Protesters block road

KOHAT, Nov 13: The business community on Sunday observed shutter down strike against the issuance of arrest warrants of five relatives of local amir and other prominent members of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat in Hangu district.

The infuriated traders also blocked the Kohat-Hangu highway in Hangu against the decision of the administration, which was later opened.

Sources told Dawn on telephone from Hangu the administration had issued arrest warrants of eight people under 3 MPO for maintenance of peace during coming month of Muharram.

Following the strike and blockade of the highway the administration withdrew the arrest warrants of five of the eight people after which the road was opened.—Correspondent

Motorcyclist killed

MANSEHRA, Nov 13: A man was killed and his brother was injured critically when a wagon hit a motorbike near Kotkay area on Saturday night.

Mohammad Naeem and his brother Shah Alam were going to Balakot from Mansehra on a motorbike when a speeding wagon while crossing over them hit their two-wheeler. As a result both brothers sustained critical injuries and were taken to King Abdullah Teaching Hospital where Mohammad Naeem succumbed to injuries. The driver fled the scene.

A large number of people and relatives gathered at the hospital to express solidarity with the victim’s family and demanded immediate arrest of the erring driver.

Mohammad Naeem was the president of the Balakot mobile phone shops association.—Correspondent

Mother, Child Week

CHITRAL, Nov 13: The ‘Mother and Child Week’ will be kicked off in all the 24 union councils of Chitral district on Monday (today).

Talking to Dawn here on Sunday, the district coordinator of the Lady Health Workers (LHW) programme Dr Ibrahim Khan said that the objectives of the campaign would be to administer polio drops to children left out in the previous campaigns, to provide anti-worm medicines to the children of 3 to 5 years, to give anti-tetanus injections to pregnant women and to create awareness among the community about hygiene and health.

He said the targets set for the programme would be achieved with the help of 483 LHWs and the paramedical staff of the health department.

He said it was quite essential to cover the far-flung areas which had been missed during polio campaigns in the past. He vowed that not a single child will now remain without polio drop to make his life safe and secure from the deadly disease of polio. —Correspondent

Office-bearers elected

CHARSADDA, Nov 13: The Mohammadzai Union of Journalists on Sunday elected office-bearers for the next term.

Faiz Mohammad was elected unopposed as president of the union for the sixth consecutive time, at an election meeting of the union held in Tangi. Zahid Khan was elected as general secretary of the union.

The meeting was presided over by the union’s election committee chairman Haji Shamsuddin, while the committee’s members Dr Ali Khan Afridi and Ziaullah Mohammadzai were also present on the occasion.

Other office-bearers included senior vice-president Noorul Wahab, vice-president Wajid Ali Afridi, joint secretary Tariq Jan Qureshi and finance secretary Haji Siddiqullah.

Alaf Khan Sherpao was elected as chairman of the executive council of the union, while Muflis Durrani was made its patron-in-chief.—Correspondent

Girl ‘commits’ suicide

CHITRAL, Nov 13: A teenaged girl allegedly committed suicide by shooting herself in Denin village here the other day.

The station house officer of Chitral police station Zafar Ahmed told Dawn the family members of the deceased, Sehwa, described the death as accidental when an automatic rifle went off inside the house.

He said the deceased was rushed to the district headquarters hospital but she died within an hour due to excessive bleeding.

Mr Ahmed said that if required the grave of the deceased would be exhumed for detailed postmortem.—Correspondent

Man killed on road

KARAK, Nov 13: One person was killed and three others were seriously injured in separate road accidents here on Sunday.

Police said Ahmad Jan, resident of Kohat, was going from Shakardara to Kohat town on his motorcycle when a car knocked him down. He died instantly. The car driver escaped from the area after the incident. The Banda Daud Shah police registered case and started investigation.

In another incident, three persons were seriously injured when a pick-up fell into a ravine in Palosa Sar area. The injured were taken to local hospital. They were identified as Yasir, Ihtesham and Wali Hassan.—Correspondent

Thalassaemia patients

PESHAWAR, Nov 13: Chairman Hamza Foundation and executive member of the Thalassaemia Federation of Pakistan Ejaz Ali Khan said on Sunday that effective steps had been taken for uninterrupted blood supply to 792 registered children suffering from thalassaemia, haemophilia and blood cancer.

Talking to media men, he said up till now the foundation had provided 34,412 blood bags, medicines and food comprising blood ingredients to needy patients. He said that the Hamza Foundation was also providing blood bags to government and private hospitals.

He appealed to the people and philanthropists to generously donate to help provide these facilities to the needy patients.—APP

Road construction

PESHAWAR, Nov 13: MNA Maulana Abdul Malik Wazir said on Sunday that the construction of Wana-Angoor Adda road will accelerate the pace of development and bring socio-economic improvement to the lives of poor tribal people.

He said that the road will play a backbone role to give impetus to agriculture, communication and trade sectors besides bringing people together.

He expressed theses views while addressing a tribal jirga of Wazir tribes at Wana, South Waziristan Agency. He appreciated the quality of construction work by FWO and expressed the hope that the construction of Wana-Angoor Adda road would be completed on the same lines as of Tank-Wana highway.

He said it would open up the entire region to investment and will prove as a gateway for trade and business activities between Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics.—APP