Three die in roof collapse

NOWSHERA, June 16: Three people were killed and two others sustained injuries when roof of a house collapsed in Pabbi Town here in the early hours on Thursday.

Locals said that Tahir, owner of the house, along with four other family members was asleep when all at a sudden roof of his single-room mud house collapsed in Shiekhabad street at 4am.

As a result, all the five inmates were buried under the rubble. The neighbours and other people in the vicinity rushed to the site and started rescue work. Two inmates Fahmeeda and Sahir, in-laws of Tahir, were recovered alive, but Tahir, his wife Sehr and son Zawahir were found dead.

Later they were buried at their ancestral graveyard in Pabbi. — Correspondent

Oil tanker blown up

LANDI KOTAL, June 16: Continuing their attacks on Nato oil tankers, the militants targeted yet another vehicle here on Thursday.

A bomb planted in an oil tanker went off with a bang causing a huge fire which also engulfed two passing-by trucks and a Suzuki Alto car.

The fire completely gutted all the four vehicles while the drivers and cleaners managed to escape unhurt.The incident also caused suspension of traffic on Torkham road for at least three hours. The road was cleared only after the fire was extinguished. — Correspondent

Four killed in clash

SWABI, June 16: Four people were killed as rival groups exchanged fire over ownership of a piece of land in Yar Hussain town here on Thursday.

Police said that the incident took place in the far-flung area of Yar Hussain in Chota Lahor and both the groups were next door neighbours.

Officials said that first they exchanged hot words and later opened fire on each other. As a result, Malik Jehan and his brother Saeed Khan were killed on the spot.

Sherullah Khan and Shamasul Qamar, two brothers from the rival group, were seriously injured. Both were rushed to a nearby hospital where they succumbed to their injuries.

Meanwhile, two labourers were seriously injured in an explosion at a steel mill in Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate on Thursday. — Correspondent

Workshop concludes

ABBOTTABAD, June 16: Hazara Commissioner Khalid Khan Umerzai has said that the most important role of media is to keep check on the organs of state and play the role of a mediator between public and government.

He was addressing as the chief guest at the concluding session of a three-day training workshop organised by the Pakistan Press Foundation here on Thursday. The workshop was attended by representatives of NGOs, social workers and media persons.

The commissioner said journalist community should play its due role to bring harmony among different segments of the society and called for promotion of tolerance.

He admitted that journalists were performing their duties in very difficult circumstances. — Correspondent

‘Police supporting murderer’

PESHAWAR, June 16: A villager from the outskirts of the provincial capital has accused Chamkani police of supporting the killers of his son and avoiding their arrest.

Talking to reporters at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, Sultan Mohammad of Muhammadzai village said that his young son Naveed Mohammad had allegedly been killed by his close friend Badam Sher and despite registration of a murder case the concerned police were reluctant to arrest him.

He said he had informed the police about the accused being present at a restaurant but he was not arrested. He appealed to the inspector general of police to take notice of the murder of his son and arrest the killer. — Bureau Report

Power suspension protested

PESHAWAR, June16: Residents of different villages located in the limits of Ormar police station on Thursday held a protest demonstration at Sher Shah Suri Road against suspension of power supply to the area for the past 20 days.

The protesters belonging to Doctor Qalaa, Gahri Mian Barhan-ud-din and Gahri Shahbaz Khan were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against officials of Peshawar Electric Supply Company for their failure to restore the power supply.

Talking to reporters, the protesters said that the inhabitants of Tela Band village had destroyed four electricity poles in the area and suspended the power supply.

The Pesco officials, they said, were least bothered to take action and as a result the consumers were facing serious problems. — Bureau Report

North Waziristan uplift

PESHAWAR, June 16: A high-level meeting at Governor House here on Thursday reviewed the development activities in North Waziristan Agency and took some decisions for involving tribesmen in uplift work.

The meeting was presided over by Governor Barrister Masood Kausar who was briefed through a presentation about the overall progress on the development projects undertaken during the current financial year in the agency.

He was informed that Rs575.147m had been spent on 79 development projects out of which 25 were expected to be completed by the end of the financial year, whereas 41 other projects were due for completion, said a handout.

The governor said that development was the only way forward in Fata. — Bureau Report

Compensation sought

PESHAWAR, June 16: The government has failed to fulfil its commitments with the militancy-affected people of Malakand division, who have been facing numerous problems without compensation, said PPP-S provincial president and MPA Sikandar Sherpao on Thursday.

“The people of Malakand need immediate compensation for their losses,” the MPA said in a statement.

He said that the government was running the country’s affairs on ad hoc basis and there had been no permanent plan for reconstruction of infrastructure and rehabilitation of people in different militancy-hit districts. —Bureau Report