Briefs

Hospitals appeal for blood donation for blast victims

By our correspondent

LAHORE: The administrations of teaching hospitals have appealed to the citizens to donate blood for the Gulshan-e- Iqbal Park blast victims as the existing stock of blood had been used.  O-ve and A+ve blood was needed for the victims. Over 300 victims were shifted to different hospitals. The doctors have appealed to the victims’ families and other citizens to donate blood to save the lives of blast victims. Many people rushed to the hospitals following the news flashed on channels. 

 

Brussels police carry out 13 new raids

BRUSSELS: Brussels prosecutors on Sunday said police had carried out 13 new raids in various districts in and around the capital as part of investigations following bomb attacks. In a statement, the federal prosecutor´s office said a total of nine people were questioned "in the context of a terrorism file.”  Five were later released. It said it could not give further details.

 

Unjustified distribution of
Haj quota not acceptable: HOAP

By our correspondent

FAISALABAD: Haj Organisers Association Pakistan Punjab Region chairman Hafiz Shafiq Kashif has said that unjustified distribution of the Haj quota will not be acceptable for the organisation.It was said by him while addressing the general council meeting of the HOAP here on Friday. He urged the government to approve the recommendations of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee in the next meeting of the federal cabinet and make these recommendations as a part of 2016 Haj policy. He said that if Haj quota awarded to 2,300 non-quota companies, the HOAP would strongly oppose it. He said that the HOAP members were rendering valuable services as the Haj organisers and they had deposited Rs 700 million as a guarantee. Shahid Rafiq, Aftab Ali, Ali Imran, Jamat Ali Shah, Prof Zahid Farooq, Javed Akhtar and Shahid Manzoor also spoke.

 

PML-N tehsil chief granted bail in double murder case

By our correspondent

GUJRANWALA: The Wazirabad additional sessions judge on Friday granted bail to PML-N tehsil president Ejaz Proya in a double murder case. Faryad Masih and Shan were killed in a shootout between Ejaz Proya group and Nasir group of the PTI about three days ago and police registered a case against 21 accused, including Ejaz Proya. Meanwhile, talking to newsmen, the Sadr SP said that police had arrested five accused while raids were being conducted to arrest the remaining accused.

 

Medicines record of THQ Hospital Pirmahal sealed

By our correspondent

TOBA TEK SINGH: Pirmahal AC Hafiz Muhammad Najeeb on Sunday sealed medicines record of THQ Hospital Pirmahal and Rural Health centres of Arrouti and Sindhillianwali to conduct audit of the record of medicines. The AC also stopped the staff from issuance of medicines for the patients without prior permission of the authorities concerned. He told that the record had been sealed on the order of DCO Amir Ijaz Akbar. Five people were injured in an accident near Pindi Ghaziabad on Sunday. Khalid Sial of Chak Dheedi, his relative Sidra Bibi and her two minor children, and Akhtar were on their way when a motorcycle rickshaw hit their motorcycle on Sindhillianwali Road. As a result, all five bikers were injured and referred to a hospital.

 

Death warrants issued

By our correspondent

GUJRANWALA: District and Sessions Judge Habibullah Amir on Friday issued death warrants for a convict in a triple murder case. The convict, Muhammad Siddique, will be hanged in the Central Jail on March 30. Ladhewala Warraich police had registered a case against Muhammad Siddique on September 12, 1995, for killing Muhammad Saleem, Salma and his daughter. He was awarded death sentence by a court. His appeals were rejected by the Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court. His mercy petition was also rejected by the president.

 

Varsity students visit Pakistan Ordnance Factories

By our correspondent

PESHAWAR: The students of the Department of Political Science, University of Peshawar, visited the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF), Wah Cantonment. Pakistan Ordinance Factories (POF) Chairman, Lieutenant-General Omar Mahmood Hayat had invited the students of the department to visit the factory. Around 130 students including BS, MA, M Phil and PhD scholars visited the POF, which comprises of 14 ordnance factories and three commercial subsidiaries. The POF team briefed the students about the largest defence industrial complex of the country.  The students were told that the POF specialises in the manufacture of commercial explosive, hunting ammunition and possessed extensive facilities for the manufacture of brass, copper and aluminum ingots, extrusions and sections for non-military applications. The complex also has a garments factory which manufactures military uniforms and can also cater to the needs of the civil sector.

