Shangla  – Construction work on the vital Alpurai Board-to-Puran Road has come to a halt, triggering widespread anger among residents and transporters, who have announced a wheel-jam strike for Friday in protest.

Locals alleged that the contractor had forcibly stopped work on the important road. Despite the suspension, they said, the relevant authorities and district administration had taken no effective action, leaving the public to face severe hardships.

The Alpurai Board-to-Puran Road has long served as a crucial route for the people of the area. However, prolonged delays in its construction and the current deadlock have made life extremely difficult for local residents, commuters, students, patients, and transporters.

“With construction work suspended, the condition of the road is feared to deteriorate further. Daily commuters are facing serious difficulties in travelling, along with additional expenses,” residents said.

Community members added that they had repeatedly brought the issue to the attention of relevant departments and officials, but no permanent solution had been provided so far.

Protesters argued that if a contractor or construction company halts work on any development project, the concerned department and administration should immediately take notice and provide relief to the public.

Announcing their next course of action, residents and transporters said that if construction work on the Board-to-Puran Road was not resumed immediately, a wheel-jam strike would be observed on Friday. They appealed to all drivers, transporters, and local residents to participate in the protest.

“The time for silence is over. If we do not raise our voice today for our basic rights and facilities, we will continue to face the same situation in the future,” the protesters said.

They clarified that the purpose of the protest was not to target any individual or institution, but to demand the immediate resumption of road construction and an end to the hardships faced by the public.

The demonstrators urged the relevant departments, district administration, and elected political representatives to take immediate notice of the matter. They demanded that the progress of the road project and the reasons for the halt in work be made public and that responsibility be fixed.

“Citizens have the right to be given complete information about development projects, and projects initiated with public funds must be completed on time,” they said.

Raising slogans against the alleged contractor mafia, negligent administration, and incompetent political leadership, the locals warned that if their demands were not met, the scope of the protest would be expanded and a future course of action would be announced after consultation.

The people of the area appealed to drivers, transporters, traders, and other affected citizens to participate in Friday’s protest and wheel-jam strike, saying, “If not now, then when?”

They warned that the relevant authorities must resolve the issue immediately; otherwise, they said, responsibility for any resulting situation would lie with the concerned departments and administration.

khyber  –  An abducted local trader, Muhammad Zareef alias Landay, was safely recovered after 34 days from Sadu Khel village of Landi Kotal tehsil in Khyber district, District Police Officer (DPO) Khyber Waqar Ahmed said on Thursday.

Addressing a news conference at the Landi Kotal Police Station, the DPO, accompanied by the SHO of Landi Kotal Police Station, announced the safe recovery of the trader and the arrest of three suspected kidnappers.

He said Haji Zareef had been abducted on August 7 from outside his newly built house.

Following the registration of an FIR, local police, in coordination with other relevant departments, launched an investigation into the case. The police soon traced the alleged main members of the kidnapping gang, identified as Haji Ahmed, Naveed, Tawab and Noor Kalam. However, the alleged ringleaders remained at large, he added.

The DPO said the police subsequently managed to locate the kidnapped trader through a second layer of the gang’s associates.

Acting on the information, a joint team of police and security agencies conducted a raid on a house in Sadu Khel at around 12:30am on Wednesday night and safely recovered the trader. Three suspected kidnappers — Fayaz, Khayal Badshah alias Gulono, and Umar Ali — were arrested during the operation. DPO Waqar Ahmed praised the SHO of Landi Kotal and other police and security personnel for their tireless efforts, saying their hard work had led to the successful recovery of the kidnapped trader.

Responding to a question, the DPO said the suspects would be brought to justice. He also appealed to the public to trust the police force, saying police personnel were committed to protecting the lives, property, and honour of the people.

Speaking on the occasion, the recovered trader, Haji Zareef, said he had remained in captivity for 34 days, during which he was deprived of food and subjected to severe torture. He said his relatives had initially blamed state institutions, whereas he had actually been abducted by a kidnapping gang.

He thanked the police and other security agencies for rescuing him from the kidnappers.

The relatives of the recovered trader also thanked the police and security agencies for their efforts.

Following the safe recovery of Haji Zareef, his relatives and supporters ended their protest sit-in, which had continued for several days on the Pak-Afghan Highway in Landi Kotal.

Peshawar  –  Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi on Thursday said the province had the largest youth population in the country and abundant talent, stressing that providing young people with better opportunities and facilities would enable them to contribute effectively to national development.

Addressing the Physical Therapy Convention as chief guest at Nishtar Hall, organised by the Pakistan Physical Therapy Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Governor said developed countries attached great importance to physical therapy as an essential component of the healthcare system.

Provincial Minister for Health Khaliq-ur-Rehman, former MPA Nighat Orakzai, Association President Dr Pirzada Khattak, Riphah University Dean Dr Asghar Khan, Khyber Medical University (KMU) Dean Dr Haider Dareen, Rehman Medical Institute Dean Dr Muhammad Bin Afsar, Helping Hand Regional Manager Aminullah, Dr Irfan, and a large number of healthcare professionals and physical therapists attended the convention.

The Governor praised Nighat Orakzai for her efforts to promote physical therapy in the province and acknowledged her role in addressing issues faced by professionals in the field. He assured the participants that every possible effort would be made to resolve the demands of physical therapists and said he would personally advocate for their rights.

Kundi said efforts would also be made to establish an allergy centre in Peshawar on the pattern of the one in Islamabad. He pledged to take up the demand for house jobs for physical therapists with the provincial health minister and Chief Minister.

He said increased investment in the health sector would improve public services and expressed hope that issues relating to new healthcare facilities and the appointment of physical therapists in every district would also be addressed.

The Governor said that despite political differences, he would continue working with the provincial government for the welfare of youth and to resolve the problems faced by physical therapists.

Meanwhile, Governor Kundi, during a visit to the PCSIR Laboratories Complex on University Road, lauded the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) for its contribution to scientific research and industrial development.

Director General PCSIR Sohail Ameer Marwat briefed the Governor on the institution’s establishment, services, research facilities, ongoing Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects, and future plans. The governor was also informed about the performance and services of the Medical Botanical, Material Science, Food Technology, Calibration, Engineering Services, and Dimension Stone centres.

Speaking on the occasion, Governor Kundi appreciated the research and technical contributions of PCSIR scientists and experts, saying the institution was rendering valuable services in the fields of defence, engineering, minerals, cosmetics, and herbal products. He said PCSIR’s research capabilities were playing an important role in promoting the country’s scientific and industrial progress.

The Governor also inspected products developed by various PCSIR centres and praised their quality. He urged the institution to showcase its products at exhibitions across the country to highlight Pakistan’s research and industrial potential.