January 11, 2007	Thursday	Zilhaj 20, 1427

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SUKKUR, Jan 10: Rail traffic between Karachi and Punjab remained suspended for six hours, as a result of Karachi-bound 38 down Farid Express at Dhandi railway station near Daharki between Tuesday and Wednesday night.

According to reports, two coaches of 38- down Farid Express, heading towards Karachi from Lahore derailed near Dhandi railway station which caused damage to the railway track and also suspended up and down rail traffic for six hours.

On information, relief trains from Rohri and Khanpur were sent to the scene, which cleared the up-track after hectic efforts for six hours, while down track was still blocked.

However, repair work of the affected down-track was continuing till filing of this report.

In the meantime, railway authorities have suspended five railway officials including inspector of railway carriage staff and ordered a departmental inquiry.

RAID: The first civil judge and judicial magistrate of Kandhkot, Sikandar Panhwar, along with the circle officer of the Anti-Corruption Establishment, ACE, Nusrat Ali Bhutto, raided the office of the District Officer of the National Programme for Improvement of Watercourses (NPIW) and seized cheque books and other relevant record.

The raiding team found an embezzlement of Rs. 1.2 million after scanning the record. The raid was conducted following complaints of misappropriation of funds sanctioned NPIW.

The raiding team seized the entire record and, according to the circle officer of ACE, an amount of Rs.1.2 million was missing in the record.

He said that, instead of constructing watercourses, the amount was utilised by the then three chairmen of water management including, Shabaan Mangi, Shafqat and Manzoor Naseerani. Further investigation was under way.