200 bikes impounded

SWABI, July 10: The police, during an action against the ‘unregistered motorcycles’ in the last few days, have impounded about 200 bikes. Officials said the action was taken after most people, including dealers, ignored their calls about three months back of having their bikes registered.

They said the police launched the action against unregistered motorcycles keeping in view the security concerns as, they added, the suicide bomber who had targeted the caravan of Maulana Fazlur Rehman near Swabi interchange on Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway had used an unregistered motorcycle.

Officials said the number of motorcycles had increased in the district as about 70 different companies had been preparing the two-wheeler. The officials admitted that with the increasing number of motorcycles their theft cases had also increased manifold.—Correspondent

Festive fire kills man

KOHAT, July 10: A man was killed during festive firing in a marriage ceremony in Khwasi Banda of Kohat on Sunday.

The victim, Javed, resident of Khattak Colony, was suiting on the roof of a house in the marriage ceremony of one Hashmat when a stray bullet hit him in the head. He was taken to KDA divisional headquarter hospital in serious condition where doctors referred him to Peshawar. He succumbed to injuries while on the way.

The Jarma police registered the case against unknown men and launched investigation.—Correspondent

Protesters block KKH

MANSEHRA, July 10: Hundreds of people on Sunday blocked the Karakorum Highway for over three hours against suspension of electricity from the Chaterplan grid station.

Meanwhile, the State Minister for Health Sardar Shahjahan Yousuf announced to take action against the Pesco officials for not restoring power.

The electricity was suspended some two weeks ago when the main transformer of the grid station developed fault.People blocked the road while setting the tyres on fire and chanted anti-government and Pesco slogans.

The protesters said if the power was not restored within next 24 hours they would block the KKH for an indefinite period.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters Sardar Shahjahan Yousuf said the federal government had launched an inquiry into what led to delay in restoration of power supply.—Correspondent

Production bonus

KARAK, July 10: Jamaat-i-Islami has rejected the provincial government’s formula for the distribution of oil and gas production bonus in Karak district.

JI district president Maulana Tasleem Iqbal while talking to media persons on Sunday said the people would stop supply of oil and gas to other parts of the country if the Banda Daud Shah tehsil, where vast reserves of oil and gas have been discovered, was denied the lion’s share in the production bonus funds.

He rejected the formula devised by the provincial government to distribute the oil and gas production bonus among the elected representatives and demanded the amount should be utilised on the construction of the road linking Band Daud Shah with the district headquarters. He said the lawmakers should not usurp the rights of the tehsil.—Correspondent

Factory looted

HARIPUR, July 10: Eight bandits robbed a chemical factory by taking hostage the security staff here on Saturday night.

The armed men entered the Nadir Medical and Pharmaceutical Industry in the limits of Hattar police around midnight and held the security staff hostage. They took away Rs200,000, a repeater gun, copper wire worth Rs1.1 million and other valuables.

The police chased the bandits and arrested one of them after exchange of fire near Jhari Kass, while others escaped.

Meanwhile, a man, Aurangzeb, was killed when he accidentally touched a live electric wire in his house in Mang Khanpur village on Sunday.

Meanwhile, a worker, Mohammad Arif, was burnt when his clothes caught fire while working at a steel manufacturing unit of Hattar Industrial Estate.—Correspondent

Workers call off strike

CHITRAL, July 10: The labourers working with the Korean construction company, Sambu, which is executing the Lowari tunnel project, on Sunday called off their strike after the company cleared their outstanding wages.

The local labourers had gone on strike on Saturday to press for clearance of their outstanding wages by the company.

Chitral police told Dawn the outstanding wages were cleared to the labourers on Sunday after successful negotiations between the company and the labourers.

Korean construction company shifted machinery from the site and terminated the services of its staff both technical and raw labourers when the government failed to allocate sufficient funds for the project in the federal budget. The work on the project has been halted due to paucity of funds.—Correspondent