Briefs...

Land dispute claims life in Rawalpindi
RAWALPINDI: A man was killed in a clash between two rival groups over a piece of land in Girja area in the limits of Saddar Baroni police station on Wednesday. Police said that two groups, Fayyaz alias Fauji and Sardar Riaz of Gijra village had an old rivalry over a piece of land. Both the groups exchanged fire at each other that killed Fayyaz alias Fauji while two others received bullet injuries.

21st Amendment challenged in SC
LAHORE: The 21st Constitutional Amendment has been challenged in the Supreme Court (SC) Lahore Registry.The petitioner plead in the petition that the constitutional amendment was alien to the basic structure of the Constitution and violated Articles 35 and 175 of the Constitution.The petitioner prayed that no amendment could be introduced against basic structure of the constitution, therefore, court should declare 21st constitutional amendment void.

Sukkur prison receives black warrants of three convicts
SUKKUR: Superintendent of Central Jail Shahid Chhajro has stated that the jail authorities have received black warrants of three convicts, who will be executed on January 13.Talking to media persons on Wednesday, he said the black warrants had been issued by a Karachi court. The convicts included Muhammad Talha, Khalil Ahmad and Shahid Hanif. The jail authorities had started taking measures to implement the punishment.He further said the three prisoners would be hanged at 6.30am on January 13. The jail administration said security at the prison had also been tightened.

Plea against black warrants dismissed
By our correspondent
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Chief Justice on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking directions to stop trial court from issuing black warrants for a condemned prisoner Zahid Hussain. Petitioner Zahid Hussain through his counsel pleaded that he had entered into a compromise with legal heirs of deceased Ghulam Hussain; therefore, trial court (anti-terrorism court) should be stopped from issuing his black warrants. Law officer told the court that trial court had handed down capital punishment to Zahid Hussain under provisions of anti-terrorism law which are not compoundable. So, the trial court could not be stopped from issuing his black warrants. After hearing both sides, LHC CJ Khawaja Imtiaz Ahmed dismissed the petition.
Punjab CM takes notice of rape, murder of minor girl
By our correspondent
LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of rape and murder of a minor girl in village Vanke Tarar, Hafizabad and sought a report from Hafizabad DPO. The CM issued instructions for an immediate arrest of the culprits. The CM also took notice of the death of a housemaid due to torture by a house owner in Faisalabad and sought a report from RPO. The CM directed that a stern action should be taken against the accused involved in the murder.

Explosive device defused in Tank
By our correspondent
TANK: The police and security forces defused an improvised explosive device (IED) here on Wednesday, official sources said. The sources said that unknown persons had placed 13 kilogram explosives fitted cylinder near Nehar Pul on the Kot Azam Road. The police and security forces reached the spot and defused the IED.

Heads of schools in KP asked to take
extra security measures
By our correspondent
MANSEHRA: District Education Officer Gohar Ali Khan has asked principals and headmasters of public and private schools to adopt extra security measures to avert Army Public School-like incident. “The schools adopting extra security measures will be allowed to reopen as we want to ensure the security of students at any cost,” said the official. He was speaking at the joint meeting of heads of private and public educational institutions held at the Government High School at Oghi on Wednesday. The DEO said that barbed wires should be erected around the schools besides deployment of security guards at the gates. “Nobody should be allowed into the school without being frisked,” he said. Gohar Ali Khan directed principals, headmasters and headmistresses of all public and private schools to remain at respective schools from 8am to 4pm from January 9 to January 11 to finalise the arrangements for reopening of schools in the district.
Couple receives burn injuries in Nawabshah fire
By our correspondent
NAWABSHAH: A couple received severe burn injuries after a house caught fire due to leakage of gas in their house in Taj Colony, here late on Tuesday night. They were shifted on Wednesday to Karachi as the facility of Burns Ward was not available at the hospital in Nawabshah. Doctors at the People’s Medical College Hospital said Ismail received 80 percent burn injuries while his wife received 60 percent. The owner of the house, Muhammad Ismail Zardari and his wife Nusrat Zardari were asleep. Ismail woke up due to the smell of gas and lighted a match stick to check and the gas caught fire.

Taxi drivers decry heavy fines by Peshawar Police
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: A number of taxi drivers in the provincial capital have complained of alleged harassment and heavy fines by the traffic police. “The traffic warders either impose heavy fines on us or demand gratifications,” alleged Farhad Ali, a cabby, who had been in the business for years. He said at times fines even touched the Rs5,000 mark. Another cab-driver Amir Abdullah said that the Peshawar Traffic Police had stopped issuing new route permits in the city where hundreds of cabs have been plying different routes. “I have been driving taxis in Hayatabad, posh locality of Peshawar for 10 years but avoid Cantonment or inner city for fear of heavy fines,” he said.

