Kohat remote controlled blast at election office kills five

Source The News

At least five persons were killed and 21 wounded in an explosion at an election office at Kacha Pucca located on Orakzai Agency-Kohat border on Sunday morning, Geo News reported.

Police said that the explosion occurred at the joint-office of an independent election candidate for NA-39, Syed Noor Akbar from Orakzai Agency and ANP candidate for Kohat NA-14, Khurshid Begum. Both the candidates remained safe in the explosion.

DSP Mushtaque Hussain said that the blast was a result of a remote controlled explosion containing ten-kilogram explosives.

Following the blast, security forces immediately sealed the Kohat-Hangu Road and started search operation.

Kohat residents protest contaminated water

Source The News

Residents in Kohat city staged protest against the supply of contaminated water to the households in the area as worms are being spotted on regular basis in the potable water.

The protesting dwellers of Mohallah Barkatullah, Main Bazaar, Mohallah Zargaran, Parachgan Street, Tehsil Gate and other localities of the city were chanting slogans against the tehsil municipal administrator.

The residents said that due to the old and rusting pipelines, they were being provided contaminated water and they have been observing worms in drinking water for the last couple of months.

They said that due to the use of polluted water, children particularly those using the substandard water in schools have been catching various diseases. The residents said they had registered their complaints time and again in writing with the tehsil municipal officer, but no action has been taken to date.

Kohat: Three killed, four injured in separate road accidents

Source Express Tribune

Three people were killed when a truck collided with a motorcycle on Indus Highway in Gandyali area of Kohat on Wednesday.

Gambat police official Zafarullah Khan said two brothers Ali Akbar and Sadiq Akbar were travelling on a motorcycle along with their cousin Syed Nawaz when a speeding truck heading to Kohat city hit them.

The unidentified truck driver escaped while the injured died on the way to hospital.

In another road accident, a passenger van heading to Hangu from Peshawar flipped due to over speeding on Hangu Road, injuring four passengers.

Cantonment police official Amjid Hussain said the van turned on its side near the Muhammadzai area and the injured passengers were taken to Kohat Divisional Hospital. They were administered first aid and later discharged.

Separate cases have been filed against the truck and van driver.

Constituency Analysis - Kohat Division

Source Pakistan Today

The political atmosphere of the Kohat division is strikingly different from that of Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan (DIK) due to internal conflict within the ranks of a few political parties. Not a single political force can presently claim to be holding a strong position in all the three Kohat districts, while political observers are certain that a hung parliament at the provincial level is a real possibility.

The ANP had won two out of three NA seats in 2008 general elections while one went to the JUI-F. However, the ANP had failed in securing a single provincial assembly seat out of seven. Afterwards the ANP leadership succeeded in mustering the support of two independent candidates to stabilize their position. The JUI-F had won three seats after merging into the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) while one went to the PPP- Sherpao, recently renamed as Qaumi Watan Party (QWP). One independent candidate, who later joined the PPP, was also given an attractive ministerial slot in the previous government.

Ironically, since March 2008 up till March 2013, two independent candidates who were given cabinet position for five years have now ditched the ANP. One of them belonged to Karak and the other to Kohat; presently both are again in the fray as independents.

The JUI-F has been extensively dealing with internal revolts and opposition in its Karak stronghold from where it had won one NA and one PA seat apiece. Former JUI-F MPA Malik Qasim is contesting as independent after the party ticket went to Ayub Khattak. Son of late PML leader Yousaf Khattak, Ayub Khattak is a cousin of the Saifullahs from Lakki Marwat. The JUI-F has also fielded another Khattak, Javed, on the other PA constituency. In addition, the party also replaced former MNA Mufti Ajmal with Mufti Sardar on NA seat, thus inviting rifts and revolts to negatively influence party ranks.

And it is in Kohat that the JUI-F had fielded billionaires on both NA and PA seats by ignoring the party’s diehard and ideological stalwarts. At Hangu, the JUI-F nominated two of its old guns on the NA and PA seats, but also awarded a ticket to former MPA, who contested the 2002 general elections under the banner of ANP and in 2008 general election remained attached to now defunct PPP-S.

