Industrial units in Fata

KHAR, Oct 9: Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industries vice-president Zubair Ali Khan has urged the government to take urgent steps for restoring industrial units in the militancy-hit areas of Fata.

This he said while speaking at a meeting of local traders during his visit to Bajaur Agency on Tuesday.

Zubair Ali said militancy in the tribal areas had badly affected all sectors of life, including the industrial sector. He said many industrial units in Fata were closed for last several years.

“Most of industrial units in different tribal areas have been damaged and destroyed due to terrorism and military operations,” he said.

“The government should realise the problems of tribesmen and immediately restore all industrial units in tribal areas,” he said. —Correspondent

Incomplete by-pass road

CHITRAL, Oct 9: Former MNA from Chitral Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali and former district nazim Maghfirat Shah have reprimanded the provincial government for inordinate delay in the completion of by-pass road in Chitral.

Addressing a joint press conference here on Tuesday, they alleged the provincial government seemed to have launched the project just to extort money instead of improving the congested road of the city.

They said the road was excavated from Chew bridge to New Bazaar for construction of the by-pass road through which thousands of vehicles passed everyday flying dust into the surroundings, causing trouble for pedestrians and shopkeepers of Krup Risht bazaar.

The local leaders complained that the dust and dirt accumulated in the area was likely to cause diseases, saying shopkeepers and dwellers of the houses nearby were thinking of migrating from the area. —Correspondent  

Payment of dues

LANDI KOTAL, Oct 9: The management of a private company, Water Link, Pakistan, has clarified a news item that appeared in Dawn on Tuesday with regard to non-payment of dues to transporters supplying goods to Nato forces in Afghanistan.

In a statement the company said it had not only cleared the dues to the transporters through its sole logistic provider, it had also facilitated the union of transporters in resolving other payment issues. —Correspondent

Fake degree holders

PESHAWAR, Oct 9: Pakistan Rah-i-Haq Party (PRHP) has demanded of the Supreme Court to proceed against those sitting in the assemblies on fake degrees. The party also demanded action against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Sports Syed Aqil Shah for having a bogus degree.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday, PRHP provincial secretary information Gul Wazir Khan said the provincial sports minister was functioning despite the Election Commission declaring his degree as fake. He maintained that the HEC had also declared his degree as bogus, but the provincial government was not ready to remove him.

Mr Wazir said the fake degree holders were a stigma on the face of politics because they not only cheated voters but also blatantly violated the constitution. —Bureau Report

Doctors want jobs regularised

PESHAWAR, Oct 9: The doctors, serving on ad hoc basis in different healthcare centres in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Tuesday set up a protest camp outside Peshawar Pres Club against the government for what they said using delaying tactics to regularise their services.

The protesting doctors led by Dr Irfan and Dr Abid were holding placards and banners calling for regularisation of their services.

They said more than 500 doctors had been serving on ad hoc basis for a long period in different teaching hospitals and periphery health facilities in the province but the government was not ready to solve their demands.

They feared that the government had planned to sack them, which they said, would be unjust and an unwise step on part of rulers. —Bureau Report