Two shot dead

LAKKI MARWAT, Aug 19: Two people were gunned down and another was injured when they came under attack by their rivals near Kotka Gul Akhtar village of Naurang town on Friday.

The injured, Kamran, told police in his preliminary report he, his brother Suleman and uncle Farmanullah, were on way to Naurang from village Nar Mohammad Ghaznikhel on a motorbike when their rivals ambushed them.

He said the accused, including Painda Khan, Kaloo Khan, Naseem Khan and Ashraf Ali, opened fire on them, killing Suleman and Farmanullah on the spot, while he was wounded. Police registered a case against the accused and started investigation.

Meanwhile, a property dealer, Hafiz Suleman, went missing from Paharkhel Thall village in the limits of Lakki Marwat police station the other night. —Correspondent

Motorcyclist killed

MARDAN, Aug 19: A motorcyclist was killed when a speedy passenger coach hit him on Katlang road near Faqir Mohammad police post here on Friday.

Eyewitnesses said a passenger coach bearing No-9892-Peshawar hit a motorcyclist identified as Sabir Shah of Sawaldher area on Katlang road near Faqir Mohammad police post when he was on his way to Mardan city.

It was reportedly said the accident happened due to negligence of the driver. The officials of Jabbar police station, however, took the passenger coach into custody and registered FIR against the driver on the complaint of the victim’s father Noor Badshah. —Correspondent

Teachers block road

PARACHINAR, Aug 19: Hundreds of teachers of National Education Foundation (NEF)    on Friday blocked the Parachinar road in protest against withholding of their salaries for the last 20 months.

About 200 teachers of 52 NEF schools who were holding placards and banners took to roads, demanding release of their salaries withheld by the authorities for the last 20 months. The rally was led by president of the Foundation’s schools union Talib Hussain and general secretary Hamid Hussain.

They said the future of 200 teachers and over 10,000 students was at stake due to the non-payment of salaries. They said the teachers were running the schools despite not receiving a penny for the last 20 months.

They said their families were passing through agonies owing to financial crisis. —Correspondent

Faulty transformer

KARAK, Aug 19: The residents of Khurram Muhammadzai village of Banda Daud Shah tehsil held a demonstration on Friday to protest against a faulty power transformer in the area.

Led by former councillor Rafiullah, the residents blocked the Bannu-Kohat road for traffic and demanded of the Pesco authorities to replace the transformer.Speaking to the protesters, Rafiullah said the Pesco should repair or replace the transformer in three days otherwise the people would launch a protest movement against it.

He said the Pesco officials always forced the poor people to contribute money to have the transformer repaired. He said the money contributed by the villagers went into the pockets of a few employees while transformer was repaired at the official workshop for the Pesco paid the cost. —Correspondent

Bloodshed in Karachi

PESHAWAR, Aug 19: PPP-S chief Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has expressed deep concern over the grave situation in Karachi and said restoration of peace in the restive city is no more government’s priority.

He asked the government to purge the city of weapons and avoid dragging army into the turmoil.

Mr Sherpao said Karachi was bleeding and the government was busy in political maneuvering to bring back MQM into the power corridors.

The bloodshed in the mega city, he said had caused serious unrest among all the people who wanted the government take serious steps for their safety.

“The prime minister should take drastic steps against all those involved in the bloodshed,” he demanded in a statement issued on Friday. —Bureau Report

Blast condemned

PESHAWAR, Aug 19: Governor Barrister Masood Kausar has condemned the terror attack on a mosque in Jamrud area of Khyber Agency during Friday prayers and expressed grief over the loss of innocent lives.

On knowing about the incident the governor immediately contacted the concerned political agent and directed him to proceed to the scene of blast to supervise the relief and rescue activities and ensure adequate and immediate treatment to the injured.

In a statement the governor said shedding blood of innocent worshippers in the holy month of Ramazan and on the holy day of Juma was highly condemnable act. The perpetrators of this heinous act, he added, were those who had no regard for the religious sanctity and human dignity. —Bureau Report

Honorarium for staff

PESHAWAR, Aug 19: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has approved honorarium for the employees of the Technical Board Peshawar. The approval was given by the Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti here on Friday, according to a handout. The honorarium is equal to one month salary of the employees.

The Technical Board Chairman Prof Nasir Ali Mohammad Zai thanked the chief minister on this generous stance and assured that entire staff will play their part in realising the government vision to eradicate poverty. —Bureau Report