Briefs...

Crossfire claims life
By our correspondent
LAHORE: A 13-year-old passerby boy was shot dead during an exchange of firing between the two groups on property dispute in Garhi Shahu police limits on Monday. Police removed the body to morgue for autopsy. The deceased was identified as Yaki Maseeh. Two groups were exchanging fire on a property dispute on Allama Iqbal Boggi Road. The victim went to see the scene. A stray bullet hit him. As a result, he was seriously injured. Rescue teams rushed the victim to a nearby hospital but he could not survive. After the incident, both groups fled the scene. A passerby informed the police who reached the place and removed the body to morgue.
Senate website hacked, recovered
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: The website of the Senate of Pakistan was hacked Monday night for few minutes, which was recovered and the content uploaded there removed.TV channels reported that the website was hacked by hackers, belonging to Tunis, who had uploaded anti-Pakistan content. The IT experts took a few minutes to remove the content and restore the Senate website.

Woman, two children abducted
By our correspondent
DASKA: A woman and her two minor kids were abducted in the Satra police limits here on Monday. Six accused including Owais and Azhar entered the house of Khalida Bibi and allegedly abducted her and her two minor children.

Eight POs, several Afghans arrested
in Nowshera search operation
By our correspondent
NOWSHERA: The police arrested eight proclaimed offenders (POs) and several Afghan nationals for illegally staying in the district during a search operation in Pabbi, an official said.District Police Officer (DPO) Rabnawaz Khan said that the police launched a search operation against anti-social elements in Pabbi. He said the police arrested eight proclaimed offenders and recovered arms from them during the action. The official said the police also arrested several Afghans for staying illegally in the district and registered cases against them.

PRCS distributes food packages among IDPs
By our correspondent
LANDIKOTAL: Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) distributed food packages among the internally displaced persons (IDPs) families who have returned to native areas in Bara in Khyber Agency. Ikramullah Jan Kukikhel, Chairman Pakistan Red Crescent Fata said that the food package was included 80 kilograms of flour, five kilogram cocking oil, eight kilogram of various pulses and other items. He said 135 families were given the food package. Ikramullah said that PRCS would provide food packages to 10,000 families returned to their settlements in Bara. He added that a total of 70,000 individuals would be benefited from the program.

Woman, two children injured in Hafizabad acid attack
By our correspondent
HAFIZABAD: A woman and her two children were injured in an acid attack here on Monday. Azam Sheikh of Mohallah Dhabwal, who was an addict, wanted to sell some articles of the house but his wife Nadira forbade him, which led to an exchange of hot words between them. In a fit of frustration, Azam Sheikh allegedly threw acid on his wife Nadira and four-year-old Zain Ali and eight-year-old Sheraz Rani. As a result, they received serious burns. They were shifted to the DHQ Hospital. Police have arrested the accused after registering a case and started investigation.

Multan Traders reject closure of shops at 8pm
By our correspondent
MULTAN: Traders and businessmen have rejected the government decision for closing shops and markets by 8pm. Talking to newsmen here on Monday, Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) president Mian Iqbal Hassan, senior vice-president Alamgir Jamil Khan and vice-president Mirza Ali Ahmad warned of launching a protest movement if the government forcefully tried to implement the decision. They said that the government had taken the decision for closure of shops and markets without taking the traders into the confidence while the district administration had come into action to get it implemented. They demanded the government withdraw its decision. They urged the government to take steps to resolve the energy crisis.

Resolution to declare firing in
air a non-bailable offence in Punjab PA
By our correspondent
LAHORE: A resolution to declare firing in the air a non-bailable offence was submitted in Punjab Assembly on Monday. PML-N MPA Ejaz Ahmad presented the resolution stating that aerial firing incidents increased in the province as culprits got bail after committing the crime. The resolution urges the government to halt this ongoing felony by taking strict action against perpetrators.

Swine flu death suspected in Lahore
By our correspondent
LAHORE: A 57-year old man of Sargodha, who had died in a private hospital last week, is suspected of dying of swine flu.Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has sought a report on the death of Altaf Hussain Shirazi. Meanwhile, Khawaja Salman Rafique said the private hospital had not informed the Punjab Health Department about the patient, adding a complete inquiry into the incident would be launched and in case of violation of SOP and the matter would be sent to Punjab Healthcare Commission for action against the hospital. Punjab Health DG Dr Zahid Pervaiz said it was the responsibility of the private hospital to inform the Health Department about the patient.

Measures taken for anti-polio campaign
By our correspondent
HANGU: The district administration Monday imposed Section 144 and banned pillion riding and display of arms to avert any untoward incident in the anti-polio campaign in the district.A communication said all the arms licensees would be considered canceled during the three days anti-polio vaccination campaign. The three day anti-polio campaign would continue from April 13-16.

