Briefs...

Dr Samia Qazi appointed CII member
By Muhammad Anis
ISLAMABAD: Dr Samia Raheel Qazi, ex-MNA and daughter of late JI ameer Qazi Hussain Ahmad, has been appointed as a member of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII).The federal government has also issued a notification regarding appointment of the new CII member.Meanwhile, JI ameer Siarjul Haq, ex-ameers Hafiz Muhammad Idress, Mian Muhammad Aslam and Asadullah Bhutto, secretary general Liaquat Baloch and JI Women Wing leaders Dr Durdana Siddiqui, Dr Humaira Tariq and Dr Rukhsana Jabeen have congratulated Samia Raheel Qazi over her appointment as CII member. They expressed the hope that the new female member of CII would play her to safeguard rights of women in the light of Islamic teachings.

Weapons, drugs recovered
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The police in separate actions recovered weapons, drugs and fake beverages on Wednesday.A spokesman for the city police said 40 pistols were recovered from a car near Jamrud checkpost. He said Nawab Ali and Hazrat Bilal were shifting the pistols from the tribal areas. In another action in Achini, the police recovered 25 kilograms of hashish from a vehicle and arrested one Islam. Besides, police raided a factory in the limits of the Yakatoot Police Station and recovered 4000 bottles of juices and cold drinks of other brands.The owner of the godown used to make substandard juices and paste the labels of other branded companies. One person was arrested from the spot.

Authorities release tribesmen
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Fata leader Dost Mohammad Mehsud has praised the military authorities for releasing 16 tribesmen, who were mistakenly ?arrested by the security forces from Mantoi valley in South Waziristan Agency, last week.Dost Mehsud, a retired bureaucrat had raised the issue with senior military officials after the tribesmen were taken into custody from the village.He thanked ?Corps Commander Peshawar Lt-Gen Hidayatur Rahman and General Officer Commanding (GOC) 9 Division Wana Maj-Gen Azhar Saleh Abbasi for taking interest in the release of tribesmen.

Resignation of AG Punjab accepted
By our correspondent
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has accepted resignation of Advocate General Punjab (AGP) Muhammad Hanif Khatana on Wednesday. Staff of AGP office gave a farewell after acceptance of his resignation. Khatana was appointed as assistant advocate general in early part of martial law imposed by then chief of army staff Pervez Musharraf in 1999. Later, he was promoted as additional advocate general and appointed as AGP in 2014 when Lahore High Court had gave a ruling against appointment of Mustafa Ramday as the principal law officer of the province. Sources say Khatana decided to quit the office as the government is going to appoint a new AGP.

Court orders ad hoc relief for PAF employees
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday directed the top officials of the federal government to implement the court verdict on ad hoc relief allowance to the PAF Military Engineering Services, Risalpur, before March 11 or else would face contempt proceedings. A two-member bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Musarrat Hilali asked the secretary Ministry of Defence, Military Accountant General and Secretary Finance Division to implement the court’s verdict passed on June 18, 2013 about issuance of ad hoc relief allowance to the PAF Military Engineering Services Risalpur or else face action. Humayun and 500 others PAF employees had filed contempt of court petition through their lawyer Amjad Ali, seeking implementation of the court’s decision regarding issuance of the ad hoc relief allowance to the petitioners since 2009.

Terrorist held, explosive recovered
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The Counter-Terrorism Department of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police has arrested an alleged terrorist and recovered two kilograms of explosives from his possession during an action in the provincial capital, officials said. They said two other alleged terrorists were arrested from Dera Ismail Khan and Hangu. An official of the CTD said the cops arrested Abdur Rauf during a raid in Garhi Chandan. Two kilograms of explosives and prima card were also recovered from his possession. A case was registered against him in the CTD Police Station. Besides, the official said, one Asif alias Danish was arrested during an action in Dera Ismail Khan who was carrying head money of Rs1 million. Another person, arrested in Hangu, was also carrying head money of Rs500,000.

Kidnapped teacher freed in Hangu
By our correspondent
HANGU: A schoolteacher who was kidnapped from Ganjyano Killay three months back reached home safely on Wednesday, official sources said. The sources said unidentified persons, dressed in military uniform, kidnapped six persons, including schoolteacher Hayatullah, from Ganjyano Killay in Hangu three months back. The kidnappers freed the remaining five persons the next day. However, Hayatullah was held captive for three months. The family sources said that Hayatullah also reached home on Wednesday.

Man shot dead in Lahore
By our correspondent
LAHORE: A 35-year-old man was shot dead over an old enmity in his house in the Factory Area police limits on Wednesday. The man was identified as Abdul Rehman, a resident of Multan. He worked in Coca Cola Factory and living in Shaheen Colony, Walton Road. He was at home when two unidentified men came there and shot at and injured him. The victim was shifted to a nearby hospital where he could not survive. In charge Investigation, Nazeer Hussain, said the initial investigation suggested that the murder was a result of an old enmity. No FIR was registered till the filing of this report.

Cop dismissed in Peshawar
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: Inspector General of Police Nasir Khan Durrani on Wednesday dismissed a police constable in Karak district on charges of corruption. An official communiqué said a resident of Karak had submitted a complaint to the IGP wherein he had alleged that a Constable Nasrullah took Rs50,000 from him for recruitment of his son as constable in the police force. He further alleged that the constable failed to provide job to his son and refused to return the money. The complaints were checked through senior police officers, who confirmed the allegations and said that Constable Nasrullah used to introduce himself as senior officer.

Case registered against extortionists
By our correspondent
MARDAN: Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has registered case against unknown persons for allegedly demanding extortion money from a person in the limits of Toru Police Station, police said. Sahib Shah, a resident of Daki Toru Mara, told police that unidentified person called him on his cell-phone and demanded Rs2 million extortion money. The CTD registered case against unknown persons under sections 506,387 and 7 ATA and started investigations.

Funds for Hangu projects approved
By our correspondent
HANGU: The District Development Advisory Committee (DDAC), Hangu, Wednesday approved more than Rs201 million funds for carrying out various uplift work in the district. The funds were approved during a meeting of the DDAC held with Member Provincial Assembly Shah Faisal in the chair. The amount would be spent on carrying out various development projects, including power and gas supply, irrigation, construction of streets and other small scale projects.