KARAK: A fire has burnt to ashes a large number of precious olive trees in the Shenghar forests with local people trying their best to extinguish the flame on their own, but failing to put out the raging blaze.

The people of Shamshaki, Palosa Sar, Walay Banda, Dora Algada and other adjacent localities have expressed concern over the government failure to send fire tenders to put out the blaze which has been raging in the hills of Shenghar for quite some time, destroying precious olive forest.

The fire has also killed hundreds of different species of birds.

The local people informed reporters that the fire had engulfed more than two kilometer area and was only half a kilometer away from the populated areas.

Expressing disappointment that the no official of the district administration visited the area so far, they demanded of the district administration to make arrangements for putting out the fire.

OIL REFINERY: Adviser to the chief minister on prisons Malik Qasim Khan Khattak has said that as the district is producing 85 per cent oil and gas in Kohat division it has the right to have an oil refinery on its soil.

Addressing the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected district cabinet of the paramedics association at district council here on Saturday, he claimed that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had promoted 352,000 employees in different departments.

Mr Khattak said that the government had recruited a good number of doctors in hospitals to ensure provision of quality healthcare to masses at their doorsteps.

However, he regretted that despite having facilities and doctors the hospitals, including the district headquarters hospital, gave a deserted look as patients returned disappointed owing to absence of doctors and other staff.