Relief items distributed among Fata IDPs
By our correspondent
NOWSHERA: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Women Wing Mondaydistributed food items among the internally displaced persons from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) staying at the Jalozai Camp. A PTI central leader Fauzia Kasuri distributed the relief items among the displaced families.Insaf Doctors Forum central deputy president Jawad Wasif, Dr Rab Nawaz and others were present.

18-year-old married girl murdered
By our correspondent
HAFIZABAD: An 18-year-old married girl was murdered by unidentified people on Kassoke Road here on Monday. Asma had contracted marriage with Adnan of Vingay village about four months ago. On the day of the incident, she was going to a medical store to buy medicines when unidentified people shot her dead. Police have taken the body into custody and started investigation.

Infant’s body found in Malakwal
By our correspondent
MALAKWAL: Body of an infant was found from a graveyard at Pindi Kaloo in the limits of Bhagat police on Monday. Reportedly, unidentified people threw a dead body of an infant in the graveyard. The locals informed the police and the police handed the body to TMA Phalia and it was buried in the Phalia graveyard.

Couple killed in Vehari accident
By our correspondent
VEHARI: A couple died in an accident near Adda Ghulam Hussain on Monday. Abdul Sattar of Tibba Sultanpur and his wife Kalsoom Bibi were on their way to Vehari when their motorcycle collided with a van. As a result, the couple fell on a road. In the meantime, a trailer coming from behind crushed them to death. Thingi police have registered a case.

Man gets death in rape-murder case
By our correspondent
ARIFWALA: Additional Sessions Judge Sheikh Tanvir Ahmad on Monday awarded death sentence and Rs 200,000 fine to an accused in a rape-cum-murder case registered with Qaboola police station. The prosecution said that Jafar of Mohallah Asiqabad had killed 12-year-old Shazia after raping her in his shop on March 2, 2012.

Three-party alliance works out seat-sharing formula
By our correspondent
BANNU: The three-party alliance of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP) on Monday came up with a seat- sharing formula for the upcoming local government election.The decision was made at a meeting of the three-party alliance held at the residence of JUI-F Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Malik Riaz Khan.The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani, a former provincial minister Sher Azam Khan, Senator Baz Muhammad Khan, Qari Muhammad Abdullah, Malik Riaz Khan, Shakeel Ahmad, Farzand Ali Khan and others.

Ad hoc lecturers from Fata demand regularisation
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The ad hoc lecturers serving in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) on deputation have called for regularization of their services. The lecturers, who have been protesting for the acceptance of their demands for the last seven days, declared to continue the protest. The protest camp staged by them outside the Press Club entered into eighth day on Monday. Speaking on the occasions, the president of the ad hoc lecturers, Afsar Khan, and information secretary, Nasir Ali, said the provincial assembly had passed a bill to regularise their services on May 12, 2014 but 225 lecturers serving in Fata on deputation had been ignored.

BDU members injured while defusing bomb in Wana
By our correspondent
WANA: Three officials of the bomb disposal unit (BDU) sustained injuries while defusing a bomb in Sararogha tehsil in South Waziristan, official sources said on Monday.The sources said that three BDU officials were defusing a bomb on the roadside in Spinkai Raghzai which went off, leaving the BDU officials injured. They were shifted to the FC Hospital in Jandola. Also, two shops were destroyed when a bomb planted at the backside of the market in Jaza Ghundai in Wana. However, no loss of life was reported in the blast.

Call to arrest killers of religious scholar
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The relatives and supporters of the recently assassinated Sheikhul Hadith Maulana Amir Hamza have warned of a protest if the killers of the religious scholar were not arrested within next seven days.Speaking at a news conference here at Press Club on Monday, Maulana Mohammad Bilal, Bahadur Khan, Bakht Jehan and others said Maulana Amir Hamza was killed by some unidentified people in Nowshera Cantonment but the police could not arrest the killers.Flanked by Bakht Jamal, Shah Gulab, Bahadur Khan, Aurangzeb, Jan Bahadur and others, Maulana Bilal said it was the responsibility of the government to arrest the killers but the authorities were doing nothing.

Paramedics in Kurram warn of protest
By our correspondent
PARACHINAR: The paramedical staff in Kurram Agency also announced strike from April 22 to press the government for acceptance of their demands. Speaking at a meeting at the Agency Headquarters Hospital hereon Monday, paramedical association’s local chapter president Sarfaraz Ali Bangash and other office-bearers announced their support to the strike by their colleagues in Peshawar. The paramedics in Peshawar have announced a series of protest from April 15 while from April 22 in other parts of the province.

Bomb defused in Kurram Agency
By our correspondent
PARACHINAR: The administration foiled a terror bid by defusing a bomb in Kurram Agency, official sources said on Monday. The sources said that unidentified persons had planted a bomb under a bridge on the main highway in Manduri area in Kurram Agency. The political administration sent a bomb disposal unit to the area, which defused the 10-kilogram remote-controlled bomb.

Free education sought for street children
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) staged a walk outside the Press Club on Monday to mark the International Day for Street Children. The speakers highlighted the problems of the street children and urged the government to provide quality and free education to them.