 

Christian community celebrates Easter with zeal

By our correspondent

PESHAWAR: The Christian community in the provincial capital on Sunday celebrated Easter with religious zeal amid tight security.  Special functions were arranged at all the churches in the city.  The main functions were arranged at the All Saints Church in the city, Saint John’s Vianney Church and Saint John’s Church in the cantonment, which were full to the capacity from followers of Christianity.  Dressed in colourful clothes, the Christian community members including women and children participated in the religious functions. Special prayers were also offered on the occasion.  Strict security measures had been taken to avert any untoward incident. The police contingents had been deployed outside all the churches in the city. The Christian volunteers performed through body search of each and every entrant. 

 

Arrest of ANP activists protested in Nowshera

By our correspondent

NOWSHERA: Leaders of the ANP Sunday staged protest against the arrest and manhandling of the party activists during peaceful protest against government for acquiring their lands for the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route on throwaway price on Sunday. Speaking at a jirga in Mughalki area, ANP leaders including district chief Malik Juma Khan, Khalil Abbas Khattak and Pervez Ahmad Khan said the government acquired the precious agriculture land in Mughalki, Meshak, Ali Muhammad and Misri Banda at throwaway price for CPEC route by imposing section-IV. They said subjecting peaceful protesters and elected representatives of the area to baton-charge and tear-gas was an injustice. “The issues can be resolved through dialogues and mediation and not by the use of force,” he said, adding, the government should release the arrested persons forthwith.

 

 Food, relief items distributed among deserving families

By our correspondent

PESHAWAR: A non-government organisation, Eiman Welfare Organisation (EWO), on Sunday distributed food packages, sewing machines and school uniforms here on Sunday. A press release said the distribution ceremony was held in Akhunabad locality of the provincial capital. Addressing the ceremony, EWO Chairman Hazrat Ali said the organisation was aimed to provide finacial assistance to the deserving families including widows, orphans and disabled persons. He added that they would soon start a vocational training programme to enable women to sew clothes and thus earn livelihoods.

 

Mutilated body found in Haripur

By our correspondent

HARIPUR: The police found the mutilated body of an unidentified man from a room here on Sunday. As per details, locals of the area spotted the body of a man in the room of the operator of the tube-well on Rangeela Road and informed the police. The police reached the spot and took the body into possession for medico-legal formalities. The man aged 40-45 had reportedly been tortured to death and as the body bore severe injuries marks. Meanwhile, a six-year-old boy died after he fell into a well in the jurisdiction of Kotnajibullah Police Station.  Zain Ali, a resident of Gheriyan village, was playing in the courtyard when he accidentally slipped and fell into a well.

 

Three killed in Lakki Marwat

By our correspondent

LAKKI MARWAT: Three persons were gunned down in Tarikhel village here on Sunday. The police said that Khalil, Nazir and Hamidullah were killed allegedly by their rivals. The reason behind the killings was an old enmity.  They said that Khalil and Nazir died on the spot while Hamidullah succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital. A heavy contingent of the police arrived on the spot, but no arrest could be made as the accused had fled the scene.  A case was registered against the accused Muhammad Halim, Muhammad Rahim, Ismail Khan and Aziz Khan under the relevant sections of the law.

 

Woman killed in DI Khan firing incident

By our correspondent

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A woman died when she was hit by a bullet during an exchange of fire between her sons in Bilalabad locality here on Sunday, official sources said. The sources said that two brothers Akmal and Ajmal exchanged fire over a domestic issue. Their mother Rozina Bibi tried to bring the situation under control when a bullet hit her. She died on the spot.

 

Missing boy found dead in Peshawar

By our correspondent

PESHAWAR: A boy who went missing three days back was found dead in Chamkani on Sunday. Police said Mirwais, a grade-6 student, went missing from his home three days back. As police were looking for him, his tortured body was found at a deserted place on Sunday. A case was registered.

 

Motorcyclist shot dead on Warsak Road

By our correspondent

PESHAWAR: A motorcyclist was shot dead by security personnel when he didn’t stop at a checkpost on Warsak Road on Sunday. It was learnt that security men at a checkpost opened fire on a motorcyclist Adnan when he allegedly didn’t stop when security officials signaled him to stop.  Adnan suffered multiple wounds and was taken to a hospital where he died.

 

JI rally against corruption

By our correspondent

CHAKWAL: The Jamat-e-Islami district chapter took out a rally against corruption here on Sunday.The rally was led by JI district ameer Dr Hameedullah Malik and secretary general Malik Iftikhar Ahmed, which was started from the JI Office. The participants were carrying banners and placards inscribing slogans against corruption. The rally passed through various roads of the city and later converted into a huge public meeting at Bhoun Chowk. While addressing the rally, Prof Hameedullah Malik asked the government to retrieve state land from land grabbers and the accused should be punished. He demanded action against alleged substandard construction of Dharbi and Lakhwal dams. He said that the major reason of corruption was poverty and unemployment.

