34 PML-N workers released

RAWALPINDI, Aug 24: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Wednesday released 34 Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) activists involved in MNA Anjum Aqeel escape case for want of evidence.

Hearing in the case the court of ATC-I Judge Malik Mohammad Akram Awan asked the Shalimar Police to present complete challan against MNA Anjum Aqeel and 17 others on August 30. Anjum Aqeel and 33 other accused were also present in the court.

Police during the proceedings informed the court that they neither found any evidence against the accused, nor recovered anything from them. At this, the court acquitted the accused on all charges.The judge, however, expressed his dissatisfaction over delay in presenting complete challan in the case.

The court directed the police to present challan in the court on the next date of hearing. — A Reporter

AJK president’s oath today

MUZAFFARABAD, Aug 24: Sardar Mohammad Yaqoob Khan will be sworn in as president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) here today (Thursday) and AJK Supreme Court Chief Justice Mohammad Azam Khan will administer him the oath.

The oath-taking ceremony will be held at about 11am at the AJK Legislative Assembly. AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Mehdi Shah, federal ministers, civil and military officials and political workers will attend the ceremony.

Sardar Yaqoob Khan will succeed Raja Zulqarnain Khan and will be the 8th president of AJK. On July 29, 2011 he was elected by the AJK Legislative Assembly as candidate of the ruling people’s party. — A Reporter

Widespread rains likely

ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: The monsoon is likely to remain active throughout the country during next seven days that would cause widespread rains with isolated heavy falls.

According to the weather forecast issued on Wednesday by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the widespread rains/thundershowers with isolated heavy falls are expected in Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir while Sindh and eastern Balochistan are likely to receive scattered rains/thundershowers with isolated heavy falls during next 4 to 5 days.

Heavy falls may cause urban and flash floods in the said areas. The already flooded areas of lower Sindh would receive more rains/thundershowers during the current week.

Owing to the frequent heavy falls in the catchment areas, the water level may further rise in the Sutlej and Chenab rivers generating low and medium level floods in some of the areas during next a few days.— A Reporter

11 officials booked

ATTOCK, Aug 24: Police here registered a case against 11 officials, including five policemen, after the cheques they had presented to National Bank of Pakistan as security against their advance salary loans bounced.

Chief Manager NBP’s main branch in Attock, Mehboob Elahi Butt, reported to the City police that the 11 government employees had obtained advance salary loans amounting to Rs1,184,128 from the bank.

But they did not pay back the loans to the bank as per agreement despite repeated reminders through their respective departments. The cheques which they had presented to the bank as security also bounced, he complained.

When contacted, the NBP chief manager said most of the officials had been transferred to other districts and the bank had no other option but to initiate legal action against them to recover the loans.

They are: policemen Mohammad Nawaz (Rs103,000), Syed Babar Ali Shah (Rs135,500), Mohammad Abbas (Rs61,316), Rab Nawaz (Rs52,812), Ghulam Rasool (Rs58,000); Ghulam Jaffer, an employee of the district jail (Rs188,000); Zulfiqar Ali of district account office (Rs67,000); Taj Mohammad of district water management office (Rs102,000); Malik Liaquat of House Building Finance Corporation (Rs39,500); Shahid Mehmood of population welfare department (Rs195,000); and Mohammad Akram of Pakistan Railways (Rs182, 000).— Correspondent

Killer awarded death

CHAKWAL, Aug 24: The court of district and sessions judge on Wednesday handed down death sentence to a murderer.

Mohammad Tanveer, a resident of Khairpur village of tehsil Kallar Kahar murdered Mohammad Asif a few months ago over the suspicion that he had illicit relations with his sister-in-law.

After finding all the allegations true, District and Sessions Judge Maqrab Khan Niazi awarded Mohammad Tanveer capital punishment and imposed a fine of Rs100,000. The killer would have to undergo six-month extra incarceration if he failed to pay the fine. — Correspondent

Trade with Asian markets

ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: The government should focus on the Asian markets to promote trade instead of the US, UK and other European markets which are still struggling to recover from the economic recession.

Mahfooz Elahi, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) said this while talking to a group of traders and exporters at his office on Wednesday. He said that in the coming years, the fastest growing markets would be in the neighborhood of Pakistan instead of in distant Europe and North America.

He said that foreign capital flows were also moving to the surplus economies of Asia like China, Sri Lanka and India and it was the opportune time that government should gear up its efforts to promote trade and exports with this region. He further said that Asian markets were still untapped for Pakistan and substantial economic dividends could be achieved by promoting business linkages with Asian countries. — A Reporter

Dawn staffer grieved

ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: Raja Aftab Ali, brother of Raja Intikhab Ali, senior assistant manager supplements, passed away on Monday.

His Qul will be held on Thursday between 5:15pm and 6:40pm at Top Kalyal village, Sagri Mor, near Radio Station, Rawat.