Absconder killed

PESHAWAR, May 4: Two policemen sustained bullet injuries and a proclaimed offender was killed in an alleged encounter here on Wednesday, police said.

A police spokesman, Jalal Shah, told Dawn that two brothers Liaquat and Iftikhar wanted to Pabbi police in a murder case were riding a motorcycle when they were signaled to stop at a checkpoint.

He said that the accused opened fire while trying to escape and injured two police constables. The police retaliated and as a result the two culprits received injuries. Liaquat succumbed to injuries while being shifted to Lady Reading Hospital.

Meanwhile, police also arrested three accused Ejaz Shah and his two sons Khurram and Asghar and recovered 200 bottles of liquor from their possession. —Bureau Report

Call to build small dams

LAKKI MARWAT, May 4: MNA Humayun Saifullah Khan has called upon the government to build small and slow action dams so as to overcome energy crisis.

“The only solution to end energy and power crisis is to construct dams,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

“During a visit to a small dam in Paharkhel Pakka area, Mr Saifullah said that as district nazim he had identified several feasible sites in the district for construction of small dams by conducting a comprehensive survey through the quarters concerned.

Tehsil administrator Qalam Badshah Khattak, Raees of Esakkhel Haji Mohammad Aslam Khan and area elders also accompanied him on the occasion.—Correspondent

Suspected militants freed

TIMERGARA, May 4: The army here on Wednesday freed 35 suspected militants belonging to different areas of Lower Dir after giving them proper training and education.

Sector North Commander Brig Nadeem Mirza made the announcement while addressing an inaugural ceremony of ‘Yadgar-i-Shuhada’ at Khanpur Adenzai here on Wednesday. Parents of the freed suspects, most of them teenagers, notables and security personnel, attended the ceremony.

The sector commander asked parents and guardians to educate their children so that they could not be misguided by terrorist elements.

He said all of the freed people were found innocent after proper interrogation and added that they were trained and educated in army centres. He expressed the hope that the freed men would become peaceful citizens in the future. —Correspondent

Challan Submitted

PESHAWAR, May 4: The local police have completed investigation and submitted final challan against a US national, Aaron mark DeHaven, before a local court in a case of illegal stay in Pakistan.

The court of judicial magistrate Qudratullah Marwat fixed May 11 for preliminary hearing of the case and has summoned the accused.

The investigation officer in the case alleged that the visa permit of Mr DeHaven had expired in Oct 2010 following which the stay of the accused in Pakistan was illegal and a crime under section 14 of the Foreigners Act.

The accused was arrested by the law enforcing agencies on Feb 25 from Falcon Residential Complex. —Bureau Report

JUI-F to hold conference

PESHAWAR, May 4: The local chapter of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F has announced to hold a conference at Nistar Hall on May 29 to create awareness among the masses about the prevailing situation and bring unity in the nation to face future challenges.

The announcement was made by JUI-F district ameer Syed Rafeeq Shah while speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday.

He said that unity was imperative to face anti-Islam conspiracies, adding that the conference was first step in this regard.

He said that more than 6,000 ulema and clerics from different schools of thought would attend the conference. He added that JUI-F would also launch a mass contact campaign from June for the purpose. —Bureau Report

Protest against outages

PESHAWAR, May 4: The Peshawar-based traders on Wednesday announced launching a protest drive against unabated power outages, which they claimed were hurting businesses in the provincial capital.

A decision to launch the protest drive was taken at a meeting of Markazi Tanzeem-i-Tajiran Peshawar cantonment held under the chairmanship of Sharafat Ali Mubarik. The meeting was attended by the office-bearers and a large number of people from the business community, said a press release.

The traders expressed deep concern over hours long and unscheduled power disruption which had not only affected the every day life of the Peshawarites, but also badly affected their businesses. —Bureau Report

PML-Q office-bearers resign

MARDAN, May 4: The local office-bearers of Pakistan Muslim League-Q resigned here on Wednesday from the party in protest against their leadership’s decision to join the PPP-led government.

Speaking at a press conference at Mardan Press Club, PML-Q district president Gul Nawaz Khan, general secretary Momin Khan and other office-bearers strongly criticised their party leadership for joining the incumbent ‘corrupt’ government.

He termed the move as an unnatural alliance and predicted that they soon would have to parted ways.

He alleged that the PML-Q leadership had joined the weak PPP-led government just to attain a few ministries and privileges. “The PPP government is unable to deliver according to the wishes of the people,” he added. —Correspondent

PA body summons doctors

HARIPUR, May 4: Three senior doctors of the District Headquarters Hospital, Haripur would appear before the privileges committee of the provincial assembly on Thursday to explain the allegations leveled against them by PPP MPA Dr Faiza Rasheed.

These doctors have been accused of using indecent language against the MPA during a protest demonstration.

According to official sources of the health department, Dr Faiza Rasheed had, during the assembly session on April 14, 2011, submitted a privilege motion against Surgeon Dr Sarfraz Ahmed, head of surgery department DHQ, surgeon Dr Javed Iqbal and Dr Amira Takreem, head of gynecology department, accusing them of using abusive language and threatening her of dire consequences.

Speaker Karamatullah Chagharmati referred the motion to the privileges committee, which called the three doctors to clarify their position. —Correspondent