Man gunned down

KOHAT, June 28: One person was murdered over an old enmity in Lachi tehsil on Thursday.

One Said Khan told police he along with his cousin Bakht Jamal was sitting at a shop when Ameer Rehman and Zahir Khan opened fire killing Bakht Jamal on the spot. The culprits escaped from the scene.

Meanwhile, in an ongoing campaign against anti-social elements 23 criminals, including four proclaimed offenders, were arrested with weapons in parts of Kohat on Thursday. The search operation was carried out in Jarma, Bilitang and Saddar.

The four POs included Dewar Shah, Khalid Khan, Ehtesham and Mohammad Asif. The weapons included two repeaters, three Kalashnikovs, one rifle, two pistols, two chargers and one and half kilogram hashish.—Correspondent

Timber seized

MANSEHRA, June 28: The Mansehra police seized a huge quantity of timber which was being smuggled to Punjab on Thursday.

A police team, headed by SHO Mohammad Amjad, on a tip-off stopped two vehicles at Mainyan road and recovered 120 beams of superior quality timber. Mohammad Amjad told reporters that timber which was illegally cut from Shergar forest range was being smuggled to Punjab. He said seven people who were taken into custody were released after they paid the fine.

The forest management committees of Shergar forest range in Oghi have demanded of the government to establish the posts of elite force to protect what they said the green gold from the timber smugglers.—Correspondent

Driving course curtailed

PESHAWAR, June 28: The Peshawar traffic police have curtailed the period of driving course from six months to 42 days to facilitate the people by providing the licences in the shortest possible time. This was stated by Superintendent of Police (traffic) Mohammad Ali Zia while speaking at a meeting on Thursday.

DSP traffic Mohammad Iftikhar, DSP Amanullah, DSP Jehanzeb Khan, DSP traffic Mohammad Ali Bogra were also present.

The SP traffic said whenever police tried to strictly follow the rules, the politically influential people created hurdles in their way. He said unfortunately the people were more interested in acquiring licences than learning driving skills.

The main reason behind growing traffic incidents, he said was lack of awareness and proper schooling of drivers which ultimately led to traffic incidents.

He said data of private driving schools was also being collected and soon these schools would be registered with the traffic department.—Bureau Report  

National music festival

PESHAWAR, June 28: A three-day fun-filled ‘national music festival’ is starting today (Friday) in the lush green scenic valley of Khanaspur, Ayubia.

A press release issued by the Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said the festival would be held in the cricket ground of Khanaspur. The event would include food and cultural stalls along with traditional handicrafts.

The finest artists from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, AJK, Balochistan, Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Punjab will perform.

Musical concerts would include performances by Roxen, Shazia Khushk, Mudassar Zaman and other singers.

A special surprise which includes an international performance would be held on the last evening of the festival.

This is the third time since 2009 that Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is organising an event in Ayubia.—Bureau Report

Misconception about polio

PESHAWAR, June 28: The National Research and Development Foundation (NRDF) has appealed to parents to vaccinate their children against polio disease during the three-day campaign starting from July 16.

“Neither is any harmful ingredient in polio drops nor it is supplied by the American government, rather the vaccine is provided to Pakistan by Indonesian government,” said Asad Riaz Paracha, the NRDF field coordinator for Kohat district, while speaking at a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday.

He said due to some misconception about polio vaccines there were refusal cases in Kohat but with the efforts of religious scholars the refusing parents had been convinced about the benefit of polio drops for their offspring.

Mulana Jahanzib, provincial member of NRDF, said the vaccine contained no family planning drops, as was being propagated by some elements.—Bureau Report

Health workers arrested

LANDI KOTAL, June 28: The political administration arrested two health workers and issued arrest warrants of two others for negligence from their duties during the recently concluded polio vaccination campaign in Landi Kotal.

Agency Surgeon Dr Azam Wazir said the arrested and absconding health workers were found absent from their duties during the last vaccination campaign in Sultan Khel and Wali Khel areas.

The two tribes of the areas had then boycotted the campaign against excessive loadshedding of electricity and shortage of water in their localities but ended their protest after official assurance.

Meanwhile, president of the Khyber Agency Paramedics Association Abdul Halim contended that the arrested health workers were not allowed by residents to administer polio vaccine to their children during their protest against loadshedding. He said the health workers were not informed about the resumption of the campaign and thus were declared as absent from duties. —Correspondent

Khar traders elect president

KHAR, June 28: Shah Wali Khan was elected as president of Khar traders association for the next two years on Thursday.

According to the result, Shah Wali Khan got 605 votes while his close rival Haji Sher Bahadur obtained 495 votes. Four candidates were in the run for the trade body election. Over two thousand shopkeepers cast their votes in favour of their candidates.

The administration had made foolproof arrangements to avert any eventuality on the polling day.—Correspondent