Over 100 suspects, 17 Afghans arrested
in Peshawar search operation
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: As search and strike operations continue across the provincial capital, over 100 suspects and 17 illegal Afghans were arrested during separate actions in Nasir Bagh, Badaber and Matani on Wednesday. Police officials said that a search and strike operation was carried out in the limits of Nasir Bagh, Badaber and Matani police stations. Sniffer dogs were also used in the action. The bomb disposal unit experts and women cops also accompanied the police commandos. During the actions, 110 suspects and proclaimed offenders, 17 unregistered Afghans refugees and 10 persons were arrested for violating the Tenant Act.

Five foreigners among many
suspects held in Malakand
By our correspondent
MINGORA: The police have arrested several suspected persons, including five foreigners, during a crackdown in Swat, Buner, Shangla, Upper Dir, Lower Dir and Chitral districts, sources said on Wednesday. The police raided the dens of the criminals and arrested a large number of outlaws and suspects. Five kilograms of hashish, foreign currency and arms were recovered from their possession. The cops were awarded commendation certificates for performance.

Curfew troubling tribesmen in Ghallanai
By our correspondent
GHALLANAI: Tribesmen are facing difficulties due to the imposition of 14-hour curfew in Mohmand Agency. The political administration and security forces made announcements through loudspeakers, asking tribesmen to stay indoors from 5pm to 7am. During the curfew hours, the bazaar remained closed and transport remained off the roads. It caused difficulties for the tribesmen in the faraway areas of the Mohmand tribal region. The people faced difficulty in transporting patients to hospitals.

Hashish seized, peddler arrested at Torkham border
By our correspondent
LANDIKOTAL: The authorities foiled a bid to smuggle hashish from Afghanistan and arrested a peddler at the Torkham border on Wednesday. Political Tehsildar Passports at Torkham Nek Muhammad said that Alam Gul, a resident of Dakah in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, was stopped at the Torkham border. He said five kilograms of hashish were recovered from the accused.

Cop, two others booked for robbery
By our correspondent
LAKKI MARWAT: A police constable and his two companions were booked in a robbery case in Shaheed Haibat Ali Khan Police Station of Darra Pezu town on Wednesday. Abdullah and his cousins had gone to Bilandkhel village. On return, three armed men intercepted the bike they were riding near Chuharkhel and snatched cash and mobile phones from them. The looted men later traced the culprits through Kalimullah, a resident of Bilandkhel, who had purchased the phone set of Abdullah. Abdullah reported the incident to police upon which a case was registered against Constable Muhammad Fayaz and his accomplices.

Tribesman killed in explosion
By our correspondent
KHAR: A tribesman was killed and two others sustained injuries when explosives went off inside a house in the Barang Tehsil of Bajaur Agency, official sources said on Wednesday. The sources said that an explosive material meant for use in mining went off inside the house of Malik Noor Saleh. As a result, a man identified as Luqman died while two others Aziz and Imran sustained injuries. The injured were taken to a hospital in Charsadda.

Woman held after husband’s murder
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The police have arrested a woman and her three brothers after her spouse was killed in the Mathra village on the outskirts of the provincial capital. Police were informed that one Khan was killed by unidentified persons in Mathra after which a case was lodged and investigations started. During the investigation, police suspected the role of his wife and arrested her along with her four brothers.

Bid to blow up railway track foiled
By our correspondent
CHARSADDA: The police foiled a bid to blow up a railway track in Kuladher area. The sources said that unknown persons had planted explosives under the railway bridge on the Ghani Khan Road. The police party along with the bomb disposal unit reached the area and defused the bomb.
Stray bullet kills Class XI student
By our correspondent
LAHORE: A 16-year-old boy was killed when a stray bullet hit him in the Ravi Road Police limits on Wednesday. The police removed the body to morgue for autopsy and registered a case on the complaint of Muhammad Afzal, the father of the victim. The boy was identified as Amir Akbar of Qila Laxshman Singh. The victim was sitting in a street with his friends when a stray bullet hit his head. As a result, he was injured and rushed to Mayo Hospital where he died. The boy was the student of first year.

Man shoots wife in Pakpattan
By our correspondent
PAKPATTAN: A man shot dead his wife in revenge for the murder of his father at Mohallah Faridnagar on Wednesday. Abid Hussain had contracted marriage with Sameera Bibi some years back. After their marriage, Sameera’s father killed her father-in-law. After the incident, she started living in the house of her parents. On the day of the incident, Abid with his accomplices shot dead his wife and escaped. The Faridnagar police have registered a case and started investigations.

Woman shot dead in Peshawar
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: A woman was shot dead by unidentified gunmen inside her house in Tarnab Farm on Wednesday. One Abbas told police that he was present in his room when he heard gunshots. He added when he came out of his room, he found body of his mother, who had been shot dead by unidentified persons.

Man awarded cash for killing dacoit
By our correspondent
LAHORE: CCPO Amin Wains awarded Rs 50,000 in cash to a citizen, Muhammad Zahid, on showing bravery and killing a dacoit in Samanabad Police limits on Wednesday. SSP Investigations Rana Ayyaz Saleem and MPA Ch Shahbaz were present.

Bandits held in Sukkur
By our correspondent
SUKKUR: Khairpur Police arrested a bandit carrying Rs0.5 million head money while another bandit surrendered before the police.