MANSEHRA: Traders refused to pay the newly-imposed “cleanliness tax” to the tehsil municipal administration here on Friday.

“We’re already paying many levies and taxes to the TMA and excise and taxation department, so a new tax in the name of cleanliness is unacceptable,” president of the Lari Adda trader body Zakaria Tariq told a gathering of the business community.

He also said traders had reached the break-even point due to record inflation.

Mr Tariq warned if the TMA tried to collect that tax, traders would observe a complete shutter down strike and stage street protests.

The participants also passed a resolution demanding provision of facilities to traders.

Meanwhile, a group of people on Friday blocked the Oghi-Darband Road here protesting the eviction of tenants from a “disputed” house by its owner.

During the protest in Rashidabad of Oghi tehsil, Alam Zeb claimed that the landlord had driven his family out of the house by force though a court stopped him through a stay order from doing so.

Police officials showed up and allowed tenants to stay the house until the court gave its verdict on the dispute.

KILLED: Two people, including a child, were killed and 10 injured in separate incidents here on Friday.

Mohammad Zakria, 28, fell down from a tree and suffered serious injuries in the Lodhiabad area here.

People shifted him to a nearby health centre but doctors declared him dead.

The incident occurred as Mr Zakria was cutting firewood for household use.

In another incident, Moin Waqas, 6, was run over and killed by a speeding pickup vehicle in the Bohraj area here.

The police registered an FIR and began raids to arrest the driver, who fled after the incident.

Meanwhile, 10 people, including women and children, were seriously injured as thecoach they boarded fell into a ravine along the Hazara Expressway here in Bajna area.

Rescue workers shifted them to the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital, whose doctors referred four of them to the Ayub Medical Complex Abbottabad due to critical condition.

The police said the accident occurred as the driver lost control of the Abbottabad-bound passenger coach due to speeding.

SEALED: The health department on Friday sealed over two dozen unlicensed clinics and pharmacies in Kamila and other areas of Upper Kohistan district.

The action comes on the orders of provincial director-general (drug control and pharmacy services) Dr Abbas Khan and deputy commissioner Irfanullah Mehsud.

“We acted against illegal clinics and pharmacies under the Drug Act, 1976, for threatening people’s life,” district drug inspector Mohammad Ashfaq told Dawn.

He along with Dasu assistant commissioner Hafiz Waqar Ahmad led the crackdown by a joint team of the district administration, police and health department.

Mr Ashfaq said the health department asked medical stores and clinics to maintain medicine records, while warnings of action were issued to those lacking hygiene.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2023