LAKKI MARWAT: Elders of Qaumi Ittehad Jhandukhel have threatened to boycott the coming elections if the government does not address their demands like ending excessive power outages, providing gas and irrigation water.

Speaking at a news conference at Bannu Press Club on Monday, Matiullah Khan, Abdullah Shah, Khalid Khan, Sayyad Khan, Umar Niaz and others said elected representatives had ignored their area in the uplift projects for last 75 years.

They said the political elite always grabbed votes to reach the power corridors, but did not think about their betterment.

“The people are facing numerous problems, including power outages and non-availability of gas facility,” claimed an elder. He said the entire locality was lacking the gas facility though a pipeline was passing through it.

The elders also blasted the authorities for snail paced work on a road.

They also demanded provision of irrigation water, saying unavailability of sufficient water had turned their fertile lands into barren ones.

Meanwhile, a man was killed over a family dispute in Ghoriwala area of Bannu district, the police said on Monday.

They said the deceased, identified as Rehmzad, was a retired army soldier, and was employed at a local woolen mill.

They said the suspects, including Ikramullah, Asgharullah and Mubashirullah, escaped the scene after shooting Rehmzad dead.

The police said the body was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital for autopsy, and a case was registered against the killer.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2023