Briefs...

Officials, contractor held
Bureau report
PESHAWAR: The Anti-Corruption Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday arrested a grade-20 secretary, three other senior officials and a contractor for alleged irregularities in funds a couple of years ago.An official said that former secretary local government and currently director general prosecution Aurangzeb Khan, deputy secretary Shakirullah, directress Tahira Yasmin, former ADC Charsadda and currency magistrate Samiur Rahman and contractor Manzoor Qureshi were arrested by the department for irregularities in Rs46 million funds meant for purchase of computers for the offices of nazims.The department started investigating by questioning the arrested officials.

Foreign currency seized in Torkham
Our correspondent
LANDIKOTAL: The border security personnel at Torkham foiled a bid to smuggle US dollars and arrested one person on Monday. Political Naib Tehsildar Irshad Mohmand told reporters that during routine checking, Khassadars at Torkham border recovered 55,000 dollars from the luggage of an Afghanistan-bound passenger. The dollars had been concealed in a pair of shoes. Waris, resident of Afghanistan, was arrested and shifted to Landikotal lockup.

Police recruits complete training
Our correspondent
MINGORA: Around 281 police recruits completed six-month training at the Police Training School here on Monday.Additional Inspector General of Police Malik Muhammad Asif was the chief guest at the passing out parade of the first batch held at the school.Recruits from 11 districts passed out after receiving training at the school. Chief guest distributed shields and medals among the recruits. Two cops performing duty at the school during the passing out parade fainted in the sizzling heat. Meanwhile, Saidu Medical College and Police Training School signed a memorandum of understanding.

Peshawar placed under Section 144
Bureau report
PESHAWAR: Deputy Commissioner Peshawar Riaz Khan Mahsud on Monday announced Section 144 in the district for one month and imposed ban on display and carrying weapons.In an official notification, the district administration also banned the plying of vehicles with tinted glasses, unregistered/applied for registration vehicles, and vehicles with fake numbers plates. The deputy commissioner directed police for taking strict action against the violators under section 188 without any discrimination.

Another policeman gunned down in Peshawar
Bureau report
PESHAWAR: Another head constable was shot dead by unidentified motorcyclists on Ring Road near Hazarkhwani on Monday. Head constable Nigah Hussain left home for office in the Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines when two motorcyclists intercepted him near Hazarkhwani. The attackers opened fire on him and escaped. The cop later succumbed to injuries.His funeral prayer was offered at the police lines, attended by capital city police officer, senior superintendent of police operations, commandant of Frontier Reserve Police and other cops.

AWKU’s Advance Study Board meets
Our correspondent
MARDAN: The 11th meeting of the Advance Study and Research Board of the Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan was held here on Sunday. A press release said the meeting was chaired by Vice-Chancellor Dr Ihsan Ali and attended by other officials. The vice-chancellor put stress on quality research and its impacts on the development of nations around the world. Dr Ihsan Ali enumerated the achievements of the university since its establishment six years back and attributed the same to the collective efforts of the staff members. Meanwhile, 112 MS/MPhil/ PhD thesis topics and supervisors were approved.

QWP asks Centre to provide relief to KP
Bureau report
PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) chief Aftab Sherpao has asked the federal government to give relief to the common people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as they have suffered a lot due to war on terror. He expressed these views while talking to a delegation here. On the occasion, six newly elected representatives from Mansehra and Haripur including Abdul Zaman, Muhammad Ikram Khan, Samiullah, Malik Atif Muzaffar and Malik Nazir Awan announced joining the QWP. Aftab Sherpao said people of this province were hit by terrorism and extremism in the last one decade that had negatively affected their socioeconomic life.

4 killed in Haripur incidents
Our correspondent
HARIPUR: Four persons, including a minor boy, were killed in separate incidents in the district on Monday, sources said. The sources said that Qazi Arshad along with his friends was swimming in the Mera Dam when he drowned. He was the son of the chairman-elect Arshad Khan. His body was retrieved by the divers after 14-hours hectic efforts. The deceased was the second year student at the Government Technical Institute in Serai Saleh. In another incident, Javed Khan was bowing maize seeds in the field in Ghiba village when he lost control over the tractor and fell into a ravine. Meanwhile, a four-year-old boy identified as Hussain was playing at home in Makhan Colony when he fell into a water tank and drowned. A young woman, whose identity could not be identified, committed suicide by shooting herself dead after being scolded by her father in Akhun Bandi.