Briefs...

‘Cold, dry weather to continue’
ISLAMABAD: The Met office on Tuesday forecast mainly cold and dry weather in most parts of the country during next 24 hours.However, light rain with light snow over the hills is expected at isolated places in Malakand, Hazara, Rawalpindi divisions, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.Moreover, foggy conditions are expected to continue in plain areas of Punjab and upper Sindh.According to synoptic situation, continental air is prevailing over most parts of the country. A shallow westerly trough is passing over northern areas.

Kidnapper held, nine-year-old girl recovered
By our correspondent
FAISALABAD: Police on Tuesday arrested an alleged kidnapper and recovered a nine-year-old girl from his custody. Hasnain Ahmad had allegedly abducted Nimra Javed Iqbal of Zulfiqar Colony when she was going to a shop to purchase eatables. A special police team headed by the Gulberg police SHO raided and arrested the accused kidnapper and recovered the abducted girl. The police have registered a case.

Apca rally against blasphemous sketches
By our correspondent
BAHAWALPUR: Hundreds of Apca Punjab chapter activists on Tuesday took out a rally against the publication of caricatures by a French magazine. The rally was led by Apca Punjab general secretary Fakharur Rehman. The rally started from the Irrigation Office of the Chief Engineer and after rounding the Kali Pully Chowk and DCO Office Chowk reached at Fareed Gate where the protesters staged a demonstration and raised slogans against the French magazine. The protesters said that the entire Muslim Ummah was united on this issue. They demanded exemplary punishment for the responsible persons.

Train escapes disaster
By our correspondent
FAISALABAD: The Karachi-bound Pakistan Express averted a major disaster when its last bogie derailed due to wrong track-change by the cabin man at Risalewala Railway Station near Faisalabad on Tuesday. According to details, the Pakistan Express reached at the Faisalabad Railway Station from Lahore on Tuesday morning. The train left the Faisalabad Railway Station at 9am for Karachi but when it crossed Risalewala its last bogie derailed due to which the railway traffic on this track remained suspended for more than 90 minutes. According to the railway authorities, wrong change of the track by the signal man resulted in loosing the net bolts of the track causing derailment of the last bogie. Later, the railway crane detached the damaged last bogie and the train left for Karachi.

Woman found dead in drain
By our correspondent
LAHORE: A 50-year-old unidentified woman was found dead in a drain in the Factory Area police limits on Tuesday. Police have removed the dead body to the morgue for autopsy. A passerby informed the police about a woman lying unconscious near Pull Bhambhiyan, Chungi Ambar Sadhu. Police reached the incident place and rushed the victim to a nearby hospital where doctors pronounced her as brought dead. Police told the media that she looked like a beggar and might have died due to cold. However, autopsy will help ascertain the cause of death. Police were searching for the family of the deceased.

Mobile shop worker strangled by co-worker
By our correspondent
LAHORE: A 17-year-old boy was strangled allegedly by his co-worker over an unknown issue in the Nishtar Colony police limits on Tuesday. Police have removed the body to morgue for autopsy and registered an FIR against accused Umar Naseer on the complaint of the brother of the victim, Tanveer Baig. The deceased was identified as Bilawal. He worked in a mobile shop. The complainant told the media that the accused worked in the same shop. One day before the incident, he was fired from the job by the employer. On Monday night, he came to his house and called the victim. Later, they were informed about the death of the deceased in the morning, he said. He added that the accused had allegedly killed his brother due to a personal grudge.

