KOHAT: A police constable was killed and SHO and four other policemen were seriously injured when their patrol vehicle hit a roadside tree after its tyre burst near Nakband village on Rawalpindi-Kohat Road here on Thursday.

District police officer Saleem Marwat told mediapersons that a police vehicle was on a routine patrol in the area when its tyre burst and it hit a roadside tree in Nakband village.

As a result, driver of the vehicle constable Shaukat died on the spot.

Five policemen, including SHO Gumbat Razi Gul, ASI Fayyaz Khan, head constable Javed Hussain and constables Shabbir Ahmed and Mudassir Ali were injured.

Funeral of constable Shaukat was held in his native village Ghorazai, which was attended by police officials and a large number of people.

ASSAULTED: Three people, including a policeman, allegedly assaulted a boy in Kot village on Thursday.

One Feroze Ali told the police that he and his brother, residents of Hayatabad, Peshawar, had come to Kohat to meet their relatives. He said that two persons on motorcycles, who introduced themselves as policemen, offered them lift near cattle market in Kohat.

He said that they were taken to mountains of Kot village near Bilitang where the accused assaulted his younger brother and snatched cash and mobile phones from them.

The police later arrested constable Naimatullah Khan, resident of Gandiali village, for his alleged involvement in the assault case. He was also suspended. A case was also registered against three accused.

According to Bilitang police, two other accused, Ghulam Sher and Ajab Khan were still at large.

PROJECTS APPROVED: The district development advisory committee has approved projects worth Rs120 million, including establishment of maternity hospital in Shakardarra town.

The meeting, presided by the committee chairman MPA Ziaullah Bangash, was attended by chief municipal officer, Kohat, Mohammad Shoaib, chief coordination officer Noor Daraz Khattak and other officials.

It also approved provision of transformers along the Chorlakki road, construction of mosque at a graveyard in KP-37 and solar system on trial basis in KP-38.

The meeting approved Rs2 million each for all the union councils for repair of roads and hand pumps.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2014