DERA ISMAIL KHAN: During a crackdown on illegal currency exchanges on Friday, the Federal Investigation Agency, Dera region, arrested five persons and recovered foreign and local currency from their possession.

FIA Dera deputy director Abdul Hai Khan Babar in a statement said the crackdown was launched on operators of hawala-hundi on the directives of FIA, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa director Nisar Ahmad Khan Tanoli.

He said on a tip-off an FIA team raided a gas agency on the Diyal Road and recovered 18,150 Saudi Riyals and Rs138,000 from two accused, Abubakar and Abuzar. He said they were arrested and FIRs registered against them.

In another action, he said a team arrested Badshah Noor and Jehan Zeb and recovered Rs255,000 from them during a raid on their shop in Pir Gilani Market.

In the third raid made on a jeweller’s shop, the FIA team recovered Rs300,000, 110 Saudi Riyals and 10 UAE Dirham from Akhtar Rahim.

He was also arrested an FIR registered against him.

PROTEST: Pensioners of Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, staged a demonstration at the GPO Chowk on Friday against non-payment of pensions.

President of government employees’ union Pir Abbas Chughtai, social worker Saleem Shahzad Miankhel and former MPA Shaista Khan Baloch also participated in the demonstration to show solidarity with the pensioners.

The protesters were carrying placards and banners inscribed with their demands. The pensioners said they been unpaid for last 14 months. They said they were unable to meet education expenditures of their children and had to sell household items to make both ends meet.

The protesters alleged the varsity was being stuffed with political appointments, pushing it into financial crisis.

They threatened to protest outside the Governor’s House in Peshawar if their pensions were not paid immediately.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2023