Briefs...

Laptops under PM scheme distributed at AIOU
By Myra Imran
Islamabad: For the first time since the launch of Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme, 56 students of distance learning from Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) received laptops in a graceful ceremony organised at AIOU main campus on Tuesday.State Minister for Education Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman distributed laptops among the talented students for showing outstanding academic performance in their respective disciplines.The laptops were provided by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) under the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme. These were handed over to the students of Masters, M Phil and PhD programmes on their best academic ranking.

Wattoo welcomes PTI’s return
By our correspondent
LAHORE: PPP Punjab President Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo has welcomed the return of PTI members to Parliament. In a statement on Tuesday, he said after the setting up of a judicial commission there was no justification for the PTI to continue the boycott of Parliament and its rejoining was quite rational and logical. He regretted the use of unparliamentarily language by some ruling stalwarts against the PTI’s return to the Parliament and described it irresponsible. He appreciated the speeches of Opposition leader Syed Khurshid Shah and Senator Aitzaz Ehsan on the floor of Parliament describing them representative of the sense of the whole House.

Man killed over land dispute
By our correspondent
KASUR: A man was killed while his son injured over a land dispute at Lakhu Kalam village on Tuesday. Gulzar Hussain had a land dispute with accused Mubasher. On the day of the incident, accused Mubashar and his five accomplices entered the house of Gulzar and allegedly opened indiscriminate fire. As a result, Gulzar Hussain was killed on the spot while his son Sahib Din sustained bullet injuries. Sheikhm police have registered a case.

Militant, PO held in Swat
By our correspondent
MINGORA: The police arrested a militant and a proclaimed offender in Khwazakhela tehsil of Swat district, officials said on Tuesday. They said that the police during an action in Khwazakhela area arrested a militant Gul Muhammad. They said the militant was wanted to the police in various acts of terrorism.

Arms seized in Lahore
By our correspondent
LAHORE: Investigation police recovered seven Kalashnikovs, 45 heavy rifles, bullets and cartridges worth more than Rs4m during the last two weeks during a special campaign under the National Action Plan. The operation was launched on the orders of CCPO Lahore Capt (R) Muhammad Amin Wains. Police teams arrested 50 criminals and recovered firearms. SSP Investigation Rana Ayyaz Saleem stressed police to further expedite the campaign against illegal arms, complete the investigation of the cases immediately and solve problems of common citizens.

Minor girl found dead in TT Singh
By our correspondent
TOBA TEK SINGH: A three-year-old girl was found dead mysteriously in her house at Sheikhanwala Mohallah. Anusha was found dead when her parents had gone out and there was only a female servant at the house in their absence. Javed, father of the girl, told Kamalia City police that he had seen marks of strangling on her neck. Later, the police shifted the body to the THQ Hospital Kamalia for autopsy.

Kidnapper of eight children held
By our correspondent
LAHORE: Shera Kot police arrested a kidnapper and recovered eight afghan children from his possession. The arrested kidnapper was identified as Mohammad Ameen. The children recovered by the police were identified as Rafi Ullah, Ghulam Sakhi, Mohammad Muslim, Sibghatullah, Abdul Majid, Moaz, Mohammad Nazeer and Fozia. The accused intended to smuggle children to Afghanistan.
Modaraba scam accused gets bail

By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The PHC on Tuesday granted pre-arrest bail to principal accused of Modaraba scandal Jamshed Khan and restrained the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from arresting him till the next order. A two-member bench granted the pre-arrest bail to the accused. The court also issued notice to the NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to submit reply in the case. The petitioner’s lawyer submitted before the bench that the NAB KP had filed a reference of Rs2.7 billion against Jamshed Khan, a resident of Hangu, in the accountability court. The lawyer said NAB had charged the petitioner for collection of billions of rupees from the people in the name of Islamic mode of investment.

JUI-F quits alliance in Swat
By our correspondent
MINGORA: The tripartite alliance on Tuesday suffered a blow in Swat district as the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) pulled out of the grouping for the local government elections. The decision was made during a meeting of the JUI-F, Swat chapter, held with its district chief Qari Mehmood in the chair. The district and tehsils office-bearers and JUI-F workers from across the Swat attended the meeting.The meeting termed the attitude of the Awami National Party (ANP) as indecent and decided to pull out of the three parties’ alliance.