A cursory glance at the situation reflects that the JUI-F curse seems to have affected other political parties as well, including the PTI and the ANP, with both these parties facing strife in Kohat and Karak. Former Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director General Masood Sharif Khattak, along with several other notables recently resigned from the PTI, and were now contesting as independents are challenging the PTI candidates.

The ongoing internal feuds notwithstanding, the JUI-F was still a strong force and its candidates have confidently challenged their counterparts from the PML-N on all three constituencies in Karak. The overconfidence of some candidates could be gauged from the fact that former minister Mian Nisar Gul was already being congratulated for completing a hat-trick by winning the PA constituency.

Hangu has been termed as the most sensitive due to the presence of thousands of foreign and local militants in the adjacent tribal agencies of Aurakzai and North Waziristan, while its sectarian balance is also one of the most fragile in the region. Most of the recent terrorist activities in KPK either emanated or took place here, while this also remains an important corridor for three tribal agencies that open into the settled areas. Though in the recent past, ANP and JUI-F have remained strong rivals in this district, this time round the ANP seems better positioned as other religious groups like JUI-S and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) were also splitting the religious vote. The ANP candidate Pir Haider Ali Shah seemed to be leading the pack, while influential Senator Nabi Bangash’s son Irshad Nabi and former chief justice Peshawar High Court Justice (Retd) Ibne Ali was also contesting from the important constituencies.

The PPP meanwhile has maintained a good position in Kohat after bypassing all other parties and seems to have strengthened its position after its leadership succeeded in mustering support of former MNA Dilawar Shah and Syed Qalb-e Hassan. Dilawar has also got a PPP ticket for his brother. The PML-N’s strongman Malik Asad, previously the district nazim, is in contest with Dilawar. The ANP’s NA ticket has gone to its former MNA, Khurshid Begum. The independent group candidates headed by former provincial minister Amjad Afridi was showing a favourable tilt towards the PML-N.

The trends being witnessed among the religious minded electorate in Hangu, Kohat and Karak districts showed division of loyalties between three parties. Both factions of the JUI-F and JI have put up their candidates in all constituencies across Kohat Division, while some JUI-F dissidents would also be contesting as independent candidates. With an eye on taking advantage of divisions within the religious, the PML-N, PPP, PTI and the ANP are keeping a close watch on the situation. - 

Foolproof security in Kohat on polling day

Source Dawn

The provincial government will provide foolproof security at the most sensitive polling stations in Kohat division so as to ensure peaceful polling in May 11 elections.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting here on Tuesday chaired by the provincial Caretaker Home Minister Fayyaz Khan Toru.

The meeting was also attended by the Inspector General of Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ehsan Ghani, secretary interior, Commissioner, Kohat division, Syed Jamaluddin Shah, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Kohat region, Azad Khan, DIG, special branch, Ishtiaq Marwat and officials from Orakzai and Kurram agencies.

The meeting reviewed security arrangements for deployment of security forces at the most sensitive polling stations in Kohat
division.

The meeting was informed that out of a total of 373 polling stations in Kohat, 76 had been declared most sensitive, 134 sensitive whereas 163 normal. In Hangu district, 57 polling stations had been declared highly sensitive and 67 as sensitive.

The meeting was informed that the list of these polling stations would be signed by the district and sessions judge, who is also the district returning officer, and then dispatched to the Election Commission and higher authorities for deployment of security forces.

Similarly, the meeting was told that there were hundreds of polling stations which had been declared most sensitive and sensitive in Orakzai and Kurram agencies.

The meeting also decided to hire services of retired army and police officers for the security of the polling stations.

The Home Minister Fayyaz Khan Toru and the IGP Ehsan Ghani directed the Kohat division administrations to take all necessary measures to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the region.

Meanwhile, official sources confided to Dawn that army personnel, frontier constabulary, police commandos  Frontier Corps and volunteers from district defense would be deployed at the most sensitive and sensitive polling stations.

