MANSEHRA: The Election Commission of Pakistan has served notices on officials of various departments and organisations here seeking their response to the alleged violation of the election law ahead of the second phase of local body polls.
In the notices, ECP district monitoring officer Hayatullah Jan asked Peshawar Electric Supply Company Xen Waseem Abbas, district health officer Dr Mushtaq Tanoli, Nadra zonal assistant director Khurram Shahzad and the Pesco sub-divisional officer (development and construction) to appear before him or send in counsel within three days to clarify their respective positions on the breach of sections 181 and 234(2) of the Elections Act, 2017.
He insisted that the ECP had learned about the installation of poles to supply electricity to Bela Ghazikot area.
Mr Jan asked the DHO to halt the appointment of watchmen in the district declaring the exercise ahead of the LG polls against the law.
ECP asks them to explain position in three days
He directed the Nadra assistant director to postpone the filling of posts until after the local body polls in the province on March 31.
The ECP’s Feb 9, 2022, notification read that transfers, postings, appointments and development schemes won’t be ‘executed, inaugurated, launched or announced’ in the districts, for which the schedule of local body elections had been issued, to ensure impartial and free electoral exercise.
BED CAPACITY: The King Abdullah Teaching Hospital, Mansehra, has increased its bed capacity from 250 to 350 claiming the initiative will improve patient care, said medical superintendent Dr Mohammad Tariq on Wednesday.
The MS told reporters that besides increasing the number of beds in different wards, the hospital had also established an intensive care unit.
He said after better bed capacity, the Kath won’t refer most patients to the Ayub Medical Complex, Abbottabad.
UNNECESSARY CALLS: The Rescue 1122 emergency service has said most of the calls it received in Mansehra district last month were unnecessary.
“The calls made by the people to us [Rescue 1122] in February totalled 21,093 but unfortunately, 20,912 of them were unwarranted,” district emergency officer Hafizur Rehman told reporters on Wednesday.
Mr Rehman said Rescue 1122 had made many appeals and issued warnings to such callers, but to no avail.
He said the service rescued 136 victims of road, fire and other mishaps last month and shifted 180 patients to health facilities in Mansehra and Abbottabad.
The official urged the people not to make unnecessary calls to Rescue 1122.
HELD: The police foiled a bid to smuggle narcotics in an ambulance and arrested two drug traffickers in Lughmani area here on Wednesday.
District police officer Sajjad Khan told reporters that the seized 50kg charas and 5kg opium were being smuggled by Mara Jan and Ghaniur Rehman of Kohat from Peshawar to Balakot.
Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2022