Road blocked to protest senior cop transfer

LAKKI MARWAT: The members of the civil society and people in general on Monday blocked the Indus Highway against the transfer of a senior police officer allegedly on political grounds.

Led by the Awami National Party provincial council member Malik Riaz and district president Malik Ali Sarwar, the protesters blocked the highway at the Gandi Chowk for two hours. They burnt old tyres on the road and chanted slogans against the KP government. Speaking on the occasion, Malik Riaz Khan, Malik Ali Sarwar, Farmanullah, Mamraiz Khan and others flayed the provincial government for making tall claims of introducing justice and merit in the country and terrorism-affected province.

Malik Riaz said the PTI leaders never get tired of talking of bringing about a change but the factual situation was quite the opposite. Other speakers said the political interference in the government departments had marred their functioning, adding was why a senior police officer, Regional Police Officer Abdul Ghafoor Afridi, was transferred just for the sake of a youth who happened to be the son of an advisor to the chief minister. They said such actions had exposed the PTI leadership hollow claims. They said that everyone was fed up with the poor performance of the government. Later, they dispersed peacefully and the road was opened for traffic.

Meanwhile, the traders and shopkeepers at Ghaznikhel Adda protested lack of water and electricity on Monday. The shopkeepers staged a protest, chanting slogans against the provincial government and district administration. Speaking on the occasion, Malik Rafique Ghazni, Malik Gulfaraz, Suhrab Khan, Malik Sharif Khan Jabukhel and others said that there were hundreds of shops at Ghaznikhel Adda where the shopkeepers and traders had been facing problems of drinking water and power for the last 20 years.