LANDI KOTAL: The elders of Kukikhel tribe in Jamrud sub-division of Khyber tribal district stopped forcibly work on expansion of Ghundi Pump House irrigation canal as a protest against the design of the channel.

In a jirga held at Pump House on Thursday, the Kukikhel elders including Malak Naseer Ahmad, Malak Sher Shah and others expressed reservations over the proposed design for the expansion of the irrigation canal.

They demanded of the department concerned to take them into confidence before execution of the project.

They said that notices were issued to residents of Pump House locality for demolition of their private buildings to pave the way for expansion of the irrigation canal.

They said that no further work on the canal would be allowed till the officials of irrigation department held meaningful negotiations with them and assure them of adequate compensation.

Meanwhile, the district administration on Thursday gave away a cheque of Rs500,000 to the family of a minor child, who was killed in a roof collapse incident in Bara few days ago.

A statement issued from Khyber House said that a minor boy lost his life while a woman was critically injured when the roof of their house in Nala-Malakdin area collapsed due to rain.

Deputy Commissioner Mehmud Aslam Wazir gave away the cheque to the aggrieved family while the injured woman was also admitted to a local hospital.

DEMAND: The central general secretary of Qabayil Tahaffuz Movement, Sardar Asghar Afridi, has demanded recovery of president of the movement, Abu Sufiyan, who was picked up by police near his workplace in Karachi few days ago.

He said that police in Karachi were reluctant to register an FIR about the incident and they also refused to share any information about his whereabouts with them. He said that his organisation would hold a protest demonstration on February 2 if their president was not released.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2020