LOWER DIR: The workers of all the component parties of the centrally ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on Sunday staged a ‘peace and integrity’ rally here.

The protesters were led the alliance’s Lower Dir president MPA Haji Bahadar Khan. They carried banners and placards inscribed with slogans for peace and integrity of the country. They walked on the roads and gathered at the Gorgorai Chowk in Timergara city.

MPA Bahadar Khan, PPP leader Malik Azmat Khan, ANP’s senior vice-president Hussain Shah Yousafzai, former provincial minister Muzafar Said Advocate, Timergara tehsil council chairman Mufti Irfanuddin, JUI-F’s Qazi Ayazuddin, PPP district president Mehmood Zeb Khan, PML-N district general secretary Sardar Javed Akhtar Advocate and others spoke.

They demanded of the district administration and law enforcement agencies to take concrete steps for curbing lawlessness and acts of terrorism in the district.

They said the nation would never hesitate to sacrifice their lives for the sake of durable peace.

The speakers condemned the PTI leadership’s ‘anti-establishment’ statements and ‘derogatory’ language against the army leadership. They said the PTI wanted to ‘destabilise’ the country. The speakers said peace was necessary for socioeconomic development of the country.

They said the PDM leadership would support the establishment if it really proved its neutrality in future.

OPD OPENS: The Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD) country director Saleem Mansori has asked the government institutions and all segments of society to play role in rehabilitation of differently able children so they could become useful citizens.

He was addressing a function after inaugurating out-patients department and comprehensive rehabilitation centre for the community at the HHRD centre in Talash the other day.

Some differently able children presented national songs and speeches and got applause from the audience.

Mr Mansori said HHRD was providing relief and rehabilitation facilities to special children in 88 districts of the country. He said the OPD service and the provision of modern equipment to its Talash centre would help reduce the hardships of special children in Lower Dir.

He said the centre would also provide diagnostic facilities to senior citizens suffering from backache, spinal injury and paralysed body.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2022