Faith healer killed

KOHAT, July 11: A faith healer was killed in his grocery shop in Azizabad area of Kohat city under mysterious circumstances on Monday. The police said they found body of Syed Saadat Hussain inside his shop.

He was a faith healer belonging to Ganjiano Kalay area of Hangu district. A 30-bore pistol was also found along side the body which was shifted to Women and Children Hospital for autopsy.

The victim’s nephew, Syed Sadiq Hussain, lodged FIR in the Kohat city police against unidentified culprits. A police investigator said the family had a feud in Hangu.—Correspondent

National Savings

ISLAMABAD, July 11: The National Savings has computerised its six branches in Abbottabad region, following computerisation of branches in Faisalabad and Peshawar.

According to a press release issued here on Monday the Director-General of National Savings, Zafar M Sheikh, credited the success of the department to the efforts of its staff. He congratulated the employees of CDNS on successful achievement of target and announced a bonus for them.

DG National Savings hoped that the staff will consistently move forward towards greater success and achieve more milestones in serving the nation. “The computerization process aims at modernising the manner of service so that our investors could be provided with state-of-the-art facilities and speedy process”, said Mr Zafar.—Our Reporter

75 outlaws held

MARDAN, July 11: Police claimed on Monday to have arrested 75 outlaws including 23 proclaimed offenders in search operations in the district during the past two weeks.

The operations were conducted in Toru Mera, Garhi Kapoora, Machi Rustam, Sardherey, Balagari, Bakhshali, Narshik, Gujrat, Jamal Garhi and Sawaldher.

The police also recovered seven Kalashnikovs, three Kalakovs, 13 rifles, 41 pistols, 602 cartridges and 6,935kg hashish during raids.—Correspondent

Robbers’ gang busted

NOWSHERA, July 11: Nowshera police on Monday arrested a group of inter-provincial robbers and recovered looted cash and gold ornaments from their possession.

The Nowshera DPO Mohammad Quraish Khan told media persons that the police had arrested five members of robbers who were identified as Ajmal of Behram Kaly, Nowshera, Sana Ullah, Kamal, Baseer Khan and Saeed Ullah, residents of Rajer area of Charsadda district.

He said DSP Akhtar Ali Khan and the SHO Fazle Wahid Khan had received information about the said group and had also learnt that they were involved in a recent dacoity in Nowshera Kalan area.

He said that police recovered 2.5 tola gold and Rs165,000 which were taken away from one Shams-ur-Rehaman of Nowshera Kalan.—Correspondent

Blast condemned

PESHAWAR, July 11: The Awami National Party on Monday sympathised with the families of the victims of the suicide blast in Battagram, saying that such acts were signs of desperation that militants had run out of steam and were now targeting armless and innocent people.

In a joint statement ANP leaders Asfandyar Wali Khan and Senator Afrasiab Khattak said that the sacrifices rendered by the people against terrorism would not go waste and terrorists with end up with eggs on their faces.

They paid tribute to the people killed in the attack and said those carrying out sabotage acts were neither Muslims nor had any ideology.

The miscreants killed women and children to fulfill their agenda for which they received money, they said.—Bureau Report

Sugarcane crop

MARDAN, July 11: Dr Abdul Bari, director, Sugar Crops Research Institute (SCRIM), Mardan, has said through research 23 new species of the crop have been discovered since the institute was established in 1952.

He stated this while speaking at a programme tilted “new species and scientific ways of harvesting sugarcane crop”, held under the aegis of SCRIM here on Monday. A large number of sugarcane growers belonging to Mardan, Charsadda, Peshawar and other adjacent areas attended the programme.

Per acre yield of sugarcane was less than that of the neighbouring countries despite having suitable weather conditions in Pakistan, he pointed out. He said that the government had been taking measures to develop the sugarcane quality.

He asked the farmers to follow the instructions of experts while cultivating sugarcane crop to get good yield.—Correspondent