Bureau report

PESHAWAR: The activists of Pasban staged a protest here on Friday to press the government make efforts for the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. Led by their provincial president Mohammad Ilyas Qureshi, the protesters gathered outside the Peshawar Press Club and chanted slogans. They were also holding placards inscribed with slogans against the government and the US.

The protesters claimed the US was the biggest terrorist in the world, while the Pakistani rulers had become its puppets. They said they would force the rulers make sincere efforts for securing the release of Dr Aafia.

Four killed for honour

Our correspondent

CHARSADDA: Four persons including two women were shot dead in Battagram area in Shabqadar tehsil on Friday, sources said. The sources said that Irfan, Gulab, Sher and Akbar came to a local mosque in Chorakhel village and reportedly opened fire on Sajjad, son of Mian Gul, leaving him and another worshipper Muhammad Jan dead on the spot while Ghazi Gul and Ahmed Ali sustained injuries. The sources said that after killing the two persons at the mosque, the gunmen went to the house of a woman (J) and opened fire on her, killing her and another woman (M) on the spot. The motive behind the incident was stated to be honour-related issue.

Body recovered

Our correspondent

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Body of an unidentified youth was recovered near the Chashma Right Bank Canal on Friday, police sources said. The sources said gunmen shot dead a man, whose identity could not be ascertained, and dumped his body near the canal.

Six die as van falls into ravine

Our correspondent

DIR: Six persons including two women were killed and 12 others sustained injuries when a passenger pickup van fell into a ravine in Kas Nishan Banda in Upper Dir on Friday, police officials said. They said that a speedy coach was heading to Darora Town from Achar Bala. The coach plunged into a ravine while negotiating a sharp turn at Kar Nishan Banda. Six persons were killed on the spot while 12 others sustained injuries. The dead were identified as Miraj Bibi, Umar, Sena Bibi, Swal Zameen, Usman and Taj Muhammad. The injured were rushed to the hospitals in Dir and Timergara where two of them were stated to be in a critical condition.

Kidnapped official found dead

Our correspondent

MIRAMSHAH: A political official kidnapped four days ago by unidentified gunmen from Miramshah Bazaar was found dead in Anghar Killay on Thursday night, official and tribal sources said. The sources said that gunmen had kidnapped the Political Muharrir Muhammad Alam on Monday from the main bazaar in Miramshah, headquarters of North Waziristan, and took him to an undisclosed location. The gunmen killed him and dumped his body in Anghar Killay. The locals recognised his body and informed the political administration. He was laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard in Hamzoni village.