Two women die as roof of house caves in
By our correspondent
BARA: Two women were killed and three children sustained injuries when a basement collapsed in Akakhel area in Bara tehsil on Tuesday, sources said. The sources said two women and three children were sitting in the mud-basement when it collapsed all of sudden, killing two women and injuring the kids. The three injured children were shifted to the hospital by the locals.
KP suspends Forest dept officials
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The provincial government Tuesday suspended 15 officials of the Forest Department for failing to prevent hundreds of trees from being chopped down in Massar Forests in Siran valley in Mansehra district. A handout said Chief Conservator of Forests Sardar Sultan, Conservator of Forests Raja Imtiaz and DFO Amjad Samad were among the forest officials, who have been suspended. It said the director Anti-Corruption had been asked to initiate action against the accused to check the illegal cutting of trees. Taking cognisance of massive cutting of trees, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Amjad Ai Khan directed the secretary forests to visit Siran Forest Division. A fact-finding inquiry committee was ordered to assess the damage and submit its findings within seven days for initiating disciplinary proceedings against the officials of the Forest Department involved in illicit cutting of trees.

Tribe pledges support to forces
By our correspondent
KHAR: The elders of the Salarzai tribe Tuesday announced support to the security forces in maintaining law and order in their respective areas. They announced the support to the security forces during a jirga held with Colonel Johar in Salarzai tehsil.Prominent among those who attended the jirga were Malik Muhammad Ameer, Malik Warkote Khan, Malik Samiullah, Burhanuddin, Malik Ghafar Khan and others. Colonel Johar lauded the sacrifices of Salarzai tribe for restoration of peace and maintaining of law and order in their native Lar Amdak and Bar Amdak areas. He urged the tribespeople to let a handful of anti-social elements to disturb peace of the agency.

Pesco suffers 90pc line losses in Tank
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (Pesco) is facing 90 percent line losses on 11KV feeders in Tank district due massive power theft in the district, a press release said on Tuesday. It said the Pesco also has millions of rupees outstanding against consumers on account of power tariff due to which the entity faces financial problems. It said the massive power theft has heavily overburdened the system and resulted in hours-long power cuts in the area. It said the Pesco was facing 90 percent line losses on 11KV feeders in Tank district. The Pesco requested the customers to avoid power theft and remove direct hooks, deposit outstanding arrears against them to ensure smooth power supply to the area.

Car-lifters gang busted in Lower Dir
By our correspondent
TIMERGARA: The police arrested a gang of inter-provincial car-lifters and recovered four stolen vehicles from their possession here on Tuesday, police official said. Talking to reporters, in-charge of the Timergara Police Station Roshanzada Khan said that the police arrested the car-lifters during a drive and recovered four stolen cars from them. He said the police were interrogating the group, adding that the police recovered 10 stolen cars in a week time.

Protest against blasphemous sketches
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The students of the Government College of Technology Tuesday staged a protest against the printing of sacrilegious caricatures in a French magazine and demanded expulsion of its ambassador forthwith. Holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the government France, the protesters gathered outside the Peshawar Press Club and staged the protest. They urged the United Nations to play its role to prevent printing such blasphemous material in future.

Blast damages shops in Hangu
By our correspondent
HANGU: Three shops were damaged in an explosion at a market in Samana area here on Tuesday, police sources said. The sources said unidentified persons had planted explosives outside a grocery store in Injar Pati locality in Samana area which went off at midnight. Three shops were damaged in the explosion and the police registered a case against unidentified saboteurs.

Railway Police launch helpline
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The Railway Police have launched help line 1333 for any kind of complaints and queries in Peshawar Division. A press release said the public can call the number for free to register complaints or problems for address.

Peshawar cops foil attack
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The cops manning a checkpost in Hazarkhwani Chowk on Ring Road repulsed a pre-dawn attack on Tuesday.Police said four armed men travelling in a white car opened fire on the checkpost in Hazarkhwani Chowk at around 3am.The cops retaliated, forcing the attackers to escape amid crossfire. The cops remained unhurt in the attack.

Trader abducted
By our correspondent
BAHAWALPUR: A trader was abducted from Mohalla Nawazabad on Tuesday. Five accused clad in police uniform called out fertiliser trader of Uch Sharif Khawaja Sajid from his house and took him to some unknown place. When The News contacted with Ahmadpur East police ASP Mehzore Ali Ghauri, he confirmed the incident and said that there was no policeman was involved in this kidnapping case.