LOWER DIR: Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Qaisar Rashid Khan here on Wednesday asked the Lower Dir administration to take steps for removal of encroachments along the Panjkora and Swat rivers.

He was addressing a function arranged by the District Bar Association, Timergara, after inaugurating the Shaheed Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth Memorial Hall in Balambat as chief guest during his visit to the district.

The function was also addressed by district and sessions judge Mohammad Shuaib, DBA president advocate Shah Faisal, general secretary Rahatullah and others.

Besides others, Peshawar High Court judge Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, Justice Waqar Ahmad of the Swat Circuit Bench, Malakand division Commissioner Zaheerul Islam and judges from Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Bajaur and Chitral were present on the occasion.

Inaugurates Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth Memorial Hall in Balambat

Justice Rashid also planted a sapling at the district bar room and asked the forest and administration officials to take measures for curbing deforestation in the scenic areas. He lauded the services of late Justice Waqar Seth and said he was an honest, devoted and bold judicial officer. He said he had worked with him for 38 years and described his loss as irreparable for the judiciary.

The PHC CJ also asked the Lower Dir deputy commissioner to arrange 100 kanals land for construction of a judicial complex. He showed his displeasure over growing water pollution and presence of illegal crusher plants on the banks of rivers and directed the district administration to take action in this regard.

ROAD INAUGURATED: A newly-constructed PCC road of Landakur village, completed under the Community-Driven Local Development (CDLD) policy with a cost of Rs1.3 million, was inaugurated here the other day.

On this occasion, the residents of Landakur, a remote village of Munda tehsil, urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to regularise services of the staff of CDLD, a policy initiative of the KP government that had been executing small-scale development schemes with the help of the local communities.

Local community-based organisation’s representative Jandar Shah said that former director general of local government Abidullah Kakakhel had also lauded the efforts of the CDLD staff for quality work.

Asif Khan and engineer Umar Khayam of CDLD said the policy was currently being implemented in 13 districts with budgetary support of the KP government and European Union. They said a professional team of 284 staffers had been hired through PTS and NTS tests for the purpose.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2021