Players ask PTI chief to fulfil election promises
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial government has ignored the pledge made by its chief Imran Khan in May, 2013 to set up sports ground in each tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Some players, including Waqas Khan, Kamran Khan and others, said that the administration of the Government Postgraduate College and the Government Higher Secondary School in Charsadda closed the sports grounds in Charsadda Tehsil.“The youth feel suffocated and depressed and spend their time in other unhealthy activities now after the closure of the ground,” said Waqas Khan, a football player.

Stakeholders to be consulted on Shandur Festival
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The Tourism Corporation, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP), would arrange a one-day consultative seminar in connection with the upcoming Shandur Polo Festival on April 13. A communique said the purpose was to have consultations, invite proposals from the stakeholders and prospective participants. “That will help organise the festival in a befitting manner and promote peace and tourism in the province,” it added. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the Secretary Tourism, Sports, Archaeology and Museums and Youth Affairs Dr Aftab Akbar Durrani.

Poppy crop destroyed in Bara
By our correspondent
BARA: Security forces and Khassadar personnel destroyed poppy crop in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency, official said on Tuesday.Talking to reporters, Assistant Political Agent (APA) Muhammad Nasir Khan said security forces and personnel of the Khassadar force launched a joint crackdown against the poppy crops. He said that the Khassadar and security forces destroyed poppy crops cultivated over 153 kanals in Arjalindi, Nogazibaba in Shalobar areas.

Explosives recovered in Parachinar
By our correspondent
PARACHINAR: The security forces foiled a terror bid and defused a 10-kilogram of explosives planted at the roadside in Wacha Darra near here, official sources said on Tuesday. The sources said the militants had planted explosives at the roadside in Wacha Darra. The security forces cordoned off the area and defused the device. Meanwhile, the police arrested seven suspected persons and seized arms from them during a search operation in Bakkakhel area in Frontier Region (FR) Bannu on Tuesday, the police said. They said that the police launched search operation against the outlaws in Bakkakhel area and arrested seven suspects. The police seized 11 Kalashnikovs, three repeaters, four pistols and several cartridges.

Four soldiers go missing in FR DI Khan
By our correspondent
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Four personnel of the security forces went missing in Drazinda area, Frontier Region (FR) Dera Ismail Khan, on Tuesday night, sources said. The sources said that four soldiers were on their way to Drazinda Fort when they went missing. The missing soldiers were identified as Subedar Major Muhammad Naseem, Sepoys Ghulam and Anwar Shah while identity of another soldier could not be ascertained.The reports suggested that the soldiers were kidnapped by gunmen. However, the independent sources could not confirmed yet whether or not they were kidnapped.

Jirga resolves Bannu tribal feud
BANNU: A jirga Tuesday resolved an old enmity between two clans in Surani Bazida area in the district. The jirga helped end the enmity between the tribes of Waheed Khan and Asmatullah Khan. The members of the two tribes pledged to live peacefully in future.

Passing out parade of Levies held in Chirtal
By our correspondent
CHITRAL: The passing-out parade of the Chitral Levies was held here on Tuesday. Speaking at the passing-out parade at the Polo Ground, Regional Police Officer, Malakand Range, Azad Khan, said he would send recommendations to the inspector general of police for approving risk allowance for police force in the district. The Regional Police Officer said keeping in view the geographical location of Chitral and being the largest district of the province, the cops performing duties here deserve all allowances. The officer said the police provided training to Levies force jawans. He lauded the police force for playing an active role in maintaining law and order in the district.

HARIPUR: About 12 persons, including a woman and a child, sustained injuries when a bus fell into a ravine in the limits of Khanpur Police Station on Tuesday.
According to the police, a bus, carrying 25 passengers, was on way to Haripur from Taxila. It plunged into the ravine when it was near Tarnawa. Two of the injured were referred to District Headquarters Hospital, Haripur, due to their serious condition.