KOHAT: The social and business circles here have demanded removal of barriers placed between the old bus stand and heavily-populated Junglekhel, which cause problems to the women and motorcyclists.

They also demanded expansion of the narrow road from Kutcheri Chowk to PAF Cinema. Long queues of vehicles could be seen on the narrow artery from 9am to 7pm.

Dr Hashim of Junglekhel and local chief of Jamaat-i-Islami Haji Abid Khan, who is also head of the businessmen grand alliance, said in a statement that the bus stand had been shifted to the Bannu Road, therefore, there was no need of placing the barriers.

They said that motorcyclists used the route as a short-cut between the two one-ways to avoid the detour from distant Peshawar and Martyrs squares. They said that a large number of motorcyclists and people moved between the bazaar and Junglekhel from the point where there was no warden to control the traffic.

SHOPS SEALED: The district administration here on Saturday sealed 18 shops, fined 43 people and registered cases against seven shopkeepers for violating the lockdown and standard operating procedures devised for containing Covid-19.

The action was taken when assistant commissioner Talha Zubair visited the Rawalpindi Road, Bannu Road, Togh Bala and checked the implementation of the SOPs and lockdown. He also appealed to the people to follow the guidelines to protect themselves from coronavirus.

Meanwhile, house of a rickshaw driver caved in due to the Friday’s heavy rain in Malangabad area here on Saturday.

Area people said that the room and boundary wall of the house collapsed due to rain. However, the inmates remained safe. The rickshaw driver has appealed to the government and philanthropists for monetary help to build his house.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2021