Briefs...

Three injured in gas leakage blast
RAWLPINDI: Three persons sustained burn injuries due to explosion resulting from gas leakage in a house in Dhoke Hafiz at Airport Road here on Monday. According to Rescue 1122, a blast occurred inside the house due to leakage of gas catching fire. The fire inflicted burn injuries to three persons namely Safia Bibi, 55, Zeeshan, 17, and Aziz, 25, who were shifted to the Holy Family Hospital.

Body found in Quetta
QUETTA: Police recovered a body from a graveyard near Eastern Bypass area of the provincial capital on Monday.According to police, a police party, after a tip-off, reached the site and took the body into custody, which was dumped near the graveyard.

PR Police foil gold smuggling
By our correspondent
LAHORE: The Railways Police officials on Monday apparently foiled an attempt to smuggle around 30 tolas of gold by a 60-year-old Indian lady at Wagha railway station when she was trying to move back to India through Samjhauta Express. The lady, identified as Raheema Bibi, was stopped at the railway station on suspicion by the Railway Police officials who confiscated 30 tolas of gold from her possession. The Railways Police officials later informed the Customs officials and handed the accused lady to them. The Customs officials, after taking the gold into possession, let Raheema Bibi go to India. Further investigations are underway.

Arrested engineers sent to Adiala jail
By our correspondent
GHAZI: The four engineers of the Tarbela Power House, who were held at the airport in Islamabad a day earlier for travelling to Sweden on ordinary passports, were sent to Adiala prison in Rawalpindi on judicial remand.The four officials were produced before a senior civil judge of court in Rawalpindi.The court ordered sending the accused to Adiala prison on one day judicial remand.

Extortionists throw grenade at doctor’s house
By our correspondent
NOWSHERA: Unidentified persons lobbed a hand grenade into the house of senior doctor in Jaroba village, police said on Monday. Lodging complaint of the incident, Assistant Prof Dr Rizwan Khattak, a neurosurgeon at the Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar, told the police that unidentified persons hurled a hand grenade at his house around 8:30 pm. He said the explosion caused no casualty. The doctor told the police that unidentified persons had pasted a notice on the door of his house a day earlier and asked him to pay Rs10 million extortion.The police lodged the case and arrested a suspected person from near the house.

Amin Fahim says no part of Benazir’s will remaining
By our correspondent
SUKKUR: Makhdoom Amin Fahim, president of PPP, while talking to the media in Hala, said that there was no remaining parts of the will of Benazir Bhutto and said that the will of Benazir had been implemented totally. He said there was nothing in the will to say that Benazir had nominated Bilawal Bhutto to contest election from Nawabshah and Bakhtawar from Larkana.Makhdoom Amin Fahim once again denied presence of any forward bloc in the PPP. He said he had no differences with Asif Ali Zardari or with any other party Leader. Fahim said Asif Ali Zardari had been running the party in a democratic manner. He said his meeting with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in London was a routine thing.

Khursheed Shah hands over 50 motorbikes to vaccinators
SUKKUR: Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly (NA), Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah said the aim of vaccination is to protect every child at least from nine deadly diseases and distribution of 50 motorbikes among vaccinators in the districts of Sukkur will enable them to reach and vaccinate every child. He said this while speaking as chief guest in a ceremony held to hand over motorcycles at District Health Officer (DHO).

20 Afghan nationals arrested
SIALKOT: The Sialkot police arrested 20 Afghan nationals from different parts of the city on Monday. According to DPO Dr Shehzad Asif, the Afghan nationals, arrested during a crackdown, were living illegally in Sialkot. They could not provide any official document during the search. Police have registered separate cases against these Afghan nationals under Foreign Act. Further investigation is underway.

Dalbandin Levies arrest two bandits
CHAGAI: The Dalbandin Levies arrested two bandits from Zorchah area on Monday. Tehsidlar Dalbandin, Zafar Kobdanni said the Levies Force received information about the presence of proclaimed offender in Zorchah area where it reached to arrest the suspect. This led to an exchange of fire between Levies Force and the accused.
“The proclaimed offender, along with another bandit, was arrested by the Dalbandin Levies Force after a prolonged exchange of fire,” he said.

Man killed in Pishin
QUETTA: Unknown armed men shot dead a man in Pishin area of Balochistan late on Sunday night.According to police, the victim whose identity could not be ascertained was on his way when armed assailants opened fire on him and fled, leaving him dead on the spot.The body was shifted to morgue of Quetta Civil Hospital for identification. Further investigation was underway.

