MANSEHRA: The federal government has included the newly-created Upper and Lower Kohistan in the national housing and population census’s second phase scheduled to begin on April 25.

“We have finalised preparations for the holding of census in the two districts (Upper and Lower Kohistan). All activities will be executed and monitored through a control room set up in Dasu,” Upper Kohistan deputy commissioner Mohammad Asif told reporters here on Wednesday.

The local government elections didn’t take place in the two districts due to their creation by the bifurcation of Kohistan.

The DC said Kolai-Palas, whose district status was approved by the provincial cabinet in the month but had yet to be notified, would be considered part of Kohistan district and that the housing and population census would be carried out there, too.

1,000 enumerators, army personnel each to take part in exercise beginning on April 25

He said staff members had been posted to the Dasu control room. Mr Asif said he would oversee the entire exercise of the census in the region.

He said Kohistan had been divided into 1,151 blocks and 244 circles for census in which around 1,000 enumerators and army personnel each would take part.

The DC said 909 teams having 10 percent extra staff members at their disposal had been formed, while three assistant commissioners and 42 superintendents would monitor the census activities in the district.

ACCIDENT CLAIMS LIFE: A man was killed and three suffered critical injuries in a road accident in Attershiaha area of Mansehra district on Wednesday.

The accident occurred after a passenger jeep bound for Balakot collided head-on with a speeding pickup van leaving Zainul Abideen, Mohammad Yasir, Mazhar Hussain Shah and Muqarab Shah seriously injured.

The injured were taken to the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital, where the doctors declared Zainul Abideen dead.

The body was handed over to the family after postmortem. The police registered a case and began investigation to ascertain the cause of the accident.

PK-54 BY-POLL IN MAY: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday announced that the by-election for the PK-54, Mansehra, seat would be held on May 10.

The seat had fallen vacant after the Peshawar High Court disqualified PML-N MPA Mian Ziaur Rehman over fake degree. A circular issued by the ECP said the by-election was being held in light of the court’s judgment.

The former MPA has already challenged his disqualification in the Supreme Court. The constituency consists of Balakot tehsil. The by-election for PK-62 Kohistan seat, which had fallen vacant after the resignation of JUI-F MPA Maulana Asmatullah, will also take place the same day.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2017