SOUTH WAIZRISTAN: The leaders of a political alliance expressed reservations over relocating the courts of lower judiciary from the district to Dera Ismail Khan.

Addressing a press conference at Wana Press Club the other day, the leader of Wana Political Alliance Ayaz Wazir, and the lawyers’ community leader Nawab Ali advocate said that the courts of Lower South Waziristan and Upper South Waziristan were being shifted to Tank, approximately 120 km away from Wana, which would create numerous difficulties to both lawyers and residents.

They stressed that the people of these areas were already facing hardships in accessing justice, and warned that relocating the courts to Dera Ismail Khan would lead to severe backlash from the locals.

Sources said that the courts of South Waziristan and Tank are being shifted to Dera Ismail Khan due to security concerns.

This decision comes after an attack on two district judges in Tank district on August 2, in which two police personnel were martyred.

STRIKE ENDS: Employees of district headquarters hospital, Wana, Lower South Waziristan, ended a month-long strike after the provincial government released an amount of Rs130 million for payment of salaries.

Medical superintendent district headquarters hospital Wana Dr Hammad Mahmood confirmed that doctors, paramedics, and class-IV employees of the hospital had ended their strike following release of funds to the hospital.

He added that salaries of doctors, paramedical staff and class-IV employees had been withheld for the last four months, which led to the strike.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2024