Briefs...

28 POs, 11 Afghans held in Hangu search
Our correspondent
HANGU: The police Wednesday arrested 28 proclaimed offenders and 11 Afghan nationals for staying illegally in the district during a search operation, an official said.District Police Officer Anwar Saeed Kundi told the reporters that the police launched a search operation in parts of the Hangu districts and made the arrests. He said the police also recovered 10 rifles, five Kalashnikovs, 38 pistols, two hand grenades, five kilogram of hashish and hundreds of thousands of cartridges of different arms for the proclaimed offenders.

First phase of NWA IDPs return launched
Our correspondent
BANNU: The government Wednesday launched the first phase of return process of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) of Eidak and Dawar tribes to their native areas in North Waziristan Agency.About 100 families returned to Spinwam tehsil in the first phase of the return process. The IDPs gathered at the Mirzael security checkpost in Frontier Region Bannu and sent homes in a convoy of vehicles amid tight security. The returning families were given Rs10,000 cash for transport and another Rs25,000 through Automated Teller Machine (ATM).

Child drowns
Our correspondent
HARIPUR: A child drowned in a water tank here on Wednesday.According to family sources, Awais, 7, a resident of Mohallah Afzalabad, slipped into a water tank and died.

Liaqat Shabab sent to jail on judicial remand
Bureau report
PESHAWAR: An Ehtesab Court on Wednesday sent a former provincial minister Liaqat Shabab to the Peshawar Central Prison on judicial remand. The Ehtesab Court judge, Subhan Sher, granted the judicial remand after the Ehtesab Commission’s prosecutor did not request for his further physical remand in the case.The prosecutor informed the court that the probe into his illegal assets had been completed and he was no more required for investigation. The Ehtesab Commission claimed that its investigation team had received tangible evidence with respect to his accumulation of assets during his tenure as minister. His assets allegedly include plots of land, houses, bank accounts, agriculture land, vehicles and unjustified transactions in his different bank accounts.

JI wants LG by-polls after Eid
Bureau report
PESHAWAR: The Jamaat-e-Islami Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has demanded that re-polling in constituencies where Local government results are pending should be held after Ramazan. Addressing a meeting o f the newly elected nazims and councilors on Tuesday, the JI KP chief Professor Mohammad Ibrahim asked for holding the re-polling after Eid. The JI leader said holding LG polls was an achievement of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. However, he added that a number of complaints in these polls needed to be addressed. Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Elections Inayatullah in his address said the new LG system was stronger than the previous one. He said nazims and councilors at the village, tehsil and district levels would help improve different departments in their jurisdictions.

Orphan students get cash assistance
Our correspondent
LANDIKOTAL: The Khyber Agency authorities on Wednesday distributed cash among orphan students of Landikotal tehsil to enable them to celebrate the coming Eidul Fitr.A ceremony was held at Landikotal Jirga Hall where Assistant Political Agent Muhammad Tayyab Abdullah was the chief guest. Scores of schoolchildren, teachers and local elders were present on the occasion. He later distributed 0.5 million rupees among 471 orphans enrolled at schools in Landikotal.

Unidentified body found
Our correspondent
HANGU: An unidentified body was found dumped in Bagato area in Hangu, police said on Wednesday.They said that unidentified persons had killed a man and dumped his body in Charbala mountain in Bagato area. They said that the locals spotted the body and informed the police. The body was mutilated beyond recognition. The police temporarily buried the body.
Journalist passes away
Our correspondent
WANA: A local journalist Roshan Mehsud died in Tank on Wednesday. He was 55. His funeral prayer was offered at the Spin Masjid in Tank which was attended by local journalists, government officials and notable of the area. The deceased was laid to rest at the Mehsud graveyard.He was brother of journalist Rauf Mehsud.Roshan Mehsud was an active member of the committee for promotion of sports activities in SWA.

Cab driver shot, injured by FWO employee
Our correspondent
LANDIKOTAL: A worker of the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) allegedly shot and injured a taxicab driver on the Bypass Road in Landikotal tehsil of Khyber Agency, local sources said on Wednesday.An eyewitness told this scribe by phone that FWO’s Salim Younis signalled a taxicab to stop. The FWO employee opened fire when the driver, Gul Taan, a resident of Mohmand Agency, didn’t stop.The victim was rushed to the Agency Headquarters Hospital in Landikotal wherefrom he was shifted to a hospital in Peshawar due to his serious condition.Another cab driver was also tortured by the FWO workers in Torkham about two weeks ago.

Rain turns weather pleasant in upper Hazara
Our correspondent
MANSEHRA: The upper parts of Hazara on Wednesday received heavy downpour, which turned the weather pleasant.The rains that started in Mansehra, Battagram, Kohistan and Torghar districts at about 4pm continued for several hours. People enjoyed the rainy weather in fasting as scorching heat had forced them to stay indoors for the last couple of days.However, the people faced problems due to rainwater that accumulated on streets and roads. “I really enjoyed the pleasant weather; I had been at home owing to scorching heat for last several days,” said Mohammad Ajmal, a local resident.