TIMERGARA: Deputy chief of Qaumi Watan Party Bakht Baidar Khan on Friday demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to declare Lower Dir as a calamity-hit area and pay compensation to the farmers whose crops were damaged by recent hailstorm and flash floods.

Speaking at a press conference at Chakdara Press Club, he criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for ignoring welfare of the people. He said that Rs88 billion had lapsed due to the inefhciency of the provincial government.

He said that the PTI was doing nothing for improving health and education sectors, but making tall claims in this regard.

The QWP leader said that the PTPs Islamabad sit-in had failed as the conspirators were being exposed turn by turn. He said that the recent hailstorm and flash floods had destroyed standing crops and vegetable farms in different parts of Lower Dir.

He asked the government to send special teams to assess the damage and pay compensation to the farmers.PROTEST DEMO: Dozens of paramedics on Friday held a protest demonstration against the Medical Emergency Relief International (Merlin), a UK-based NGO, alleging it had violated merit in recruitment of doctors, pharmacists, technicians and other staff in hospitals of the district.

L ower Dir Paramedical A ssociation`s president Khurshid Iqbal led the protesters who marched from THQ hospital, Chakdara, to the press club.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Iqbal and other office-bearers of the association alleged that people from other districts had been appointed in Dir hospitals while trained and qualified youth of Dir district were ignored in fresh recruitment.

The association also demanded ofthe government and the NGO to provide basic health facilities in hospitals in Dir. They announced to move court against the irregularities made in the recruitment.

Merlin`s district coordinator Dr Irshad Roghani rejected allegations of the paramedics and said that all appointments in Lower Dir had been made on merit.

Talking to Dawn, he said that the selection committee included the district health officer (DHO), assistant commissioner and a representative of the Merlin`s monitoring and evaluation.

Meanwhile, Izazul Mulk Afkari was elected the new district chief of Jamaat-i-Islami, Lower Dir. The announcement was made during a function held at Ahyaul Uloom, Balambat, on Friday.