SWABI: Former National Assembly speaker and MNA Asad Qaiser on Monday came down hard on Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for what he said not allowing the PTI to hold public meetings.

Addressing a workers` gathering here, he demanded that his party should be allowed to organise meetings in the province as it was their democratic right.

He said whoever subjected the PTI workers to abuse and torture before the general elections would be taken to task. He hinted at replacing the high ranking police officialsin the province.

Mr Qaiser said the party would continue struggle for the release of party`s founding chairman Imran Khan. He asked the government to set him free or PTI would continue protests across the country.

He also pointed to the soaring relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and said that the two countries couldn`t afford enmity.

He said leaders of the two countries should sit across the table and find a solution to their problems because war was not a solution.

Speaking on the occasion, chief minister`s adviser Abdul Karim asked the government to release Imran Khan as soon as possible.

SUSPENDED: Minister for public health engineering Pakhtoon Yar Khan suspended all the employees of the department in Swabi, including the executive engineer, during a surprise visit here on Monday.

When the minister reached the district office of public health engineering, all the employees and officials had already left for their homes before the closing hours. The minister immediately ordered their suspension.

The minister said the employees would also face disciplinary action.

BANNED: The district administration has banned kite flying for two months.

An order issued by deputy commissioner Dr Tariqullah said it had been found that kite flying often resulted in electrocutions and sometimes the kite flyers, particularly children, fell from rooftops.

Therefore, the order said that it was necessary to ban the practice to avoid any untoward incident.

Dr Tariqullah said that in exercise of powers conferred upon him under Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code, he imposed complete ban on kite flying in Swabi for a period of two months. He said any one violating the order would be punishable under Section 188 of PPC.