasing incidents of kidnapping for ransom. They demanded of the police to demolish houses of the accused to control the crime.

The people made the demand at a protest demonstration at Sher Shah Suri road on Saturday. They were carrying banners and placards inscribed with anti-kidnapping slogans.

Officer-bearers of Muhib Watan Islahi-o-Falhi Tanzeem leaders, talking to reporters, alleged locals Said Wali, Tayab, Ahmad Khan and Salman were involved in the kidnapping of contractor Shakeel Khan. They said the kidnappers had vacated their houses and shifted to safer places to avoid police action. They demanded of police to bulldoze the houses within three days otherwise the people would do so on their own.

They further alleged the kidnappers belonged to Shalober Afridi tribe, and asked the tribe to cooperate with them and police in arresting the kidnappers.—Bureau Report

Hunger strike continues

CHITRAL, May 26: The hunger strike of the TMA employees entered fourth day on Saturday. The workers are protesting against the non-payment of salaries for the last 18 months.

The hunger strike camp has been established along the secretariat road where the hunger strikers are braving the intermittent rains. Talking to media, they said their family members were ‘facing starvation’ as they had nothing to feed them in the absence of salaries. They complained that the shopkeepers no longer gave them commodities of daily use on credit after waiting for 16 months.

The TMA workers warned the government that if their salaries were not paid immediately, they would set themselves on fire collectively. The chairman of Human Rights Programme, Chitral, Niaz A Niazi advocate visited the hunger strike camp on Saturday and condemned the apathetic attitude of the government towards the government servants.

Meanwhile, body of an unidentified person was found near the Shandur Lake on Friday.—Correspondent

Repairs of road sought

LAKKI MARWAT, May 26: Residents of Kurrum Par area have demanded of the government to allocate special funds for repair of Qabulkhel-Landiwah road. Talking to this correspondent on Saturday, they said the road was of much importance as it connected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Punjab province.

“Besides the road interlinks hundreds of villages of four union councils with each other, also enabling area people to have an easy access to urban localities of the district and other parts of the country,” they maintained.They regretted that the previous as well as the present government did not pay any heed towards maintenance of the road. “Now the condition of road is pathetic as it is full of potholes and ditches,” they said, adding some portions of the road have been badly damaged by floods in previous years.—Correspondent

Bus attack assailed

MARDAN, May 26: The Aman Jirga Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday condemned the killing of seven innocent passengers of a buss allegedly by unidentified gunmen in Nawabshah district of Sindh on Friday.

Talking to media persons, the jirga chairman and former provincial health minister Syed Kamal Shah alleged Pakhtuns had been targeted in different parts of the country through a well-organised conspiracy.

Flanked by other members of the jirga, he alleged on one hand the US-led coalition forces had been killing Pakhtuns of Fata region through drone attacks while on the other hand Muttahida Qumi Movement was busy in violence against Pakhtuns to expel them from Karachi.

Mr Shah urged Pakhtun leaders, leading different political parities, to come forward and forge unity among their ranks on one-point agenda of safeguarding Pakhtun’s financial and political sovereignty and securing a dignified place for them in the society.—Correspondent

Man kills son

NOWSHERA, May 26:  A man was killed allegedly by his father over a property dispute in the Armoured Colony here on Saturday. The victim was identified as Sikander Hayat. His mother Raj Begum lodged an FIR at the Nowshera Kalan police station.—Correspondent