Three killed in Mardan

MARDAN, Aug 25: Three persons were killed in two incidents here on Thursday.

Eyewitnesses said Tajuddin and his son, Saeed, allegedly killed Usman Shah and his son, Asghar Shah, in Chargali area after exchanging hot words with the victims over a brawl between their children. The accused fled the scene after the double murder. Meanwhile, a person identified as Adnan Asif was killed by his opponents over an old enmity in Wazirabad area of Garyala village.

Quoting Noshad Khan, brother of the victim, the Shahbaz Gari police said he along with his brother was going to their relatives’ residence when Sajjad ambushed them killing Adnan Asif on the spot. He said cause of the killing was an old enmity between the two families. —Correspondent

IDPs return home

PARACHINAR, Aug 25: Return of internally displaced persons from New Durrani Camp began to central Kurram Agency on Thursday, officials said.

First batch of IDPs comprising 65 families was sent back to their homes after security forces cleared the area from militants. Officials said 15 villages had been declared safe and about 700 families would be sent back to their homes.

Political Agent Shahab Ali Shah, Commandant Kurram Militia Col Sherjeel and Director General Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) Arshad Khan seen off the IDPs at New Durrani Camp in lower Kurram where 2,587 families had been registered.

Officials said return of the IDPs would continue after Eidul Fiter and the process would be completed phase wise. They said returnees were being provided free transportation and non-food items. —Correspondent

Bodies recovered

PESHAWAR, Aug 25: Police on Thursday recovered tow decomposed bodies from the Warsak Canal near PAF Chowk here.

An official of the Bala Mani police said one of the bodies had been identified as Shamsul Qamar, 36, of Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency while the second body could not be recognised.

He said the second deceased seemed to be about 33 years old. They bore signs of bullets and looked to have been thrown into the canal after being killed somewhere else.

One of the deceased, the official said, had a beard, adding, they were shifted to the local mortuary for autopsy. He said police were trying to contact the relatives of the deceased in Bara. —Bureau Report

Land documents

PESHAWAR, Aug 25: An industrialist of Swat Haji Bahroz Khan has demanded of the Industrial Development Bank of Pakistan (IDBP) to return the documents of those who had obtained loans from the bank so that they could run their businesses.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar press club on Thursday, he said during military operation in Swat a umber of people had taken loans from different banks by mortgaging the documents of their land properties but they were yet to get back the documents. “The loans were waived off by the government and rest of the banks also returned the documents to the people but the IDBP is yet to return the same,” he said and added the bank’s officials were using delaying tactics in this regard. —Bureau Report

Boy strangled to death

SWABI, Aug 25: An Afghan boy was strangled to death after allegedly being sexually assaulted by unidentified assailants at Gadoon Amazai Industrial Zone here on Thursday, said police.

The 12-year-old Abdur Rehman, the lone bread-earner of his family, was living in Gandaf camp. He went in search of work to earn livelihood. However, he did not return home till late night. However, his body was recovered from maize crop after a local farmer informed police about it. The area people demanded immediate arrest of the killers.

Another bullet-riddled body was found by Swabi city police in the Pehur High Level Canal. —Correspondent

Official booked

MANSEHRA, Aug 25: The anti-corruption establishment Mansehra has lodged FIR against director of the fishery department for allegedly embezzling over Rs20 million in a contract of trout fish farms in the Naran valley.

“The case of embezzlement and corruption is lodged against a contractor Mehmood Ahmad Khan and director of the fishery department Mohammad Ayaz Khan as the latter had rented out the trout fish farms to the former on throwaway price to receive Rs20 million as kickbacks,” said Aurangzeb, the circle officer ACE Mansehra, while speaking to reporters here on Thursday. Mr Aurangzeb said Mr Ayaz had rented out eight rooms (fish race ways) to Mr Ahmad annually since 2008. —Correspondent

Motorcyclist killed

HARIPUR Aug 25: A young bike rider was killed while his friend was injured critically when a military truck hit their bike on GT road near Sera-i-Saleh here on Thursday. However the heirs of the deceased forgave the errant driver.

Police and eyewitnesses said two young boys were going on a motorbike towards Sera-i-Saleh from Haripur when a truck in the military convoy coming from Havelian ran over them killing one of them while injuring the other. The deceased was identified as Mohammad Faisal, 15, of Sera-i-Saleh.

The injured, whose name is also Faisal, was referred to Ayub Medical Complex Abbottabad where his condition was stated to be critical. —Correspondent

Children rescued

PESHAWAR, Aug 25: Five special children along with their teachers remained stranded for hours inside a school as about three-feet rainwater accumulated in Gulbahar area, who were later saved by the 1122 rescuers.

A Rescue 1122 spokesman Aruj Sherazi said due to an unprecedented flow of rainwater inside the Government Higher Secondary School Gulbahar five deaf and dumb children, 11 male teachers and 7 female teachers remained stuck for several hours inside the building.

“They informed us and the rescuers reached immediately to the spot and rescued them,” he said and added the rest of schools were closed for summer vacations but the special children were attending classes. —Bureau Report

Section 144 imposed

KARAK, Aug 25: DCO Karak Javed Ahmad Khan on Thursday imposed section 144 for one month on bathing and swimming in Barani dams and also prohibited picnicking and other gatherings in and around the dams’ sites.

According to a notification, any kind of function and gathering was prohibited near Changhoz, Lawagher, Karak, Zebi and Sherqi dams.

Meanwhile, former district councillor Mian Libab Gul told a press conference on Thursday unscheduled loadshedding and low voltage had created drinking water problem and damaged standing crops as tubewells could not be run. —Correspondent