Now that President Parvez Musharaf has taken oath as civilian president of Pakistan and has got retirement from Pakistan Army, law and order situation in Pakistan is ameliorated by emergency measures taken by the president, tribal area of Waziristan, and Kurram agency are now quite peaceful, Pak Army troops are still present in these areas, settled area of Swat is now up to larger extent is cleaned up from militants and according to Major General Waheed Arshid of ISPR strategic heights are now taken over by Pakistan Army troops in Swat and in certain areas of Swat government offices are reopened.
Election campaign is quite peaceful, some of the leaders like Mian Nawaz Sharif and Mian Shebaz Sharif are preaching in public gatherings that elections will result in dismemberment of Pakistan, their nomination papers are rejected due to their alleged involvement in corrupt practices, certain political parties have opted for boycott of elections but big parties like Pakistan Muslim League(Q) and Pakistan People Party Parliamentarian lead by Muhtarima Benazir Bhutto are campaigning and are actively participating by nominating their candidates for national and provincial assembly seats in each district of Pakistan.
In Kohat district PML (Q) has no candidate, due to suicide bomb attack on Mr. Ameer Maqam provincial chief of the party very few people had applied for the party tickets of PML (Q). Muhtarima Benazir Bhutto after her arrival in Pakistan on 18th of October 2007, was received by a suicide bomb attack on her welcome procession, in Kohat district where Taliban and Alqaida militants in adjacent tribal area of Dara Adam Khel are still quite active, General Secretary of Pakistan Peoples Party(parliamentarian) and twice elected president of Kohat Bar Council Mr. Abdur Rauf advocate had opted for contesting election by himself for NA 14 national assembly seat from Kohat when multi millionaire Malik Asad Khan has refused to contest on the same seat on PPPP ticket. ‘ Meanwhile Sixty Taliban militants have entered in disguise of Islamic missionaries in Tapi village located on Kohat Bannu road of Kohat district of NWFP Pakistan, and are busy round the clock in preaching extremism in youth of the area,’ a source belonging to the same area looking pale and harassed has said on condition of anonymity.
Prices of food items like, flour, and Ghee(edible oil) have become incredibly high in Kohat district, small tin of Dalda Ghee is now available at price of 292/rupees per tin a week ago same tin was available at price of 275/-rupees. Assistant of shopkeeper Shahid having shop on Kohat Pindi road in front of Paracha Town has said that in first week of November the same tin of Dalda Ghee will be available at price of 300/-rupees.
Ex vice president of Muslim League (Q) Kohat Mr. Tariq Mehmood has said that price hike is a major concern of public in Kohat district, people are least interested in elections the turn out in the district will be quite low. He says that low income groups have no money even to buy a medicine for themselves, they come to my shop and just after having injection say we have rest of the drugs written in prescription in our home, some of them can not even afford to buy injection for themselves, vegetable and fruit prices are also quite high a person having income of 200/- rupees per day can not afford to even feed his family.
Submitted by
Abdur Raziq