Two girls drown

TIMERGARA, Aug 5: Two young girls drowned in the Panjkora River at Meta Utala village in the jurisdiction of Talash police station on Friday, residents told Dawn.

They said Haleema, 12, daughter of Mozamin Khan, and her cousin Salma, daughter of Naik Zamin, starting taking bath in the river while grazing their cattle near the river bank. But the water overpowered them.

Several children present on the occasion raised cry to inform the people but by then the two girls had drowned.

Relatives of the girls were unable to find the bodies till filing of this report. A local teacher told this correspondent more than a dozen women and five men in the village had so far drowned in the river during the last six years. —Correspondent

Ghalib in Pashto

TIMERGARA, Aug 5: A young Pashto poet, Hamdillah Rahi, hailing from Talash Lower Dir, has published his poetic translation of famous Urdu poet Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib.

Talking to Dawn on Friday, Mr Rahi said it took him five years to complete the poetic translation of ‘Diwan-i-Ghalib’ in Pashto poetry.

He said his book with title ‘Diwan-i-Ghalib Pukhtu Manzoma Tarjuma’ contained some six hundred pages. One page is specified for Ghalib’s Urdu ghazal while the other page is for Pashto translation.

Mr Rahi said the book would help both Urdu and Pashto literature students as he himself found Mirza Ghalib’s poetry tough when he was doing masters in Urdu literature. The author appealed to poets and writers to cooperate with him in its marketing. —Correspondent

Target killings

PESHAWAR, Aug 5: Tehrik Nafaz-i-Fiqah Jafariya (TNFJ), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Friday held a protest demonstration at Sher Shah Suri Road against the target killings in Karachi and Quetta and demanded of the government to take stern action against the perpetrators.

The protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the bloodshed and also shouted slogans against the concerned authorities for failure to arrest the accused.

The demonstrators were led by Nawaz Ali Kiyani, in-charge of TNFJ, who told media persons that the killing of people was a conspiracy against the country.

He said enemies of Pakistan were hatching conspiracies to weaken its basis, adding innocent people were killed in these incidents. He said enemies wanted to capture the ports of the country. —Bureau Report

Kidnap attempt foiled

PESHAWAR, Aug 5: Police claimed on Friday to have foiled a kidnapping attempt of two children from Tehkal area.

A police spokesman said accused Hidayat of Terai Payan lured and tried to kidnap an eight-year-old girl, Javeria, and her four-year-old brother, Jalal of Tehkal.

He said the accused was shifting the children on a motorcycle but as they crossed the main University Road the children started crying after which the local people informed the police.

The police, he said, chased the bike and overcame him at a check point near Michini Gate police station on Warsak Road. A complainant, Siar Khan, who is father of the children, said the accused was kidnapping his children. —Bureau Report

Tanker owners

PESHAWAR, Aug 5: The All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association on Friday accused the Khasadar Force in Khyber Agency of forcing the drivers to pay huge money for crossing the barriers.

Talking to media persons at Peshawar press club on Friday the association president Nasir Ali Khan said he had apprised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor of such issues and requested him to support the transporters.

Mr Nasir alleged every oil tanker had to pay Rs13,500 on different check points while going to Jalalabad (Afghanistan) and the drivers avoiding to pay the money were beaten up and not allowed to go ahead. “We have permits and relevant documents for oil supply to Jalalabad and parts of the tribal regions but the political administration is creating problems for us,” he added. —Bureau Report

BHU without staff

KOHAT, Aug 5: The elders of Muhammadzai have given one week deadline to the executive district officer, health, Shad Ali Khattak for appointing the lady health visitor in the basic health center which is without staff for last five months.

The prominent members of Muhammadzai Falahi Tanzeem (MFT), in a press statement issued here on Friday said earlier the LHV went on long leave by using her influence five months back and since then no replacement had been sent against the post by the health authorities. They threatened to lock the BHU if LHV was not appointed within given time.

The president of the MFT, Haji Gul Mir, alleged a man was trying to appoint his wife as LHV in the BHU by approaching the MNA and MPAs but the local people did not want her. —Correspondent

Worker demands salary

KOHAT, Aug 5: One of the 68 disgruntled contract employees of the Kohat TMA, who were terminated on June 30, on Friday threatened to commit suicide if his longstanding salary was not paid to him.

The TMO Mohammad Shoib told Dawn the infuriated employee, Abdul Wahid, went to the office of the accountant and demanded his salary. The staff refused and informed him that the contract of 68 employees had ended on June 30, 2011.

Mr Shoib said Abdul Wahid later came to his office and put gun on his temple and threatened to commit suicide if salary was not paid to him. Mr Wahid fled the scene when other staff decided to call the police.

Mr Shoid said had already written a letter to the head office that the government should at least pay salaries to these employees for Ramazan and Eid. —Correspondent