KOHAT: Orakzai has become the first district in the Kohat division, where the first digital census has been completed, rectifying a major anomaly committed in the 2017 exercise, which had declared Bulandkhel area comprising five blocks as part of Shewa tehsil of neighbouring North Waziristan, an official said on Friday.

Talking to Dawn, Anwar Shah, coordinator of the 7th digital population and housing census for Orakzai, said the Bulandkhel issue was resolved during a meeting of the officials of Hangu, Kohat and North Waziristan administrations.

He said as per the report of the divisional census in-charge, a total of 54,532 households were listed in the district. Mr Shah said the census results were expected to be announced in June.

Meanwhile, talking to Dawn on telephone, Orakzai deputy commissioner Tayyab Abdullah termed the successful completion of the census as a positive development as it would provide accurate and reliable data for better planning and resource allocation. He said the census exercise was concluded within the stipulated time.

He said a census support centre was established under the supervision of assistant commissioner, revenue, Asfandyar Khalid, and officials from the relevant departments played a vital role in the smooth conduct of the census.

BAN: Kohat deputy commissioner Dr Azmatullah on Friday banned kite flying with chemical and metal string for 60 days.

According to a statement, the order was issued as there was a likelihood of human casualties and damage to electrical wires due to kite flying with chemical or metal string.

Mr Azmatullah urged people to comply with the order and refrain from kite flying during this period, warning violators of the ban would be dealt with strictly under the law.

MAYOR CRITICISED: Opposition members of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in the Kohat tehsil council on Friday outright rejected a resolution passed by what they said a few members of the house against functioning of a private fruit market in the district.

In a statement issued here, PTI members Qaiser Khan, Haji Ayub, Shah Hussain, Raees Khan and Abid Ali condemned city mayor Qari Sher Zaman of JUI-F for calling only four members of PTI out of 25 and conducting the house without its convener.

They criticised the tehsil council for overstepping its mandate and interfering into a matter solely related to the tehsil municipal administration. They said the matter regarding the fruit market had been pending in courts.

They alleged the mayor got the resolution passed through forced voting. They also accused the city mayor of distributing free flour on the basis of personal like and dislike.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2023