LOWER DIR: Scores of political workers and elders joined Awami National Party here on Friday.

They made the decision during a function held in Timergara. ANP candidates for NA-7 Zahid Khan, PK-16 Malik Sajjad Yousafzai, PK-14 Malik Mohammad Zeb and others spoke on the occasion.

The elders of Mohmand community living in the area announced they would support the ANP candidates in the district.

The speakers said ANP couldn’t run its campaign during the 2018 elections as it was the victim of terrorism.

They said the ANP government from 2008 to 2013 had completed record development projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

They said people of Dir had never voted for the party, but despite that its lawmakers worked for their uplift.

They said former senator Zahid Khan had provided natural gas to different areas and spread a network of roads. They asked the people to vote for ANP if they wanted their area developed.

Meanwhile, ANP senior vice-president Hussain Shah Yousafzai withdrew in favour of the party candidate Zahid Khan for NA-7.

Talking to reporters, he said he had some reservations on the award of tickets, but the ANP provincial chief along with other party leaders visited his residence and convinced him to withdraw his papers. He said he was a worker of Bacha Khan and would remain so.

BOOK FAIR: A two-day street book fair concluded here the other day.

Additional assistant commissioner Hazrat Bilal along with other officials visited the fair on the last day.

He asked the visitors to take book reading as their hobby instead of wasting time on social media.

District youth officer Shehzad Tariq told reporters that hundreds of book lovers visited the fair, and more than 1,000 books were sold.

He said the youth affairs department would continue motivating youth and students to involve in positive activities.

He also lauded the efforts of the district administration and the National Book Foundation for facilitating his department in arranging the event.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2024