LOWER DIR: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq said on Wednesday that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had bankrupted the province as it had been facing difficulty to pay the salary to its employees. He said the PTI had been in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the last about 10 years, but the people still faced many problems.

Mr Haq was addressing a function arranged at the Government Higher Secondary School, Kambat, here on the retirement of Mohammad Shah Bacha from service as a senior schoolteacher. Mr Bacha was also the provincial chairman of All Government Employees Grand Alliance.

The function was attended by leaders of various teachers’ organisations and area elders who lauded the services of the retiring teacher for his community.

Mr Haq said that due to Mr Bacha’s continuous efforts the government employees of the province secured increase in salary and other benefits.

Calls for electoral reforms before general elections

Addressing another gathering at Anwarabad and talking to mediapersons, the JI chief said rigged elections would never resolve the issues being faced by the nation. He said electoral reforms were necessary before holding the next general elections in the country. He said that a specific quota in the National Assembly seats should be reserved for the overseas Pakistanis.

The JI chief said that all major political parties lacked democracy as none of them had held intra-party elections. He alleged that PML-N, PPP and PTI were led by dictators.

The gathering was also addressed by former MNA SahibzadaYaqub and former MPAs Saeed Gul and Izazul Mulk.

ACCUSED SENTENCED: The court of additional district and sessions judge in Chakdara on Wednesday sentenced an accused identified as Naimatullah, a resident of Koto Balambat, to three years imprisonment along with Rs500,000 fine on his conviction in a case under section 9 (D) KP Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 2019. The accused already in custody was sent to the Timergara district jail.

Meanwhile, Lower Dir police claimed to have arrested three persons in a murder case in Khall police station limits.

District police officer Ikramullah Khan told mediapersons that one Amir Zada was killed at a mountain in Danda Rabat on Dec 10. The Khall police had registered a case against unknown persons on the report of the deceased’s son.

The DPO said that an investigation team traced the accused Rehmat Zeb, Bahadar Khan and Alam Khan, all residents of Danda Rabat, and arrested them within three days.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2022