 

Saeed Wazir replaces Akhtar Hayat Gandapur as DIG Hazara

By our correspondent

MANSEHRA: Akhar Hayat Khan Gandapur, who achieved a milestone in addressing core security  issues during his posting as deputy inspector general of police (DIG), Hazara Range, has been transferred to Kohat. Gandapur would leave his charge and newly posted DIG Hazara Saeed Wazir would assume the new responsibilities at his place today.Saeed Wazir was serving as DIG Mardan before posted as DIG Hazara.Gandapur during his stay proved himself as a successful officer after he ended convoy system at Karakoram Highway in Hazara Division.During his stay, he also brought down crime rate in the division and hard-core criminals and outlaws were arrested.  Gandapur had also launched operation to nab militants sneaking into Hazara from Malakand via Torghar district, a former tribal belt of Mansehra.

 

 Protests in Quetta against RAW

QUETTA: Rallies were held in the provincial capital on Sunday to protest involvement of Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in Balochistan. The rallies were taken out by different political and social organisations including Pakistan Workers Party, Muslim Students Federation, Tehreek-e-Nojwanan-e-Pakistan and civil society. Marching on different city roads, the protesters carrying banners inscribed with slogans against India and RAW reached outside the Quetta Press Club. Addressing the protesters, Saeed Agha, Bilal Kakar, Najeeb Tareen and Dr Irfan Ashraf said the arrest of Kul Bhashan Yadav had proved the Pakistan government’s stance that India was involved in unrest and terrorism in Balochistan, Karachi and other parts of the country. The Indian spy agency had been providing funds and training to militants belonging to separatist and sectarian organisations to commit terrorism, they said.

 

Five injured in Jamrud road mishap

By our correspondent

JAMRUD: Five persons were injured when two motorcars collided in the Jamrud tehsil of the Khyber Agency, officials said on Sunday. They said the two motorcars collided in Shahkas area in Jamrud. The Khassadar officials shifted the injured persons to the hospital in Peshawar where the condition of two of them is stated to be serious.

 

Woman kills husband in Swat

By our correspondent

MINGORA: A woman allegedly shot dead her husband at Ring locality here on Sunday, official sources said.They said there were differences between Nazia Bibi and her husband Sher Ali. Nazia Bibi allegedly fired at Sher Ali after an exchange of harsh words, killing him on the spot. The police arrested Nazia Bibi and started investigation after registering the case.

 

Two more bodies recovered in Sosom valley 

CHITRAL: Dead bodies of two more students were recovered from debris of avalanche at Sosom valley.  According to District Police Officer Asif Iqbal, the dead bodies of two more students recovered under the avalanche at Sosom valley and they were identified as Imran, son of Fazal Ali, and Umaruddin, son of Asmatullah, residents of Geri village near Parsan valley while the search of other five is underway, DPO added.  Nine people including 8 students and one pedestrian had covered under heavy avalanche on 19 March at Sosom valley when they were going to attend examination of 9th class, they were hit by heavy avalanche and died on the spot. Residents of the area and volunteer recovered two more dead bodies of students Sunday and five are still missing under the debris of avalanche.

 

Mild quake jolts Swat

SWAT: An earthquake of moderate intensity jolted Swat and surroundings Sunday, however, no loss of lives or property was reported. According to geological wing of Pakistan Meteorological Department, tremors measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale were felt in Swat city and its surroundings, forcing the people to rush out of homes in panic. However, no causality or loss of property was reported from the areas where the quake was felt. The epicentre of the quake was stated to be in Hindu Kush Mountains deep inside earth crust.

 

Seven of a family killed in Jhang accident

JHANG: Seven members of a family were killed and five others sustained injuries in a road accident near Doli Shaheed on Saturday night.  According to rescue sources, the accident took place at Jhang-Multan road where a rashly driven pick-up (CL 7541) collided with a mini truck (EA 3324) coming from opposite direction.  As a result seven members of a family travelling in the pick-up died on the spot.  The dead were identified as Zafar (35), his wife Shahnaz (40), Ramzan (60), Safia Bibi (25), Bilal (7) son of Ramzan, Sonia (18) and Muzammil (30).  The injured are Waqas, Abbas Ali, Javed Iqbal, Imran and Ibrar Hussain. The ill fated persons were on their way back to Toba Tek Singh after attending a wedding party.