Teachers to get promotion

LAKKI MARWAT, Jan 23: The departmental promotion committee of elementary and secondary education department has recommended promotion of about 1,000 male primary schoolteachers to higher pay scale.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the committee on Wednesday chaired by DEO Haji Mir Azam Khan.

After checking the service books and other relevant record of teachers the committee recommended 540 primary schoolteachers for promotion to BPS-15 and 460 to BPS-14.

An official said that notification to this effect would be issued soon. He said that the teachers promoted to BPS-15 would be posted in primary schools as head teachers.

Meanwhile, different teachers’ organisations have thanked the promotion committee for recommending teachers’ promotion. —Correspondent

Garbage dumps irk residents

ABBOTTABAD Jan 23: Residents have complained that garbage dumps have appeared along the streets in Abbottabad city after the TMA was changed into municipal committee under the new local government law.

Huge dumps of garbage can be seen in Kehal, Kunj, Malik Pura and other parts of the city as the sanitation staff has abandoned work after the change in the administrative system.

The residents said different parts of the city were also facing acute shortage of drinking water for the last 15 days as three tube-wells out of six had ceased to work.

They said the authorities failed to take notice of the growing civic problems in the city. —Correspondent

Protesters block road

KARAK, Jan 23: The people of Isak Chountra, Dabb Sangeni and Sarat Khel areas took out a procession on Wednesday to protest against the use of poor quality material in the construction of a road to their area.

The protesters marched on Karak-Sabirabad road and blocked it to traffic at the Niazi Well chowk.

Speakers said the road which had been reconstructed two months ago had developed big potholes and ditches. They said they had complained time and again to provincial Minister Mian Nisar Gul to take notice of the issue but he ignored it as the contractor was one of his supporters.

They threatened to launch a protest movement if the concerned department failed to reconstruct the road. Later, the protesters ended the blockade after the deputy commissioner and deputy director communication and works department assured them of addressing their demand. —Correspondent

Backwardness in Lakki

LAKKI MARWAT, Jan 23: PTI central executive council’s member Khan Bahadar Marwat has accused the traditional politicians of being responsible for the backwardness of the district.

Speaking at a public meeting in Dhoda village on Wednesday, the PTI leader said Saifullah brothers and other political elite were deceiving the residents on Kurrum-Tangi dam project for the last several decades. “But influential Saifullahs and other local politicians cannot play with the sentiments of people anymore as they have been exposed to the people,” he maintained.

Local elders Zahir Shah, Haibat Khan and others joined PTI on the occasion. Khan Bahadar Marwat said those who claimed that they were constructing Kurrum-Tangi dam should first make the Marwat canal functional. He said if came to power the PTI will develop the agriculture sector and provide people with drinking water, electricity, health and education facilities. —Correspondent

Girls excel in exams

MANSEHRA, Jan 23: The female students clinched the top three positions in MA English examinations results announced by the Hazara University here on Wednesday. Prof Zok Akhtar, the controller of examinations, announced the results held in 2012, according to a press release.

Noorul Sabba got first position getting 726 marks and Anam Ahmad Khan secured second position with 701 marks. Marium Noor clinched third position with 692 marks.The overall passing percentage remained 30 per cent as 507 students out of 1,709 passed the examinations. —Correspondent

House damaged in blast

KOHAT, Jan 23: A house was damaged in a blast in Hameedullah Banda area of Hangu on Wednesday.

No loss of life was caused in the hand grenade attack at the house of one Shahnawaz, but the building was partially damaged, police said. The Hangu city police said that some unknown people lobbed a hand grenade inside the house which exploded with a big bang causing fear among the inmates. The police said the victim had not lodged the complaint with the police. —Correspondent

Ad hoc lecturers boycott classes

PESHAWAR, Jan 23: Ad hoc lecturers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday announced to start a protest campaign and observe hunger strike against the government for using delaying tactics in regularisation of their services.

The announcement was made by Provincial Ad hoc Lecturers Association (Pala) president Qazi Zafar Iqbal while speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club.

He said they had raised their demands several times but the authorities did not pay heed so far. The government, he said had always shown irresponsible attitude toward lecturers’ demand. “We are protesting for our legitimate rights for last several years,” said Mr Iqbal “We will continue protest campaign till acceptance of our demands, which could be further intensified by taking extreme steps,” he threatened.

Mr Iqbal said most of teachers were highly qualified and well-experienced. —Bureau Report

Phone tower blown up

GHALANAI, Jan 23: Unidentified militants blew up a tower of a cellular phone company in Safi tehsil of Mohmand tribal region on Wednesday.

Officials said the miscreants planted explosives to the tower of the phone company and blew it up. The explosion destroyed the control room and disrupted the cell phone service in the area.

An official of the political administration said three other improvised explosive devices planted near the tower were safely defused by the security forces. —Correspondent