Briefs...

PO killed in shootout between accomplices, police
By our correspondent
DASKA: A proclaimed offender was killed in a shootout between his accomplices and Sialkot Civil Lines police in Motra police limits on Thursday. Police were bringing PO Shahid Ali from Gujranwala Central Jail to produce him in a court when his accomplices opened fire on a police van to get him released. Police also retaliated. As a result, Shahid was killed on the spot. He was involved in several murder, dacoity, abduction and other cases.

Dual nationality holder allowed to contest CB polls
By our correspondent
SIALKOT: Justice Mansoor Ali Khan of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday allowed dual nationality holder Khawaja Muhammad Akhtar, a PTI candidate, to contest the Cantonment Board elections. Khawaja Muhammad Akhtar had challenged the Lahore region election tribunal decision in which it had barred him from contesting elections for having the US and Pakistani nationality. The ET had given a decision on an application of Akhtar’s rival candidate.

Naval chief calls on PM
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah on Thursday called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the PM House. Professional matters related to Pakistan Navy came under discussion.
Burney condemns Turbat massacre
KARACHI: The Chairman of Ansar Burney Trust International, Ansar Burney, has condemned the silence of political leadership in Pakistan on brutal murder of 20 innocent people when terrorists opened fire on a labour camp in Turbat in the early hours of Saturday.
Ansar Burney on Thursday announced to visit Balochistan soon to create awareness for human dignity and to condemn terrorism and killings in the name of discrimination.He said the unfortunate murdered poor labourers belonged to Sindh and Punjab provinces and were working on a bridge at Sohrab Dam in Gagdan area of Turbat. He said that 16 of the dead belonged to Sadiqabad and Rahim Yar Khan while four hailed from Hyderabad in Sindh. Burney demanded arrest of the patrons of terrorists and asked with political leadership to awake before it could be too late.
Afghan trading goods not to get
delayed at ports, says minister
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: Commerce Minister Khurram Dastagir has said the vehicles carrying goods for Afghanistan would not stay at the ports in Pakistan for more than two days.Talking to reporters in Kabul on Thursday, He said they had come to Kabul to discuss new ways of economic cooperation and resolve the existing issues regarding trade between the two countries.He said that only 20 percent goods of the Afghan traders would be checked and scanned before being allowed to go to Afghanistan.Earlier, the vehicles would be allowed after 100 percent checking to get permission for crossing the border into Afghanistan.He said the railway line would be constructed up to Torkham port, adding 400 containers of

KP Police round up 639 suspects
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police rounded up 639 suspects and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition in the ongoing search and strike operation throughout the province.During the operation, a communique said, 1,654 houses and 290 hotels were checked and 10 cases registered against the violators. During the snap checking at 186 checkpoints, 354 suspects were held and 124 arms of different kind and 304 cartridges were seized.Around 34 unregistered Afghans were detained and 16 cases registered against them. Similarly, five persons were arrested for misusing loudspeakers and cases were registered against the violators. Security inspection of 747 educational institutions was also carried out and various institutions were advised to beef up security.

Security forces repulse attack on check-post in Bajaur
By our correspondent
KHAR: Security forces on Thursday repulsed an attack by Afghanistan-based militants on a security check-post in Bajaur Agency, official sources said. The sources said that militants attacked the check-post in Ghakhi Pass on the Pak-Afghan border with heavy weapons in the evening. They said security forces manning the checkpoint retaliated and forced the militants to retreat. However, the sources said the attack didn’t cause any human or material loss. Security forces claimed to have killed several militants in the retaliatory fire.

36 SBBWU students awarded scholarships in Peshawar
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: Some 36 students of the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University (SBBWU) were awarded scholarships under the ‘French Need-Based Scholarship Programme’ on Thursday. According to the information office of the university, the French government, through Higher Education Commission (HEC), provided an amount of Rs7.2 million for the educational expenses of the deserving students of BS four-year-degree programme. A cheque for Rs25,000 was given to each student as stipend for six months. University Vice-Chancellor Dr Razia Sultana underlined the need for initiation more such scholarship schemes to encourage talented and deserving students to pursue higher studies. She asked the students to focus attention on the studies and excel in respective fields.

Tribesmen surrender weapons in Jamrud
By our correspondent
JAMRUD: The tribesmen on Thursday voluntarily surrendered a huge cache of arms to the political administration of Khyber Agency. The arms, including anti-tank rocket launchers, 20 rocket shells and others weapons, were surrendered to the political administration at the office of the Assistant Political Agent Fahad Wazir in Jamrud. Speaking on the occasion, Fahad Wazir appreciated voluntary surrender of weapons by the tribal people. He said the process will continue until the last weapon was surrendered to the government.

Hashish seized in Landikotal
By our correspondent
LANDIKOTAL: The border authorities foiled a bid to smuggle hashish from Afghanistan and arrested a drug trafficker, official sources said on Thursday. An official said that 2.5 kilogram of hashish was recovered from an Afghan national identified as Zainullah, a resident of Nangarhar province. The alleged drug peddler was sent to the Landikotal lock-up for further investigation.

Paramedics stage protest
By our correspondent
LAHORE: The Punjab Paramedics Alliance (PPA) and Punjab Paramedical Association held a joint protest rally and demonstration for the fourth consecutive day against the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital administration on Thursday. The paramedics and health support staff rallied from gate 2 to the hospital’s gate 3. Later, they postponed their protest for 48 hours after a meeting with the hospital administration.

Killer gets death on three counts
By our correspondent
FAISALABAD: Additional Sessions Judge Javed Iqbal Sheikh on Thursday awarded death sentence on three counts and Rs 600,000 fine to Waqas of Khayaban Colony in a triple murder case. According to the prosecution, the convict had killed three people over an issue of his second marriage.

Abducted Class VII student recovered
By our correspondent
FAISALABAD: A class 7 student, who had been abducted two days ago, was recovered from the People’s Colony on Thursday. Tauheed Abbas of Razabad had been abducted by unidentified people two days ago. Police, on information, raided a hotel and recovered Tauheed from there. According to police, the kidnappers had left the child in the hotel. Further investigation is under way.