MANSEHRA: Chairman of the Battal neighbourhood council Hizbullah Khan on Thursday announced his exit from the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to join the PTI-Parliamentarians.

Mr Khan was arrested by the police from his house in Battal area here earlier this month along with former PTI MNA from the federal capital Ali Nawaz Awan.

“After remaining an active part of the PTI for a long time, I’ve quit it now,” he told a gathering in Battal area here.

The council chairman joined the PTI-Parliamentarians after seeing his chairman and former chief minister, Pervez Khattak, in Islamabad.

He claimed he wasn’t under “pressure from any quarters” to part ways with the PTI and side with the PTI-P.

“I have joined this new party [PTI-P] following in the footsteps of my close friend and former MNA from Mansehra Salah Mohammad Khan,” he said.

Mr Khan said the PTI-P would work for the development of the country, especially KP.

Meanwhile, former PTI information secretary for Hazara division Ajmal Khan Swati has said if his party doesn’t award an election ticket to him for Mansehra town’s provincial assembly constituency, he will contest an independent candidate.

Mr Swati told reporters that the PTI’s district chapter had dispatched the names of four to five aspirants to the parliamentary board with his recommendations for Mansehra district’s two National Assembly and five provincial assembly constituencies.

POWER SUPPLY: Local body members and other residents on Thursday demanded electric supply to Mera Madakhel area of Torghar district.

“Our village doesn’t have electric supply, so its only rural health centre is without equipment and machines to the misery of residents,” youth councillor of Mera Madakhel village council Fazl Wahid told reporters.

Accompanied by a group of locals, he complained the village lacked basic necessities of life, including electric supply, schools, roads, and health centres.

The councillor said the people’s repeated requests to authorities for the resolution of their issues fell on deaf ears.

He said the rural health centre didn’t have minor diagnostic services and treatment and even oxygen cylinders.

“If the government provides three power poles, a 50KV power transformer and 500 meters wires, the RHC, schools and other government entities can get electric supply to operate machines and equipment,” he said.

NEW SUBDIVISION: The police department has declared the Balakot-Babusar Top area here a new subdivision.

“The inspector general of police has ordered the upgrade of Balakot and Oghi areas as the police subdivision to effectively fight crimes and provide foolproof security to tourists in the winter,” DPO Zahoor Babar Afridi told the inaugural ceremony for the newly-built offices in Balakot.

He said the new police subdivision would cover the area from Damgalla to Babusar Top, which borders Gilgit-Baltistan.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2023