Non-payment of compensation: Filling stations owners from North Waziristan stage protest

PESHAWAR: The owners of filling stations from North Waziristan staged a protest here on Sunday against non-payment of compensation.

Holding banners and placards inscribed with different demands, the protesters gathered near the Peshawar Press Club and chanted slogans in favour of their demands.

They said 69 petrol pumps had been destroyed during operation Zarb-e-Azb. The authorities concerned had promised to pay compensation for the damaged properties but the promise was yet to be fulfilled.

They demanded the government and authorities concerned to provide them with compensation so that they could revive their business and feed their families.

The fuel pumps owners during a press conference had also announced closing down their pumps and marching towards Islamabad if their demands were not met.

They had also warned of boycotting the July 20 polls for the provincial assembly seats as a protest against non-payment of the compensation.

The affected owners said they had postponed the earlier protest plan for June 20 on the district administration assurance that the issue would be taken on a higher level but no progress was made in this connection and the affected owners were yet to be paid the compensation.

96kg hashish & opium seized, 3 held

The police during an action arrested three alleged smugglers and recovered 68 kilograms of hashish and 28kgs of opium on Sunday.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Suburb, Syed Atiq Shah, told a press conference that acting over a tip-off, the cops intercepted two cars in the limits of Bhanamari Police Station. The official said during the search, the police recovered 68kg of hashish and 28kg of opium from the vehicles.

The official said three alleged smugglers Tariq Aziz, Shafqatullah and Ajmal were arrested.

He added the drug was being smuggled from Khyber district to Punjab.

Obituary

Wife of Prof Dr Zahid Askar, head of Orthopaedic Department, Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) and Khyber Medical College (KMC), died on Saturday after a prolonged illness. People from different walks of life, most of them from the medical profession, attended her funeral prayer offered at the Phase-II Hayatabad, Peshawar on Sunday. The body was later transported to Mardan, where she was laid to rest at the family graveyard.