Two die in roof collapse

NOWSHERA, July 12: A man and his daughter were killed, while five other members of the family sustained injuries when roof of a room in their house collapsed due to heavy rain on the night between Wednesday and Thursday.

A villager, Nadeem, said roof of the house of Mohammad Siraj collapsed at Gulbahar Colony, Risalpur Cantt, burying all the seven members alive.

The villagers rushed to the house and retrieved the bodies of Mohammad Siraj and his daughter Bushra (8) from the wreckage, while his wife Taj and four daughters, Aqal Meena, Haleema, Samina and Abida were taken to the DHQ hospital.

Meanwhile, a huge blaze erupted in the stores of Pakistan Tobacco Company, reducing tobacco worth millions of rupees to ashes on Wednesday night. At least 10,000kg of tobacco was burnt when the fire spread in the stores due to short-circuit. —Correspondent

Villagers seek jobs

KARAK, July 12: Locals will move court against the recruitment of outsiders in the Zebi dam project by the provincial Minister for Prisons Mian Nisar Gul Kakakhel.

The decision was taken at a meeting held at Zebi here on Thursday to protest against the provincial minister for depriving them employment opportunity in the project.

Addressing the protesters, Malik Noor Shah Din complained that the dam was being built on their lands but they were deprived of jobs in the project.

He said local people would not allow the outsiders in the area. The meeting decided to take the matter to court to seek justice.

Sources in the public health engineering department said as many as 53 people have been recruited for the maintenance and operation of the project. —Correspondent

Rain disrupts power supply

SWABI, July 12: Thunderstorm accompanied by heavy rain disrupted power supply to various parts of Swabi district on Wednesday night.

Pesco staff said they were working to remove the fault and restore power supply as soon as possible.

The affected areas were Maini, Sokanday, Gul Bahar, College area and, Kotha. Power supply was also suspended albeit for few hours to Topi, Maneri, Gohati, Chota Lahor, Sheikh Jana, Shewa Adda, Tarakai, Tordher, Manki, Salim Khan, Yar Hussain, Khunda and many far-flung areas.

However, the rain turned the weather pleasant, breaking the spell of scorching heat which continued for a few days.

Meanwhile, a trader was electrocuted in the Swabi adda on Thursday. Rafiullah of Maneri Bala was electrocuted while removing a fault in his shop, police said. —Correspondent

Peshawar’s traffic woes

PESHAWAR, July 12: Expressing concern over the grave traffic situation, the home and tribal affairs department has directed the traffic police to double their efforts, check the traffic violations and facilitate the public.

The home department, in a statement on Thursday, said the traffic problems in Peshawar had increased manifold mainly due to the blatant violations by the drivers and negligence of the traffic police.

It was stated that some of the government emplo-yees were also seen violating the rules and creating problems.

The home department assured that with completion of the work on the ongoing developmental projects the problems would be minimised. The police and public should cooperate to avoid the traffic congestion under the scorching heat. —Bureau Report

Two with arms arrested

MARDAN, July 12: Police recovered arms from a car on the Mardan-Nowshera road and arrested two accused.

Haji Rauf Khan, the SHO of Sheikh Maltoon Town police station, on Thursday told media persons he was informed by someone that arms were being smuggled through a car from Darra Adamkheil area to Sakhakot area of Malakand division.

He said he along with other police personnel arrested two accused and recovered 12 rifles, 35 pistols, 5,000 cartridges and 35 chargers of different arms from a 74-model motor car when they started search of vehicles near the chowk Bihram Khan Killy. He said a case had been registered against the accused. —Correspondent

Chitral forest on fire

CHITRAL, July 12: Fire has broken out in the forest of Achulga situated between the Kalash valleys of Bumburate and Rumbur which consists of deodar trees.

Confirming the news to Dawn, District Coordination Officer Rahmatullah Wazir said hectic efforts are afoot to extinguish the fire as he had sent the border force to help the forest officials.

He expressed the hope that the fire will be stopped before its proliferation to the other areas of the forest which contain most precious deodar wood.

Regarding the timing of the break out of fire, he said it was reported in the late afternoon on Thursday that a part of the forest had caught fire.

Local police said fire had also erupted in other areas of the forest till filing of this report. —Correspondent

Property dealer ‘kidnapped’

KOHAT, July 12: A property dealer is believed to have been kidnapped by unknown people from posh KDA town, police said on Thursday.

The property dealer, Aqil Afridi, who is the brother of Dr Hanif Afridi, went to his office on the KDA road on Thursday morning but did not return till late night. He was believed to have been kidnapped for ransom.

The family of the victim informed the KDA town police about the missing of Aqil Afridi. He belongs to a rich family of Bora Garhi village which had settled in the posh KDA town.

The police were tight lipped about the case and did not register report of kidnapping of the property dealer and were advising the family to wait for his ‘safe return’. —Correspondent