Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL: District Press Club Khyber called an urgent meeting here in Landikotal and condemned the harsh and unofficial attitude of the assistant commissioner with the journalists on Thursday.
The meeting was chaired by the press club president Mehrab Shah Afridi and was attended by a number of journalists. Khalil Jabran, who is the elected president of the Landikotal press club for the second phase of this year, told the meeting that they were invited to a public gathering of locals, elders and line departments held at jirga hall.
He said Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa advisor Abdul Karim was the chief guest on the occasion. Deputy commissioner of Khyber Mansoor Arshad and other civil administration officials were also present on the occasion. Khalil Afridi said they wanted to share their pointed view with the chief minister’s advisor Abdul Karim who wanted to know about the genuine problems of the area. He said the assistant commissioner did not allow them to talk to the CM advisor and inform him about the ground realities of the ongoing developmental projects and other opportunities. He said the assistant commissioner of Landikotal Akbar Iftikhar used harsh and hard with him and with senior journalists Abdul Azam Shinwari. Khalil said assistant commissioner Landikotal dragged him from his hand and not allowed him to meet Abdul Karim after the public gathering.
The meeting unanimously decided that they would boycott the coverage of the assistant commissioner of Landikotal until he does not apologize for his unofficial attitude toward journalists. The journalists also asked the deputy commissioner of Khyber Arshad Mansoor and high-ups to take notice of the incident and take departmental action against the public servant.
