MARDAN, March 26 Residents of Sharifabad village here have complained that their children have been studying in open air for the last 25 years due to unavailability of a proper school building.

Sharifabad, a village in PF-23 (Mardan-I), which is the constituency of NWFP Chief Minister, Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, has no school building for children. Locals told this correspondent that a primary school was opened in a mosque in 1983.

A social worker Naeem Sabir Khan said the children were forced to use the space of the local graveyard for attending classes.

He disclosed that currently some 106 male students were studying from nursery to class 4th in the school while there was no girl because of lack of space. He added that only three teachers were available for five classes instead of required six teachers.

Liaqat Ali Khan, another social worker, however, deplored that both the government and the locals were to blame for the messy situation. He said, even in this age our children are studying in open air and has no school building.

A teacher said, during rain or cold weather, we take refuge in the small hall of the mosque of the village. He hoped that the chief minister would provide funds to purchase land to build the school.

PESHAWAR, March 26 An industrialist was kidnapped here on Thursday evening, sources said.

Police sources told Dawn that Hakimuddin Daud, owner of Daud Sons and Armoury, a leading arms manufacturer in the country, was on his way home from his factory when gunmen kidnapped him on Kohat road.

The sources said unknown armed men wearing masks in two cars intercepted the trader`s car and bundled him into another car on gunpoint.

The source said that it was not clear if the abducted industrialist was shifted to tribal region or kept somewhere in Peshawar`s suburbs. — Bureau Report