MANSEHRA: The education department will issue appointment letters to 450 candidates within two weeks for their induction as teachers in primary, middle, high and higher secondary schools across the Mansehra district.

`Of the total of 510 candidates to be appointed, letters of 65 have already been issued,` district education officer Khan Mohammad Swati told a function at government higher secondary school, Baffa, on Sunday.

Mr Swati said the government was committed to enhancing the standard of public sector educational institutions by inducting more teachers and providing the required facilities.

`Over 1,000 teachers of primary, middle, high and higher secondary schools have also been promoted in the district, he said.

BHU UPGRADATION SOUGHT: People of Karori union council of Oghi tehsil have demanded the upgradation of a basic health unit to rural health centre and posting of a lady doctor and other staff to it to help them avail treatment facilities.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, former Oghi tehsil nazim Hafiz Mohammad Younus said locals had met the health department officials and lawmakers seeking upgradation of the basic health unit in Bamal area, but to no avail.

`Patients have to be taken to hospitals in parts of Hazara, which is time consuming and highly expensive for the poor people,` said Mr Younus.

`Local MPA Nawabzada Fareed should take up the issue in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly,` he demanded.

TRADERS BODY POLLS: The election commission constituted by the traders` body to hold free and fair elections has announced that it will disqualify those who won`t strictly follow the code of conduct issued by it during the electioneering.

`During the poll campaign, the candidates attempting to influence either the voters or the election commission will be disqualified from contesting the elections to be held on April 6,` the commission`s chairman Fayyaz Solaria told a press conference on Sunday.

Flanked by other members of the commission, he said the elections would be held on the basis of panels, and the traders registered with the commission could cast vote for panels not the individuals.

`We have fixed Rs50,000 fee for the panels aspiring for the central body and Rs15,000 for wards,` he said.

He said the traders could get registered with the commission till March 10, adding the polls would be held on the same day for the central body and the 15 wards.