Smuggling bid foiled

TAXILA, June 23: The National Highway and Motorway Police (NHMP) on Thursday foiled a bid to smuggle heroin from Peshawar to Islamabad and arrested the smuggler.

Talking to newsmen at NHMP base camp in Hassanabdal, SSP Mohammad Tahir Khan said that on a top off, the police intercepted a car (AKA-1065) near Burhan Interchange. On search, the police recovered half kilogram fine quality of heroin concealed in the hidden parts of the vehicle. The drug smuggler later identified as Mazhar Khan was also arrested. Meanwhile, the police also arrested an alleged car lifter identified as Naseer Ahmed who was going to Peshawar on a car stolen from Faisalabad. Mr Khan said that both the accused were handed over to the local police along with vehicles for further investigation.

Meanwhile, Hassanabdal police raided a distillery in village Shahiya and recovered over 1,000 bottles of locally made liquor. Police also arrested den owner identified as Nusrat Khan. —Correspondent

AJK PM to visit Kazakhstan

MUZAFFARABAD, June 23: AJK Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan will fly to Kazakhstan capital Astana on Monday (June 27) on a four-day official visit.

According to a notification issued by the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD), the prime minister will attend the 38th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers from June 28 to June 30.

The PM’s visit will cost Rs2.75 million to the exchequer, according to the figures given in the notification. Prime minister’s Principal Secretary Chaudhry Munir Hussain, Media Adviser Abdul Hameed Shaheen, Principal Staff Officer Masoodur Rehman and Assistant Director (News) Rizwan Abbasi will accompany the premier. — Staff Correspondent

ITP helped 2,754 road users

ISLAMABAD, June 23: Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP), during the current year, provided help to 2,754 distressed road users whose vehicles had broken down or run out of petrol or fuel on different roads.

According to the spokesman, the ITP help unit, which works round the clock, repaired 2,102 vehicles, changed the tyres of 152 vehicles and guided 42 people to their destinations. He said 186 vehicles were provided assistance which had run out of fuel and 272 vehicles were shifted to the workshops.

He said that 313 public transport vehicles were fined over route violations, 107 over misbehaviour with the passengers and 39 for over-charging from the commuters after their complaints on 1915.The SSP Traffic Dr Moeen Masood said that police is a service-oriented organisation and every possible help would be provided to the people for the effective use of the community policing. — Staff Reporter

Sale of substandard drinks

TAXILA, June 23: With the rise in mercury, sale of unhygienic and substandard cold drinks has increased in Taxila, posing serious threat to the health of people, especially children.

During a survey conducted by this reporter, it was observed that in rural and urban areas vendors are busy selling substandard drinks, especially outside schools and in various commercial localities. The drinks on sale include different fruit juices and ice-lollies.

Many vendors are selling juice of stale fruits at low price, especially at the bus and wagon stations of the city.

It was observed that most of juice sellers are not observing any hygiene standards while washing their utensils in which they serve the drinks to their customers. These drinks are sometimes sold in reused bottles without properly cleaning them transmitting different bacteria and viruses to the customers.

Sale of spurious cold drinks or the drinks prepared under poor hygienic conditions is one of the main causes for various seasonal diseases among children in summer. Flies, wasps, mosquitoes and other such pests at the stalls of vendors make their beverages even more injurious to health.—Correspondent

THQ hospital ill-equipped

TAXILA, June 23: The Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) hospital does not have infrastructure and medicines, especially life saving drugs, to deal with emergency situation in the garrison city.

Although some institutions-run hospitals are working in the area, they are reserved only for their employees and general public are not entertained there. Tehsil headquarters hospital (THQ) which is the only government run hospital in the area, is unable to meet emergency situation if terrorists strike in the area. It has been learnt that the hospital is running short of life saving drugs and it does not have even X-ray and blood bank facility.

The annul budget for the hospital is Rs800,000 while only Rs120,000 are allocated for the medicines. This little amount is even unable to cope with regular indoor and outdoor patients. — Correspondent