KOHAT: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has issued show-cause notices to 20 office-bearers for violating the party’s constitution and supporting an independent candidate vying for the Kohat tehsil mayor seat.

The standing committee on accountability and discipline, PTI secretariat, has issued the show-cause notices, saying these office-bearers had violated the party’s constitution and were liable to be proceeded against under the relevant laws.

In the show-cause notices, the committee chairman said the PTI had received a letter in which the said office-bearers allegedly violated the party’s constitution by allegedly supporting an independent party candidate.

He directed them to reply to the show-cause notice and clear your positions.

It merits a mention here that majority of PTI workers and office-holders are supporting Shafi Jan, who is running the city mayor slot as an independent candidate after he had been denied party ticket in the general elections twice.

In a separate development, the Awami National Party has announced support to the Pakistan Peoples Party’s candidate for the Kohat tehsil mayor in return for PPP’s backing of its contender for the Darra Adamkhel mayor’s slot. The decision was announced at a press conference on Sunday by ANP district coordinator Dr Safdar along with PPP district president Qazi Sajid and secretary general Abdul Manan.

The electoral alliance was made possible after weeklong deliberations at the district level, PPP candidate for city mayor slot Abdur Rauf Advocate told Dawn on Sunday.

COVID SAMPLING COUNTERS: Orakzai deputy commissioner Mohammad Asif Raheem has directed the management of Ghiljo and Mishti Mela hospitals to relocate Covid-19 blood sampling counters from the coronavirus wards.

He issued the directives during a visit to the two hospitals. He asked the staff to allocate separate rooms for taking Covid-19 samples. He said extreme care should be taken about the cleanliness at hospitals. Mr Raheem said OPDs should remain opened 24/7 to facilitate the patients. He asked the hospitals’ administration to ensure sufficient availability of medicines at the facilities.

GARBAGE AROUND FOOD STREET: Social and business circles have demanded of the authorities to take notice of unhygienic conditions at the Food Street in the Old Bus Stand and serving of substandard food to customers.

Haji Abid Khan, Jamaat-i-Islami Kohat emir and chairman of grand business alliance, and social worker Esar Bangash said garbage lied scattered around the eateries. They lamented that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority, the tehsil municipal administration and the police were not taking action against owners of eateries for not observing cleanliness.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2021