Another blow to PTI in Kohat

Source The Frontier Post

Another shock to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) in Kohat due to the resignation of Zahid
Hussain, District GS and Ms. Miraj Begum, Vice President Women Wing (PTI) of PK-37 from the membership of PTI. Talking to media persons, Zahid Hussaind said that he joined PTI keeping in view the manifesto and worked for two years passionately for the rights of Kohat.
"I thought that PTI, according to their realistic manifesto will support the helpless people but I found no one sensible to do for Kohat and PTI as well as every member of the PTI is selfish and think only of their own benefits and that there is no space for honest workers as the PTI is totally unaware of the politics. So, I say good bye to PTI and join the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and will support the PML (N) candidates in Kohat the forthcoming election" said Zahid adding that he was much disappointed when saw the inner of the party.
Ms. Miraj Begum mentioned that I was successful in all the Union Councils, Tehsil and district intra party election but notification of my achievement has not been issued so far. 
"This is the reason why my name was dropped from the list of the reserved seats" She added the injustice of (PTI) forced me to leave this party. She also announced to join PML-N and started supporting Malik Muhammad Asad of PML (N) Kohat in General Election 2013.

N activist joins JUP candidate in Kohat

Source Dawn

The office-bearers of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in PK-37 constituency have decided to support the candidate of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl in the upcoming general elections.

The president of PML-N in PK- 37 constituency, Farhad Khan alias Ghareeb Dost, general secretary Faiz Mohammad and other office-bearers withdrew their support form their party’s nominee Hidayatullah Afridi and announced to support the candidate of JUI-F.

However, they said that they didn’t quit PML-N. They said that they were not supporting their party’s nominee because he was a supporter of Gen (retired) Pervez Musharraf. The party awarded ticket to him despite the fact that he was a supporter of Pervez Musharraf, they added.

They announced to support JUI-F candidate for provincial assembly Ghulam Habib and PML-N candidate for National Assembly Eng Malik Asad in the upcoming general elections.

Meanwhile, a youth organisation, formed to create awareness among young people about voting, has demanded excess to information and elimination of corruption.

Addressing a seminar, the coordinator of ‘Change Through Empowerment’ said that people should know as to who among the candidates was able to get rights for them and uproot corruption.

He said that youth under 16 years of age should be provided free and modern education. The government should also take measures to bring basic changes in the system of tax collection to benefit the poor.

He said that programmes should be organised in all constituencies at the union council level to create awareness among people so that they could vote for noble and deserving candidates.

Amjad vows to transform Kohat into model city

Source Frontier Post

Addressing to a huge public crowd at Tanki Ground Sangerh Kohat on the occasion of opening ceremony of Election Campaign Office, Independent Candidates for NA-Haji Shamim Afridi, Amjad Afridi for PK37-I and PK38-II Kohat (Independent Electoral Penal) for General Election 2013, Haji Shamim Afridi quoted that "both my sons Amjad Afridi former Housing Minister (KPK) and Senator Abbas Afridi served the people of Kohat city and urban area without any discrimination and that is negotiable for all the inhabitants of the constituency". 
Amjad Afridi mentioned in his speech that he had brought few developmental projects also for PK38-II and PK39-III in the last five years of regime such as WAPDA Works of 8 ½ crore, Gas Supply to 31 Villages of District Kohat and 23 Water Supply Schemes in his constituency which is unmatchable. Besides, in the Education Sector, establishment of Degree College
Gumabat and Degree College Billit Tang for the youth of the area to get education at their door step is one of the live example. 
He added that if I am elected again by the people, will do more and more for the uplift of District Kohat. Senator Abbas Afridi said on the occasion that an Oil Refinery has been approved to be installed with the cost of 700 million dollars in the jurisdiction of Kohat. With this thousands of unemployed people of District Kohat will get job thus economic growth could be improved. 
The candidates of Independent Electoral Penal emphasized the people to elect them and get the Kohat a Model City.

34 suspects held in Kohat

Source The News

The local police claimed to have arrested 34 suspected persons during a search operation in the limits of Bilitang Police Station on Saturday.

Talking to reporters, DPO Delawar Khan Bangash said police launched a search operation against the criminals in the area and arrested 34 suspected persons and seized arms including seven Kalashnikov rifles, six repeaters, 14 guns, 10 pistols and several cartridges, besides two kilograms of hashish from their possession.