UPPER DIR: The returning officers have rejected nomination papers of over 300 candidates, including women, for the upcoming local government elections in Upper Dir after scrutiny.

According to the list issued by the district election office, a total of 246 candidates had submitted nomination papers for 32 seats of the district council. Of these, 20 nomination papers were rejected.

Similarly, for four tehsil council member seats 222 nomination papers were filed and 18 of them were rejected while nomination papers of 204 candidates were accepted.

As many as 319 women had also filed nominations for general seats in the district. Of them, papers of 34 women were rejected. Similarly, nomination papers of 57 of 592 peasant and worker candidates were rejected.

Among candidates for the newly-introduced youth seats, 76 youths have to face disappointment, as 466 of 542 youth candidates were given a clean chit for the May 30 LG elections.

The highest number of 1,508 nomination papers had been filed for the village and neighborhood council seats of which125 papers were rejected in the district. A total of 3,731 candidates had filed nominations for the LG elections from May 13 to 17.

WAITING ROOMS: Two newly-established public waiting rooms were inaugurated in Dir Town on Friday which were established by SRSP to facilitate people.

Total 3,731 people had filed papers in Upper Dir district

Deputy commissioner Imran Hameed Sheikh and deputy operational commander Col Saqib also attended the inaugural ceremony. People, especially women, had been facing problems as they waited for hours at roadsides in the congested areas of Dir bazaar.

On the public demand, Mr Skeikh advised SRSP for establishing the waiting rooms where people could protect themselves from rain and hot weather. Afterwards, the waiting rooms were established at the congested places near the BISP office and Parao Pul.

The DC said that the bazar union and rich people should come forward to take part in establishing such waiting rooms at other places to facilitate people.

ENROLMENT DRIVE: A month-long special enrolment campaign “Ghar Aaya Ustaad” has concluded in the Upper Dir district.

District education officer Jehan Mohammad said that a uniform education system was being adopted by the provincial government as they had introduced English medium from grade-1 in the government schools to restore public trust in the government education system.

He was speaking at a seminar organised in connection with “Ghar Aaya Ustaad”, an enrolment campaign for out-of-school children, in the government schools here, according to a statement on Friday. The campaign was conducted from April 1 to 30.

Principals, headmasters and head teachers of the higher, high, middle and primary schools, National Commission for Human Development (NCHD), Upper Dir, GM Nasru Minallah, district programme manager Mohammad Saud and others attended the seminar.

The DEO asked the teachers to continue their efforts for bringing the out-of-school children to schools.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2015

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