GHALLANAI: Though Eidul Azha will be celebrated across the country, some people in Mohmand Agency have decided to ignore the call and observe Eid today as per the advice of local clerics. Some are observing Eid a day earlier as a symbol of Muslim unity since Saudi Arabia will also observe it on Tuesday. On the other hand, many Afghan refugees living in the country since 1979 choose to observe it with their native country.Local clerics from the Deobandi school of thought observe Eid with Saudi Arabia after the Taliban in 2008 urged locals to unite in religious matters. However, clerics belonging to the Barelvi school of thought have decided to observe Eid with the rest of Pakistan. Meanwhile, adherents of Deobandi in Charsadda have decided to stick to Peshawar’s Ruet-e-Hilal Committee’s call and will observe Eid with the rest of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Pakistan. The Express Tribune.
PESHAWAR: The Afghan refugees and tribal people celebrated Eidul Azha with religious fervour in Peshawar and Mohmand Agency respectively on Tuesday. The major congregation of Eid was held at Kacha Garhi, Peshawar where hundreds of Afghan nationals and tribesmen from different tribal agencies assembled for prayers. The religious scholars prayed for restoration of peace in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Afghan refugees also offered Eid prayers in others parts of the provincial capital where around half million Afghans have been residing. There were reports that Afghans also celebrated Eid in refugee villages in Charsadda district.
People also celebrated Eid in most parts of Mohmand Agency Dawn, The Express Tribune.
PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan said many criminal gangs were involved in extortion and were using the name of Taliban for cover. During the hearing of a bail application of a man accused of extorting money from a doctor, Justice Khan said the gangs were sending letters to people using Taliban’s name and collecting millions of rupees as a result. The Express Tribune.
PESHAWAR: After only five years since it was established, the Directorate of Information FATA (DIF) has become non-functional due to inattention and lack of management from the FATA Secretariat along with USAID’s withdrawal of support. The infrastructure and necessary equipment to be used in highlighting various development activities the government and donor agencies carry out in the restive tribal areas still exist. However, all employees of the DIF have stopped working. The Express Tribune.
KHAR/PARACHINAR: The Bajaur Agency political administration on Tuesday freed 17 people detained for minor crimes in the Agency Headquarters Jail here. The development comes on the occasion of Eidul Azha as the administration wanted the freed outlaws to celebrate the festival with families. Bajaur Agency Political Agent Abdul Jabbar Shah along with Member of the National Assembly Shahabuddin Khan and senior officials of the administration visited the jail and held a court there. Later, visitors went to different barracks and learned about the prisoners` problems. Also in the day, around 80 people were released from different jails across Kurram Agency. Dawn.
BANNU: A private school for boys was partially damaged when a bomb planted along its rear wall exploded in Bakka Khel, Bannu . According to a police official, a loud explosion was heard near Bakka Khel Mandi at 1am. He added police rushed to the area, however, the exact location of the explosion could not be ascertained. A police team went out on Tuesday morning again and discovered unidentified militants had planted two bombs at Amir Public High School out of which one detonated, damaging the wall while the other one did not explode. The Express Tribune.
