Explosion damages house

KOHAT, Oct 15: An explosion damaged an empty house belonging to a militant in Atariwal area of Darra Adam Khel on Saturday.

Official sources said explosives dumped inside the house went off with a big bang probably due to s short circuit because the house had been abandoned by the militant, Ghulam Mohammad, some time ago. The security forces reached the scene and after searching the house declared it safe saying it was empty.

Militants in the past ambushed military convoys, kidnapped people and hijacked vehicles traveling on the Indus Highway from Atariwal area in Akhorwal. They escaped into the houses in densely populated area after committing the crime thus avoiding their arrest. The militants had stopped their activities after a suicide blast in a mosque in the same area which killed more than 55 people last year as a result of rivalry between two militant groups. —Correspondent

Five suspects arrested

LAKKI MARWAT, Oct 15: Police arrested five suspected men during checking here in Darra Pezu Town late Friday night.

Acting on a tip-off, a contingent of Shaheed Haibat Ali Khan police station of Darra Pezu stopped a suspected car on Bannu-D.I. Khan road near Pezu Town for search,” sources told Dawn. They said five persons, three among them wearing burqa, were riding the car.

“During search, police noticed that the burqa clad persons were men disguised as women to deceive the law enforcement agencies,” they said. They said one of the disguised men belonged to North Waziristan Agency while the other two hailed from Gandi Khankhel village of the district. They were arrested and shifted to undisclosed location for investigation.

Meanwhile, the PTI district information secretary Ahmad Nawaz on Saturday tendered his resignation from the office owing to differences with the party leadership over election of district office-bearers. —Correspondent

Anti-polio drive in Fata

KOHAT, Oct 15: The Commissioner, Kohat Division, Sahibzada Mohammad Anis, has asked the political agents of the Fata to make the polio vaccination campaign a success without fearing threats.

Addressing a meeting on Saturday he asked the political agents of Orakzai and Kurram agencies and Frontier Regions of Kohat, Karak and Hangu to provide required security to polio teams in their respective areas.

He said those who created hurdles in the way of polio vaccination should be guided but threats from any group should not be tolerated at any cost.

Meanwhile, the Kohat University of Science and technology on Saturday arranged a free blood camp with the cooperation of the Frontier Foundation. —Correspondent

ANP Dir office-bearers

TIMERGARA, Oct 15:  ANP councillors of Lower Dir on Saturday elected office-bearers for the next term.

A press release said the election was held at the Hujra of central vice-president Zahir Shah Khan at Ouch.

Provincial general secretary Tajud Din Khan, provincial Minister for Livestock and Dairy Development Haji Hidayatullah, advisor of the chief minister Imran Afridi and other leaders were also present.

Hussain Shah Yousafzai was elected as president, Haji Inayatullah as vice-president and Mohammad Ayub Khan as general secretary. Joint secretary, deputy secretary and press secretary were also elected.

Sources said members of the rival group of the party didn’t attend the election meeting. —Correspondent

Officials reprimanded

PESHAWAR, Oct 15: Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Karamatullah Chagharmati on Saturday took serious notice of the officials of government departments not submitting the working papers with the assembly secretariat.

A press release issued here said the speaker also had to postpone the upcoming meeting of the Public Account Committee (PAC) as the concerned department failed to submit the working papers to it. He directed the chief secretary to take action against the concerned government department.

He said officials of such departments also didn’t send the working papers to the audit and finance department for comments.

Mr Chagharmati termed the irresponsible attitude of the government departments as breach of the privilege of the PAC. He said the role of PAC was pivotal in maintaining financial discipline. —Bureau Report

Inspection of uplift schemes

PESHAWAR, Oct 15: Home and Tribal Affairs Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has constituted a committee to inspect work on the developmental schemes on quarterly basis. A statement issued here on Saturday said the committee will comprise officials of the home department, divisional monitoring officer of concerned division and communication and works department. —Bureau Report