12 July 2004	Monday	23 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, July 11: Two passenger coaches were set on fire near Mewashah graveyard and Jehanabad allegedly by members of a notorious criminal group on some extortion issue on Sunday.

Following the incident, a police contingent comprising 16 mobiles led by SITE Town Police Officer Imran Shaukat raided different hideouts of Arshad Papoo and arrested eight suspects. Three weapons were also recovered during the raids conducted in Jehanabad, Lashari Para and Pepri Shah areas.

Police said that Javed coach (LSC-334) and Al-Faiz coach (JA- 3786) were coming to Karachi from Turbat, when they were hijacked allegedly by the members of Arshad Papoo group near Mewashah graveyard.

They said that the armed men, after depriving the passengers of valuables and cash, off-loaded the passengers from the two coaches. Later, they set one of the buses on fire near Mewashah graveyard and the other near Jehanabad chowk, police added.

The FIR of the incident was lodged at Pak Colony police station by Sindh Balochistan Coach Association Chairman Attaullah. Arshad Papoo, Irfan and Nasir Bangash were nominated in the FIR, police said.

The coach operators said that they were giving extortion money to Rehman Dakait group while Arshad Papoo group was allegedly pressurizing them for extortion money.

ASP Imran Shaukat told Dawn that both the buses was owned by Obaid, whose father was allegedly killed by Arshad Papoo some months back for not giving extortion money. He said that after the murder of Obaid's father, Arshad Papoo had asked him either to join him or give extortion money.

SUICIDE: A taxi driver committed suicide inside his house in North Karachi on Sunday. Police said that Asif Shah, father of five, ended his life by hanging himself from the ceiling at his home.

The body was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for legal formalities. According to the police, Asif Shah had developed some differences with his wife, who left him and went to her parents house.

ACCIDENT: An elderly man was crushed to death beneath a locomotive near Wazir Mansion Railway Station on Sunday. Police said that the unidentified body was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for autopsy. Later, the body was shifted to the Edhi morgue for identification.

DIES: A girl died when a stove reportedly burst in her house in Mauripur on Sunday. Police said that Fahmeeda, 17, suffered serious burns while cooking meal when the stove burst. She was rushed to the Civil Hospital, where she died during treatment. Hospital sources said that the girl had suffered 100 per cent burns.

WOUNDED: A security guard was wounded in an abortive robbery bid in PECHS on Sunday. Police said that Asif was wounded when he put up resistance to four armed men, who had come to a bungalow early on Sunday morning. However, the armed men had to flee following the resistance.