Briefs

Six shops gutted in Nowshera
Our correspondent
NOWSHERA: Six shops were gutted when fire erupted in a shopping centre in Shirin Koto Bazaar apparently due to electric short-circuiting on Wednesday.Fire brigade was informed after locals spotted the smoke billowing out of a shop before sunrise at Tila Market in Shirin Koto, Tehsil Nazim Razaullah Khan said.However, the fire gutted six shops of garments and clothes before the fire brigade reached the area, he said. He added that the traders suffered a loss of Rs7 million. The fire brigade personnel extinguished the fire after an effort of more than an hour. The tehsil nazim assured the affectees that they would be compensated in accordance with the government policy.

13 health employees suspended in Tank
Our correspondent
TANK: A senior official of the Health Department on Wednesday placed 13 employees under suspension for absenteeism.Talking to reporters, District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Tahir Javed Araeen said that acting on the public complaints, he personally paid surprise visits to the Basic Health Unit in Mamraiz, Rural Health Centre (RHC) in Gul-i-Imam and Civil Hospital in Amakhel. He said that 13 employees, including two Lady Health Visitors (LHVs), paramedic and 10 Class-IV employees were found absent from duty. The officer said that he placed them under suspension and issued them show-cause notices to explain their position.

2 IDPs killed in Bannu
Our correspondent
BANNU: Two internally displaced persons (IDPs) from North Waziristan were gunned down in separate incidents in the district, official sources said on Wednesday.They said that unidentified gunmen killed the IDP identified as Farmanullah and dumped his body at a graveyard in Mandan area. The police shifted the body to the District Headquarters Hospital in Bannu for autopsy.Meanwhile, Hazratullah, Muslim and Muhammad Hashim shot dead another IDP identified as Muhammad Zaman in Ismaili Mamakhel area.