DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Relief items, including wheat flour, rice, ghee, pulses, dates, sugar, salt, tea, tents and hygiene kits were distributed among flood-hit people here on Sunday by a Qatar charity.

The relief items were distributed to the families of Kahawarr, Korri Jamal, Garah Tar Khuba, Kot Musa, Moga, Chaudhwan, Garah Naihr and Maru villages.

Charity’s field coordinator Sajjad Khan told Dawn that the organisation had conducted a comprehensive assessment process before launching relief distribution. He said more than 1,100 families were provided with relief items under the flood response project.

He said relief items were also being provided to the victims in Charsadda, Nowshera and Swat. He said the charity would continue working for flood-hit people with the generous support of donors.

ROBBERS ARRESTED: The police have arrested a four-member gang of robbers and recovered motorcycles, cash and pistols from their possession, a police spokesman said on Sunday.

He said the gang was involved in street crimes in Sheikh Yousaf Adda, Grid Road, Chashma Road, Bannu Road and some other areas falling in the limits of Saddar police station.

On public complaints about rising crime rate in the city and surroundings, district police officer Najamul Hasnain Liaquat had constituted a raiding team led by DSP Saddar circle Hafiz Mohammad Adnan, the spokesman said, adding the robbers were identified as Arshad, Nadeem, Ramzan and Abid, residents of Budhani and Kukar villages.

The police also recovered Rs350,000 cash from them, he added.

During the preliminary investigation, the arrested men confessed to the crimes.

Cases were registered against them and further investigation began.

It merits a mention here that snatching of motorcycles and mobile phones is on the increase in the district.

The people complain lack of policing in the city and surroundings is a major cause behind the rising street crime.

Zulfiqar Ali Khan, a citizen, said earlier petty criminals used to strike at night, but now they were mugging people in broad daylight.

He lamented that the law enforcement agencies were unmoved.

Owners of mobile shops in the city said robbers struck at their outlets at will, depriving them of cash and valuables at gunpoint. They also complained about dysfunctional streetlights in the city.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2022