Prayer leader killed

CHAKWAL, July 7: A prayer leader was stabbed to death while his wife sustained serious injuries in Awan Colony at Maghi Road on Wednesday night.

According to the family and police sources, Qari Mohammad Jabir, 29, was sleeping at his house when an unknown assassin stormed his house and attacked him with a dagger at 2am. His wife tried to save him but she also received serious injuries. As his wife raised alarm, the people gathered there but the murderer escaped from the scene.

Qari Jabir and his wife were rushed to the DHQ hospital where he breathed his last while his wife was referred to a Rawalpindi hospital due to her precarious condition. The police registered a case and started investigation. — Correspondent

Upgrading schools

RAWALPINDI, July 7: The Punjab government has allocated Rs20.8 million for making two high schools as model institutions in Rawalpindi.

MNA Hanif Abbasi disclosed this at a meeting reviewing upgradation work of the educational institutes. Chaired by Commissioner Zahid Saeed, the legislator told the meeting that Rs10.8 million have been allocated for the Government Jamia High School and Rs10 million for the Government Muslim High School.

He said furniture worth Rs7.8 million was being provided to government schools. The meeting was also attended by District Coordination Officer (DCO) Saqib Zafar, Executive District Officer Education Qazi Zahoor ul Haq, and other officials. — A Reporter

Complaint lodged

ATTOCK, July 7: The staff of the Chief Minister Monitoring Force (CMMF) lodged a complaint with the District Accounts Officer (DAO) against the alleged irresponsible attitude of an auditor of the accounts office. They also demanded immediate departmental action against him. As many as 22 officials of CMMF including monitoring and evaluation assistants, data entry and computer operators approached the office of the DAO and protested against the irresponsible attitude of the auditor.

The officials informed DAO Muhammad Azam that the said auditor under one pretext or the other used delaying tactics in passing their salary bills causing great problems for them in drawing salaries every month. Moreover, he also started deduction of Rs1,200 from the salary of each official without any justification. DAO Mr Azam assured the CMMF officials that he would probe the matter to resolve it on priority basis. —Correspondent

Drive launched

ATTOCK, July 7: Following the directive of the Punjab government, the district administration launched an operation against hoarding, adulteration and profiteering. Assistant Commissioner Irfanullah Khan told Dawn on Thursday that he conducted raids with the assistance of the police and revenue department officials at various shops, bakeries and restaurants in the city to check the irregularities.

During checking, he imposed fine of Rs50,000 on shopkeepers for not maintaining hygienic conditions. Moreover, samples of different food items were also taken from the bakeries and other food outlets for laboratory test. He said that if the tests were found negative, legal action would be initiated against the owners of the bakeries and other food outlets. — Correspondent

Man dies on road

TAXILA, July 7: A motorcyclist was killed while his friend injured as their motorcycle slipped on GT road near Wah garden on Thursday.

Police said that Mohammad Bilal along with his friend Amir Gull was going on motorcycle (IDN-9195). When they reached near Wah garden Bilal lost control over the motorcycle due to speeding and it slipped and both fell on the road. As result Mohammad Bilal died on the spot while Amir Gull was shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in critical condition. The body of Bilal was handed over to his relatives after autopsy.

While in another incident Hassanabdal police recovered huge quantity of liquor and arrested two bootleggers identified as Asad Shah and Ibrar Hussain. — Correspondent

Strike against administrator

MURREE, July 7: The workers of Town Municipal Administration (TMA) here went on strike against their boss on Thursday for his “insulting behaviour” creating difficulties for the residents and the tourists visiting Murree.

Because of the strike garbage was not collected from the roads of Murree, including Mall Road. Water supply by the municipal tankers was also disrupted. Members of the TMA union maintained that the administrator’s attitude was insulting and demanded his transfer.

But Administrator Omer Jehangir said President TMA Workers Union Naveed Abbasi co-owned a hotel along with his brother-in-law, adding that they had built stairs on Mall Road violating the municipal bylaws. The administrator said when the stairs were demolished by TMA staff, the union’s president announced to go on strike.— Correspondent

Poultry rates

RAWALPINDI, July 7: Expressing concern over the ever increasing prices of the chicken meat, the residents of the city demanded of the authorities concerned to bring them down for the benefit of the common people.

They alleged that the poultry mafia was fleecing the people as chicken rates had gone up to Rs150 per kilogram. They also expressed fear that the rates would go even higher up to Rs170 per kilogram during Ramadan. —Online