KOHAT: The danger of destruction to crops by locusts has been averted after the teams of agriculture department sprayed insecticides in the affected areas here on Hangu Road.

Director of agriculture department, Kohat, Zahir Ullah Khattak said that they sprayed the plains of Mian Garhi, Mohammadzai areas and fields at the base of mountain in Alizai in the district.

However, he said that whole of Orakzai district had been engulfed by locusts, which could not be killed because of mountainous topography of the area.

He said that the cloudy weather in Kohat helped them a lot as locust could not fly and sat on ground and it was easy to kill them by spray.

Mr Khattak said that a swarm of over 300,000 locusts had attacked Kohat, but it seemed that they had killed their king which they followed. The locusts naturally sense it through their sensors from up to one mile that the king had died after which they disperse and die, he added.

REVENUE COURT: The people of Lachi tehsil presented their problems regarding collective land and illegal constructions at the open revenue court held by deputy commissioner retired Capt Abdur Rehman on Thursday.

It was attended by assistant commissioner, Lachi tehsil, Mohammad Ali, tehsildar, patwaris and people from Mandori, Lachi town, Rehmanabad, Shakardarra, Darmalak and other nearby areas.

The people said that their collective property was not being divided and illegal constructions not removed from their land. After hearing the complaints, the deputy commissioner ordered the revenue staff to present each case in the office of assistant commissioner with proofs so that they could be sorted out within days.

JOINED PTI: Some disgruntled local leaders of Awami National Party, Pakistan Peoples Party and JUI-F, led by Sabir Siddique, joined Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf at a ceremony here on Thursday.

Adviser to the chief minister on information technology MPA Ziaullah Khan Bangash welcomed them into the party. They included Riaz Hasrat from PPP, leaders of minority wing Yaqoob William and Samsoon Roshan from ANP and others.

Mr Bangash said on the occasion that joining of leaders from other parties had proved that people were satisfied with the policies of PTI government.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2020