Four illegal Afghans held
By our correspondent
MULTAN: Lohari Gate police have arrested four illegal Afghans in a crackdown on illegal immigrants and shifted them to an undisclosed place. Police, on a tip-off, raided Hussain Agahi Road and arrested Aitebar Khan of Kabul. According to police, Aitebar Khan had a cloth shop on the road and was involved in suspicious activities. The same police also arrested Fazal Rabi of Kabul from Abshar Chowk, Ajuwal of Kabul from Hussain Agahi and Dinar Gul from Fort Plaza. They were living illegally in Multan. Police have registered separate cases.

Five killed, nine injured as bus hits motorcycle-rickshaw
By our correspondent
BUREWALA: Five people, including three women and a girl, were killed while nine others injured in a collision between a bus and a motorcycle-rickshaw near Chak 215/EB on Monday. A bus was going to Karachi from Kasur when it collided with a motorcycle-rickshaw due to overspeeding. As a result, five people, including rickshaw driver Nazim Hussain, his mother Maqsooda, Naheed Begum and girl Tayyaba, were killed on the spot while nine others Naseem Bibi, Sakeena Bibi, Muhammad Ashiq, Asad Munawar, Samina Yasmin, Zareena, Eman Fatima, Muhammad Ijaz and Aleena were injured. The injured people were shifted to the THQ Hospital from where four of them were referred to the Nishtar Hospital in Multan due to their critical condition. Gaggo Mandi police have started investigation after impounding the bus.

Thin attendance of students after reopening of schools
By our correspondent
DERA GHAZI KHAN: Thin attendance of students was recorded on the first day at schools after their reopening on Monday. The government had directed to close all schools after the Peshawar massacre due to security reasons. However, a number of private schools could not be opened owing to poor security arrangements while the schools run by the government made certain arrangements for the security of the students. The administration of several schools raised boundary walls of their schools while some institutions also fixed iron fences. Meanwhile, an official of the District Education Department said that due to paucity of funds, the standards fixed by the government could not be fulfilled.

Two schools closed in Daska over
poor security arrangements
By our correspondent
DASKA: The Education DO along with the assistant commissioner and the SDPO closed two private schools for poor security arrangements here on Monday. The officers paid surprise visits to different schools in the tehsil and closed two schools for inadequate security arrangements.

Sikhs take out rally against India
By our correspondent
NANKANA SAHIB: Sikhs on Monday took out a rally against Indian government for not releasing those Sikhs, who had completed their punishments in different jails. The rally was taken out from Gurdwara Janamasthan up to Gurdwara Pati Sahib. It was led by Young Sikh Panthers chairman Sardar Dilawar Singh. Speaking on the occasion, Sardar Dilawar Singh said that many Sikhs had completed their punishments in different jails but the Indian government was not releasing them, which was violation of human rights. He paid tribute to Sardar Gur Bakhsh Singh, who was observing hunger strike for the last 60 days in India for release of Sikhs. Sardar Janam Singh and others also spoke on the occasion.

Power cuts in DI Khan protested
By our correspondent
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The residents of various localities in the district on Monday staged a protest against prolonged loadshedding. Led by Shakeel Awan, Muhammad Khan and Shireen Jan, the residents of Qayyum Nagar, Kotla Habib, Sago Daman, Baranabad, Muslim bazaar, cantonment, Gomal and other areas, carrying banners and placards chanted slogans against the officials of Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco). Speaking on the occasion, they said that officials of Pesco were carrying out more than 12 hours long power cuts which created problems for the residents and caused water shortage. They threatened to intensify the protest campaign if the duration of the loadshedding was not reduced.

Militant’s house demolished
By our correspondent
MINGORA: The security forces demolished the house of a militant in Swat district, official sources said on Monday. The sources said that the security forces destroyed the house of Ajmal who was wanted by the security forces. The security forces bombed his house in Malukabad area in Mingora. Meanwhile, the security forces and police arrested 25 suspected persons during a search operation in Malukabad. The action was taken after the killing of a member of the former village defence committee.

Schools reopen in Mohmand Agency
By our correspondent
GHALLANAI: All the government and private educational institutions in Mohmand Agency reopened on Monday. The political administration examined the security arrangements at schools in various areas of the agency. The officials asked tribesmen to assist the administration in providing security to the schools. The administration also stressed strengthening of neighbourhood watch system.