One killed as jeep falls

MUZAFFARABAD, April 19: A person was killed and 18 others received injuries in two separate incidents in Azad Kashmir on Tuesday, police said.

Ahsan Hayat, resident of Tathan village of Forward Kahuta district, was killed when the jeep he was driving plunged into a gorge. In another incident, a public transport vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a ditch near Teenda Cross village in Kotli district, leaving 18 passengers injured. — Staff Correspondent

Man dies on road

TALAGANG, April 19: A motorcyclist was crushed to death by a speedy trailer on-Talagang-Pindi Road on Monday evening.

Police said Qamar Abbas, resident of Kot Sarung, was on his way to Talagang on his motorcycle when he was hit by a trailer, dying on the spot. The body was shifted to the hospital and the police registered a case against the driver.

Meanwhile, Malik Mohammad Nawaz, resident of Suggar village, reported to Tamman police station that some thieves stole 21 mobile phones, cash and other valuables from his shop after breaking its locks. Earlier, a shoe store manager Mohammad Sabir told Talagang city police station that some outlaws took away Rs14,000 from his store.— Correspondent

‘Fraudster’ given to FIA

ISLAMABAD, April 19: A local court gave a man charged with defrauding a bank of over Rs3 million in the custody of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on 10-day physical remand on Tuesday.

An FIA official produced Azhar Ghafoor, a resident of G-7/3-1, before senior civil judge Mohammad Aslam Gondal and said he had opened an account with the bank and deposited two cheques for $23,500 and $13,800 drawn from two US-based banks. The amounts were provisionally credited to the account of the accused who withdrew it.

However, later it transpired that both the cheques were forged. The FIA official said further investigation was needed to recover the money and unearth other characters involved in the crime. He said a brother of the accused living in Uganda was also involved in bogus business. —Staff Reporter

German speech contest

ISLAMABAD, April 19: A German language speech contest was held at the National University of Modern Languages (Numl) here on Tuesday in which 12 students from diploma and certificate programmes of the German Language Department participated.

Acting German ambassador Stefan Roken was the chief guest while Numl Rector Dr Aziz Ahmad Khan presided over the function.

The students of the German Language Department delivered speeches on a variety of topics.

The panel of judges comprised German Cultural Counsellor Dr Thomas Ditt, DAAD representative Frau Ursula Saarbeck and research officer GIZ Julia Prerting. Usman Ishfaq Ahmed, Aiza Yousuf and Imad Shahsawar were adjudged first, second and third, respectively.—A Reporter

Control price hike

RAWALPINDI, April 19: The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) has urged the government to take measures to control price hike and improve law and order situation to encourage foreign investment in the country.

According to a press release, RCCI President Syed Ali Raza Saeed Shah suggested that the government should keep banks and other financial institutes open in case of two weekly holidays to promote business activities in the country.

He said price hike increased 120 per cent during the last three years. Besides, due to bad law and order situation foreign investment in the country has reduced to dead level.

He said the government was trying to impose new tax to overcome budget deficit which was not acceptable to the business community in the prevailing situation. He suggested that the government should reduce its expenses and broaden the tax net.

He said the business community would support the positive stance of the government but the latter should take on board the community in the policy-making process. —A Reporter