Briefs...

Pakistan not fully exploiting GSP Plus status: German envoy
By our correspondent
FAISALABAD: Concrete follow-up steps are being taken to give a quantum jump to the Pak-Garman bilateral trade in line with the decisions taken by Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in November last, said German Ambassador Dr Cyrill Nunn. Addressing the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) here Thursday, he said that a delegation of the German businessmen would visit Pakistan on April 19. During the visit, the delegation would meet local entrepreneurs and government functionaries to explore new business opportunities, he added. He said that the delegation would also attend the mega cities conference to be held in Karachi to discuss the economic and business related issues of mega cities.

Indian minister hopes for better ties with Pakistan
By our correspondent
LAHORE: Indian Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said he has come to Pakistan with a message of peace, prosperity and development in the region. Talking to the media after visiting Gurdwara Dera Sahib and the tomb of Raja Ranjit Singh on Thursday, the Indian minister said he was hopeful of better ties with Pakistan. He said petroleum ministers from Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and India arrived in Islamabad to discuss Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project and for its early completion to address gas shortage issue. Dharmendra Pradhan invited Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) chairman Siddiq-ul-Farooq to visit India.

Demo against police for releasing two ‘rapists’
By our correspondent
GUJRANWALA: People staged a demonstration against Bombanwala police for releasing two rapists outside the RPO Office here on Thursday. The protesters, including women, belonging to Kandansian village (Sialkot district) were chanting slogans against the police. They were also carrying placards and banners. In the meantime, an additional DIG held talks with them. The protesters told him that two people - Fayyaz and Qasim – allegedly abducted Saba and Sadia and raped them. They said that the police registered a case and arrested the two accused, but later released them on the pressure of an influential personality. They demanded arrest of the accused and fair investigation.

180 suspects held in province-wide search operation
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police in the ongoing search and strike operations across the province have rounded 180 more suspects and recovered huge quantity of arms and ammunition. An official communiqué said on Thursday the police conducted operations in different parts of the province and recovered 29 arms and ammunition of different kind and 262 rounds of different bore. During the operation, 696 houses and 181 hotels were checked and 13 cases were registered against the violators. During snap checking on 137 checkpoints, 291 suspects were held and recovered 25 arms of different kind and 596 cartridges of different bore.

PPP takes out rally against Zulfiqar Mirza
By our correspondent
NAWABSHAH: The office bearers and workers of Pakistan People’s Party staged a demonstration against former home minister Zulfiqar Mirza and in favour of former president Asif Ali Zardari. The workers led by PPP District President Ali Akbar Jamali took out the rally from the Peoples Secretariat. The protesters holding banners and placards chanted slogans against Zulfiqar Mirza. Addressing the rally in front of the Nawabshah Press Club, Ali Akbar Jamali, Imdad Dhamrah and others said that Zulfiqar Mirza was conspiring to create differences between Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. They questioned why Mirza was silent for the last four years and did not raise voice against the corruption of Zardari.

President confers ‘Hilal-e-Pakistan’ on Chinese FM
ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Husain conferred the award of Hilal-e-Pakistan on the visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The award was conferred in a special investiture ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr here on Thursday. National anthems of China and Pakistan were played during the ceremony, said a press release issued by the President’s office. The President conferred this award in recognition of Wang Yi’s excellent services for further cementing relations between China and Pakistan.

Eight injured in varsity canteen fire
By our correspondent
BAHAWALPUR: Eight people, including three students, were injured when a canteen caught fire at the Government Sadiq College Women University Bahawalpur here on Thursday.

14 projects worth Rs4.3 bn approved in KP
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) in its meeting on Thursday approved 14 projects with an estimated cost of Rs 4.3 billion. According to an official handout, the PDWP met under the chairmanship of the additional chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The administrative secretaries and senior staff of Planning & Development, Communication & Works, Local Government & Rural Development, Finance, Environment, Industries and ST & Information Technology departments attended the meeting. The forum advised the departments to restrict the cost to the Annual Development Plan cost to safeguard availability of funds during execution. The C&W Department was instructed to bind the consultants to guarantee environmental impact assessment for new roads.

Workshops held in girls’ schools to combat terrorism
By our correspondent
MULTAN: A three-day workshops Thursday started in girl schools to combat terror related emergency situations. The first session was held at Haram Gate Girls’ High School in collaboration with Department of Civil Defense where students were imparted as how to use first aid and rescue equipment and training. DCO Zahid Gondal said the workshops would continue for three days, where students would be imparted training of fire fighting, application of first aid and rescue training in tough situations. The students also conducted a drill to handle an emergency situation. District Officer Civil Defence Tariq Waheed supervised the workshop.

Kidnappers’ gang busted in Nowshera
By our correspondent
NOWSHERA: The police claimed to have busted a gang of kidnappers in the limits of Nowshera Kalan Police Station on Thursday. Official sources said son of a businessman Sabz Ali was kidnapped from Zaidi Colony.
The kidnappers had demanded Rs 20million ransom. Taking action, Deputy Superintendent of Police Syed Iftikhar Shah constituted team in the supervision of Station House Officer Nihar Ali for the safe recovery of the kidnapped person.
Due to the police pressure, the kidnappers left the kidnapped person on the road in a deserted area in Nowshera. Following the incidents, the police chased the kidnappers and arrested ringleader Bakht Zamin and his accomplices including Misal Khan, Numan and Fakhre Alam in Ghandheri area. During initial interrogation, the accused disclosed the names of their six accomplices.

Illegal structures demolished in Hangu
By our correspondent
HANGU: The district administration on Thursday demolished illegal structure on the Railway Road during an anti-encroachment drive in the district. The administration demolished dozens of cabins on the Railway Road and illegal structures in front of the shops. The anti-encroachment drive was launched on the directives of the provincial government. The district administration directed the shopkeepers to remove the illegal structure voluntarily or else a strict action would be taken against them.

Spurious drugs seized in Peshawar
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The police claimed to have seized spurious drugs in Paharipura area on the outskirts of Peshawar on Thursday. Official sources said acting on a tip-off, Superintendent of Police (SP) City Muhammad Afzal raided a building in Paharipura area. Spurious medicines worth Rs 4, 00,000 were recovered during the raid. The building was sealed but its owner fled the scene.

Two schools closed over poor security
By our correspondent
KOHAT: The police closed two schools in the district for failing to take proper security measures, official sources said on Thursday. The sources said that District Police Officer Muhammad Sohaib Ashraf visited various areas in the district and inspected the security situation of schools. He asked the administration of two primary schools on the Dhoda Road to close the schools and warned 50 others of closure if they failed to take security measures within two weeks. The police officer ordered action against administration of 20 private schools for not making proper security arrangements.