MANSEHRA: A multi-party conference held in Torghar district on Tuesday demanded cancellation of Rs2 billion development contracts awarded to a contractor recently arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with a Rs50 billion Kohistan corruption scandal.
“We have consistently raised concerns over financial irregularities in development schemes in our district, but no action has been taken. Mohammad Ayub, who was “illegally” awarded Rs2 billion worth of projects in Torghar, has now been arrested in the Kohistan mega corruption scam,” lawyer Syed Ajmal Shah told the conference held in the Darbani Akazai area.
Office-bearers, workers, and representatives of multiple political parties attended the conference and passed resolutions.
Dr Siraj Mohammad of Jamaat-i-Islami, Riaz Yusufzai and Siraj Khan of Awami National Party, Maulana Samiullah of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, Dilroz Khan and Said Laiq Shah of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Amir Mohammad and Asad Khan of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz addressed the conference. The conference unanimously demanded that the provincial government cancel all road and development projects awarded to Mohammad Ayub, who was facing corruption charges in a multi-billion-rupee scam.
Through another resolution, the participants urged the government to stop the deputy commissioner of Torghar from “creating conflicts among local tribes through biased administrative decisions.”
“All development schemes inaugurated by the local MPA and his representatives without approved funding should be referred to the anti-corruption establishment for a thorough investigation,” Syed Ajmal said.
Participants also said they would meet the deputy commissioner on August 19 to raise the issues highlighted during the conference.
DENGUE CLAIMS LIFE: A man died of dengue and hundreds of suspected fever cases have been reported in Oghi and its surrounding areas, prompting the health department to launch an indoor spray and fumigation drive in high-risk areas.
“We have established isolation wards at health facilities for dengue patients in Oghi and Mansehra following the influx of patients,” district entomologist Mohammad Qasim Khan told reporters on Tuesday.
Scores of people, including the elderly, women, and children, have been taken to public and private health facilities amid a growing dengue outbreak in Oghi and nearby localities.
Mohammad Bilal, who was admitted to the government hospital in Oghi after testing positive for dengue, succumbed to the infectious disease, according to officials. According to diagnostic laboratories, many dengue cases are being reported from Shahkot, Tatoly and Khattai.
Residents of Shahkot, currently identified as a hotspot of the outbreak, expressed dissatisfaction with the preventive measures taken by the health department.
“There’s growing fear in Shahkot and nearby areas as the government has yet to take effective steps to control the spread of this mosquito-borne disease,” a resident said.
District entomologist Qasim Khan said at least 40 dengue positive cases had been reported in Oghi and its suburbs.
Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2025