18 shopkeepers fined

RAWALPINDI, Aug 12: The Rawal Town Municipal Administration (RTMA) anti-encroachment staff on Friday imposed fine of Rs27,000 on 18 vendors and nine shopkeepers for establishing their stalls on the footpaths.

The spokesman told Dawn that the anti-encroachment staff visited Raja Bazaar, Jamia Masjid Road, Banni Chowk, Commercial Market, Benazir Bhutto Road, Sadiqabad and Liaquat Road.

The team found that the vendors and push cart holders had established their stalls on the footpaths and roadsides causing hurdles in the smooth flow of the traffic. They seized the push carts and goods of the shopkeepers which they had displayed in front of their shops.

The spokesman said that the Rawal Town Administrator Saif Anwar Jappa directed the staff to remove the encroachments from the main roads and streets for smooth flow of traffic.

He said that the administrator would take stern action against those officials who failed to perform their respective duties properly. —A Reporter

Call for extending holidays

ATTOCK, Aug 12: Parents have asked the government to force the managements of private schools and colleges to extend their summer vacation till Eid.

Most of the private schools and colleges in Attock are opening on August 15 after more than two months of summer vacation.

But parents say that opening private educational institute in hot and humid weather, amid long power outages, would be tough for students and teachers. — Correspondent

Waiting for salaries

TAXILA, Aug 12: Over 24 employees of revenue department are without pay for the last 12 day as man deputed on drawing their salaries from bank ran away after collecting the cash.

Official sources said that Qamar Iqbal working as peon with Assistant Commissioner went to the bank on August 1 with clerk Mohammad Iftikhar to withdraw July salaries of the employees.

The clerk withdrew over Rs400,000 and gave the amount to Qamar Iqbal, who soon after collecting the cash fled away. Since then, 18 patwaris and 6 clerks of the revenue department Hassanabdal are without salary.

The affected officials fear that they would observe Ramazan without salary as the absconding official has not been traced.

When contacted Assistant Commissioner Hassanabdal Malik Mohammad Pervaiz confirmed the incident and said that the matter had been brought in to the notice of the district and provincial authorities as well as police authorities for legal and departmental action.

He said that there was no clue of the absconding official and the affected employees could not get their salaries unless the accused official was traced and money recovered from him. —Correspondent

Bid to smuggle heroin foiled

RAWALPINDI, Aug 12: The bid to smuggle heroin was foiled by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) which arrested an air passenger and recovered 10kg heroin from him at Benazir Bhutto International Airport, source said on Friday.

Meanwhile, another passenger who was containing 70 heroin-filled capsules in his stomach was off-loaded from a Kuwait Airways flight and was arrested by the ANF staff.

The huge quantity of heroin was seized when the check-in of Turkish Airways flight for Ankra was in progress at the airport.

The ANF staff on suspicion stopped a passenger and asked for his baggage search.

During search, the ANF staff recovered 10kg of heroin concealed in the suitcase. The passenger who was identified as Mohammad Asif, a resident of Gujrat, was taken into custody and a case was registered against him.

Meanwhile, a passenger identified as Mohammad Irfan was off loaded from a Kuwait Airways flight on suspicion and handed over to the ANF staff.

He was taken to the hospital where 70 heroin-filled capsules were recovered which he had swallowed. The quantity of heroin he was carrying in capsules is yet to be estimated. —Staff Reporter