November 30, 2008	Sunday	Zilhaj 1, 1429

LANDI KOTAL, Nov 29: Two suspected militants, who were planting a time device on the main Peshawar-Torkhum highway near Sultankhel, were killed went the bomb went off on Saturday, officials said.

Political authorities said that the explosive device went off pre-maturely killing Mohibullah and Shafiullah on the spot. Officials said that a local militant group immediately removed the two bodies from the scene.

The dead belonged to Sadokhel and Walikhel areas of Landi Kotal tehsil. Officials said that the possible target of the explosive device was a convoy of trucks carrying oil and other supplies to Nato forces in Afghanistan via Torkham border.

In a related development, unidentified militants blew up a bridge in Malikdin Khel-Kajori area of Bara tehsil. Local officials said that the blast partially damaged the bridge. No body has so far taken responsibility for the incident.

PRINCIPAL KIDNAPPED: Unidentified gunmen on Saturday abducted the principal of Government Elementary College Jamrud.

Eyewitness said that Sayyed Razi Shah was on his way to the college from his residence when masked gunmen overpowered his official security guard and then abducted him at gunpoint in a vehicle.

The kidnappers also snatched gun from the security guard. Students of the college blocked Jamrud-Landi Kotal road for a while in protest but they were later dispersed by the personnel of Khyber Rifles.

Sayyed Razi Shah is the sixth kidnapped government official in Khyber Agency during the last one month. A Custom deputy collector along with three of his subordinates was kidnapped four days ago while on his way to Peshawar from Torkham. Their driver Bhutto was released on Friday in injured condition. Agency Surgeon Dr Zaman Khattak, who was kidnapped a month ago, is also still missing.

Sayyed Razi Shah had also served as deputy director in Fata Education Directorate. He belonged to Shalozan area of Kurram Agency.

Also, in Jamrud armed men abducted an Afghan national from Wazir Dhand market.

SCHOLARSHIP: Students hailing from Khyber Agency were extended scholarship as internees in the development projects of Fata Secretariat to encourage them to work for the development of their communities.

Three graduates of NWFP University of Engineering Technology were selected to assist six students of higher secondary schools in Khyber Agency who were given the opportunity to work in Fata Secretariat as internees.

These students were assigned to develop schemes ideas for their areas. They were taken to field supervised by the engineering university graduates to help them in conducting feasibility surveys and producing technical reports for the proposed grants.

The duration of the internship was according to the students’ summer vacations. Monthly stipends were also extended to these students along with communication tools for the other three graduates supervising students of the engineering university.

Political Agent Capt (retired) Tariq Hayat Khan awarded certificates to the successful internees. Speaking on the occasion, he congratulated the students for their selection as internees to work in Fata Secretariat during their summer vacation hoping that it would help build confidence of these students to play active role in community development projects in future.