TNSM chief’s trial

MINGORA, Dec 7: The trial of Sufi Mohammad, chief of the defunct Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM) and others would be held inside the Peshawar central jail due to security reasons, sources said on Tuesday.

A number of cases are registered against Sufi Mohammad and his associates in different police stations of Malakand Division.

Sufi Mohammad, who is in jail for last few months, would be produced in the camp court to be set up inside the jail from Dec 11, the sources added.—Correspondent Blast in explosives shop HARIPUR, Dec 7: Explosive material stocked in a shop exploded accidentally in Tarnava area of Khanpur here on Tuesday.

The minor intensity explosion damaged the shop partially creating panic among the residents. Police said the blast did not cause any damage to property or life.

Eyewitness said the shop was rented out to a contractor for selling detonators and other explosive material to local stone crushers for quarrying in the thickly populated Tarnava area of Khanpur. The contractor, according to people, had stored some fuse wires and explosive substance in the shop. The other shopkeepers, according to eyewitnesses, left their shops and ran for cover when the blast occurred.

Khanpur police said the explosive material went off due to short circuiting in the shop.—Correspondent Deceased journalists KARAK, Dec 7: Local journalists have expressed sorrow over the sad demise of two tribal journalists who lost their precious lives in the Monday’s suicide attacks in Mohmand Agency and have demanded of the government and international journalist welfare organisations to extend financial help to the bereaved families.

This was demanded in a condolence meeting of the Karak union of journalists on Tuesday. They expressed solidarity with the families of the two journalists, Abdul Wahab Mohmand and Pervez Khan Mohmand.—Correspondent Bank branch MANSEHRA, Dec 7: The Khyber Bank would open its branch at Hazara university‘s main campus at Mansehra and booths at the Havalian and Haripur campuses.The announcement was made by the bank’s managing director Bilal Mustafa during his visit to the university on Tuesday.

Mr Mustafa, who was accompanied by a delegation of the bank, said the branch would be fully functional with immediate effect.—Correspondent Cash grant PESHAWAR, Dec 7: Regional Institute of Policy Research and Training (RIPORT), a Peshawar-based non profit organisation, on Tuesday distributed cash grants among the flood affected households for reconstruction of their houses.

The distribution of first installment of Rs1.8 million, donated by Isle of Man-UK, was held at Tarnab Farm Peshawar. The cheques were distributed among 18 homeless families of Tarnab Farm, said a press release.

Speaking at the cheque distribution ceremony, deputy chairman of RIPORT Naeem Khan said RIPORT and Isle of Man were helping rehabilitate people in flood devastated areas.—Bureau Report Painting competition PESHAWAR, Dec 7: A painting and poster competition on human rights, peace, poor governance and development was held at department of Arts and Design, University of Peshawar, on Tuesday.

Students through their paintings and posters highlighted the root causes of militancy, poor governance, impacts of the black laws of FCR on women and children and gross violations of human rights at all levels.

The exhibition was jointly organised by the department of Arts and Design and Community Appraisal and Motivation Programme (CAMP) under the Communities for Change Project being sponsored by the British High Commission, Islamabad.—Bureau Report

Admission forms KARAK, Dec 7: DCO Javed Ahmad Khan has asked the chairman of Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Kohat to accept the admission forms of ninth class students of Karak on provisional basis.

This was decided in a meeting of the elders and parents with the DCO on Tuesday. The parents informed the DCO that the BISE Kohat had made mandatory the provision of form B of the students of ninth class with their admission forms.

The DCO asked the BISE Kohat chairman to accept the admission forms of the students without form B as the Nadra office could not provide the forms B to the students in short time.—Correspondent

Teacher awarded TIMERGARA, Dec 7: Gul Zamin Khan, lecturer Department of English, University of Malakand (Chakdara), has been given the ‘Best University Teacher Award’ for the year 2009 in a ceremony held at the HEC Auditorium Islamabad on Dec 1, says a press release issued by the university here on Tuesday.

Mr Gul Zamin did his masters from NUML, Islamabad with distinction. After one year of teaching at NUML, he joined the University of Malakand in Sept 2006.

Currently, he is doing M.Phil in Applied Linguistics from University of Malakand. He is a special person with visual impairment.—Correspondent Hospital inaugurated MARDAN, Dec 7: Chief Minister Ameer Haidar Hoti inaugurated a 125-bed tehsil headquarters hospital in Takhtbhai here the other day.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion he said, needs of the hospital regarding staff and nurses would be fulfilled. He added, people of upper districts will equally benefit from modern treatment facilities available at the hospital.

The hospital has been completed at a cost of over Rs210 million. It has ENT, orthopedic, surgical, cardiology, ICU, CCU, gyanae and pediatric facilities and has medical blocs, nine private rooms and eight doctors’ offices. —Correspondent