LOWER DIR: Hundreds of residents of the Maidan area here took to the streets against the ‘growing’ incidents of militancy, and demanded the arrest of the killers of a cleric, Sheikh Inamullah.

The residents held the protest on the call of the Maidan Amn Committee.

Former MPA and committee president Saeed Gul, Akhunzada Saeedullah, Jamaat-i-Islami’s Youth Wing district president Ateequr Rehman, district president Al-Khidmat Foundation Hafeezullah Khaksar, PTI’s Salam Khan, PML-N’s Jehan Zada and others alleged that militants were regrouping, but people of Maidan would never allow them to disturb peace.

They said Sheikh Inamullah was killed and his brother injured when unknown miscreants attacked them when they were going to offer morning prayers in the Barghando area of Maidan a few days ago.

They said the police had failed to arrest the killers, which had spread a sense of insecurity among residents. The speakers said peace in the area was being disturbed again. They asked police and other security agencies to trace the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, a jirga of elders here the other day resolved a feud between two families in Mirgam Bala area of Maidan.

Families of Farman Khan and Shani Mohammad had been running a dispute for the last eight months, which also claimed a life.

Special assistant to chief minister on population welfare and development, Malik Liaqat ali, former MPA Saeed Gul, JI Youth Wing president Ateequr Rehman, and others spoke at the jirga.

They said people were fed up with the judicial system, and stressed the importance of jirga in Pakhtun society.

Power outages: Power consumers in Baroon, Rani, Koto Hajiabad and Gosum areas here the other day staged rallies against prolonged and unscheduled power outages.

The protesters blocked the Timergara-Chitral Road in Rani area for about three hours, chanting slogans against the Peshawar Electric Supply Company high ups.

The people also blocked the road for some time in front of the deputy commissioner’s office in Balambat.

The protesters complained about unscheduled and prolonged power outages in their areas.

The speakers demanded of the federal government to privatise all the power companies as they failed to provide smooth electric supply to consumers.

They said employees of the power companies used free electricity, while consumers were subjected to pay exorbitant bills despite hours’ long outages.

Later, some protesters also staged a demonstration outside the Timergara Press Club against the administration and police for mishandling protesters in Hajiabad.

PTI village council chairman Abdur Rauf, and others demanded an immediate replacement of Balambat SHO Mahboob Shah for not only abusing the peaceful protesters but also threatening their leaders of dire consequences. They warned to bring people on roads if the SHO was not replaced.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2024