MANSEHRA, July 26: Three women were killed by avalanche in Donga Shamlai area of Battagram while a former union council nazim was killed when his vehicle plunged into a deep ravine near Ghanool on Tuesday.

Sources said that three women were trapped in a house when avalanche hit their village during heavy rain in the region.

They said that local people rushed to the spot to rescue the women trapped under huge boulders. “But all the three women were dead when they were retrieved,” they added.

The victims were identified as Syeda Marjan, Perveen Bibi and Hafzoon. Meanwhile, Munir Shah, a former nazim of City union council, was killed when his vehicle plunged into a deep ravine near Ghanool.

On way to Mansehra from Naran in his jeep, the former nazim lost control over the steering while negotiating a sharp turn. The residents of the area and police retrieved his body and shifted it to civil hospital in Balakot.

He was laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard in Mansehra. His funeral prayers were attended by a large number of people from different walks of life.

Munir Shah was elected nazim of City union council in 2001 when former president Pervez Musharraf introduced local government system in the country.

TEHRIK-I-HAZARA: The chief of Tehrik-i-Suba Hazara, Baba Haider Zaman, has said though he would not take part in general elections yet their movement will field candidates in Hazara and other parts of the country. “Tehrik has launched membership drive in Hazara, which will be spread to other parts of the country very soon.

Seats in parliament are also necessary along with street power for creation of Hazara province,” he told a press conference here on Tuesday. He said that they had decided to field candidates during general elections in the country.

“I am confidante that not only the people in Hazara but also in other parts of country will vote for the candidates of Tehrik,” he said.

Mr Zaman said that those, who betrayed them, would be taken to task by the people in the upcoming general elections.

“The next general elections on this soil will be held between pro-Hazara and anti- Hazara forces and I am confident that people will help the candidates of Tehrik to win with thumping majority,” he said.

Mr Zaman said that those, who had left the Tehrik, would be losers and people would teach them a lesson.