KOHAT: Denouncing false promises of providing category ‘A’ equipment to the KDA Teaching Hospital, protesters took out mock funerals of local lawmakers and placed their coffins at Kutcheri Chowk here on Thursday.

They gathered on the call of Tahaffuz-i-Kohat Movement at the Tehsil Gate and marched through the main bazaar and reached the Kutcheri Chowk. They placed the token coffins of the elected representatives at the chowk.

The gathering was addressed by area elders Haider Wakeel, Saeed Akhtar Paracha, Zahid Durrani, Azam Chacha, Farhat Paracha, Nadeem Shehzad and others.

They said that it was a shame for the government as there was its state minister, adviser and senator from Kohat, but the health facilities were not available to the people. They termedit a sheer negation of a health emergency.

They regretted that despite several promises made by the elected representatives, the facilities at the hospital were not being upgraded.

They recalled that during last protest the state minister and adviser had asked the deputy commissioner to listen to their problems especially referral of patients and resolve all the problems. The DC had promised that equipment would reach soon, but months had passed without any positive development.

They warned that if this time the problems were not resolved they would stage protests in front of the residences of the elected representatives.

BRIEFING: Officials at a briefing to Orakzai district deputy commissioner Wasil Khan Khattak have termed the denial of internet facility since merger a major hurdle to the development of the area.

According to an official statement, he was told that the delaying tactics by the PTCL was the biggest hurdle in connecting the tribesmen and private sectors with the outside world.

Mr Khattak was chairing a meeting the other day which was also attended by commandant Orakzai Col Zakir.

RIFT IN PML-N: Former tehsil nazim Taimoor Khan, former state minister Abbas Afridi, district president Sher Khan and a number of other leaders have boycotted the function of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz provincial president Amir Muqam, showing their annoyance over party affairs.

Talking to this correspondent, a prominent party leader confided that Afridi brothers wanted to enforce their superiority over the local people, which was not acceptable to them.

Similarly, Mr Muqam and group did not want to allow Abbas Afridi to come to the front, considering him a threat to his provincial leadership.

Mr Muqam has, meanwhile, asked the workers to launch membership campaign in the newly-merged frontier regions and tribal districts.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2020