Death of child sparks protest in Bajaur

1 min read

BAJAUR: The death of a child after he fell into a ditch caused by illegal excavation of sand from riverbed sparked protest by the residents of Yousaf Abad area here on 19 June 2024. The protesters, including political and social activists, kept the main Khar-Munda Road blocked to vehicular traffic for two hours. The participants said that the 10-year-old child, who was the nephew of a retired police official, died after falling into a ditch the other day.

They alleged that such ditches had been created due to the excessive illegal excavation of sand in the riverbed. The demonstrators said the deep ditches posed a serious threat to the lives of people, especially children. The protesters said they had brought the matter into the notice of the relevant officials many times, but no action was taken against the culprits.

MNA Mubarakzeb Khan, Jamaat-i-Islami leader Haji Sardar Khan, Aaurangzeb Khan of PPP and others addressed the protesters, and expressed anger over the incident. Accusing the authorities of negligence, which led to the incident, they demanded of the district administration to stop the illegal excavation of sand and stones from the riverbed, which had formed big ditches.

They demanded of the provincial government to extend financial assistance to the victim`s family. The protesters dispersed after the MNA assured them of finding a durable solution to the issue. Meanwhile, a boy drowned in a small dam in Zoorbandar area of Khar tehsil here on 19 June 2024.

Local residents and Rescue 1122 officials said the incident occurred at around 11am when a group of boys was walking along the dam reservoir.

While quoting eyewitnesses, they told Dawn that one of the boys suddenly slipped into the reservoir and drowned. The dead body was later fished out after several hours of search.

He was identifies as Sulaiman Khan (13), a resident of Zoor Banda. The officials said the body was later handed over to his family after necessary formalities conducted at the tehsil headquarters hospital Nawagai.

Acknowledgement: Published in Dawn News on 20th June 2024.

Previous Story

Parents urge ministry to reinstate lightweight school bag policy

Next Story

Dyslexia Children Struggle through Academics

Latest from Blog

UNHCR Expresses Concern Over Govt Decision To De-notify 16 Refugee Villages

ISLAMABAD: The UNHCR on October 8 expressed concern over the government’s decision to de-notify 16 refugee villages and forcibly return Afghans, including refugees, to Afghanistan. The federal government recently de-notified these 16 refugee villages in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtun­khwa and Punjab. In August, the government asked Afghan refugees to leave the country as…

Only One in Five Families Eat Desired Meals, Reveals Think-tank Survey

ISLAMABAD: Food insecurity remains widespread in Pakistan as only 19.5pc of households can always afford desired meals, while 30pc sometimes go without three meals a day. These are the findings from the Pakistan Panel Household Survey (PPHS) 2024, the country’s only long-term, nationally representative household survey tracking economic and social…

Protesters Shut School in Landi Kotal over Shortage of Teachers

KHYBER: The lone higher secondary school in Paindi Cheena area of Landi Kotal tehsil was shut down forcibly by students and locals in protest against the shortage of teaching staff and other related facilities. Sources in the region said that out of the total 28 sanctioned posts for teachers, 19…

Cleric Booked For ‘Kidnap’ Of Trader’s Son

GUJRAT: A 15-year-old son of a local trader was kidnapped allegedly by a prayer leader (Pesh Imam) in Dhakki gate locality in A-division police precincts. Reports said trader Muhammad Sultan lodged a complaint with the local police alleging that his son Hassan Sultan had gone to meet Qari Waleed, a…
Go toTop