Dispute claims life

TIMERGARA, Jan 20: A man was killed while his three nephews were injured when their rivals attacked them with daggers and sticks at Talash on Friday, residents and police told Dawn.

One of the injured youths, Hamid Khan, told reporters at Timergara hospital that they were on their way home from Talash bazaar when eight persons having sticks and daggers attacked them near Bangay village.

He said his uncle Iqbal Hussain received head injury, who died on way to Peshawar. He said he along with Mohammad Abid and Akbar Ali were injured. He said they did not know as to why they had been attacked. However residents said a children quarrel some days ago became cause of the incident.

Talash police said all the eight accused had been arrested. —Correspondent

Contraband seized

KOHAT, Jan 20: The police seized hashish and heroin being smuggled to down country from tribal area from a truck near the toll plaza on Indus Highway here on Friday.

The police stopped truck (C-2523-Bannu) and upon search found six kilograms of hashish and two kilograms of heroin in it.

Two smugglers identified as Rasheed and Attaullah Khan, residents of Teetar Khel area of Lakki Marwat, were arrested.

The Riaz Khan police impounded the vehicle and registered case against the accused.

Meanwhile, body of an unidentified youth was recovered in Mosam Khan Banda on Friday. The police handed over the body to the TMA for burial. —Correspondent

Afghans’ repatriation

PESHAWAR, Jan 20: The Commissionerate of Afghan Refugees and UNHCR have been taking all steps in view of Afghan Management and Repatriation Strategy (AMRS) to achieve maximum result regarding voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees.

A source in the Home and Tribal affairs Department on Friday said as part of the preparations the voluntary repatriation centres (VRCs) at Timergara had become functional to accelerate the repatriation of Afghan refuges from northern and southern districts, while such VRCs at Bannu would be operational in March 2012.

The Nadra has been requested to depute a technical team to carry out survey and install necessary equipment as well as staff with consultation of UNHCR on priority basis so that these VRCs could be made operational. —Bureau Report

Book fair

SWABI, Jan 20:  A book fair held at government postgraduate college Swabi attracted both students and academia on Friday.

The fair was organised by Islami Jamait Talaba (IJT) and Mohammad Ijaz Khan, the District Police Officer, inaugurated the fair. The IJT leaders said main purpose of the fair was to provide an opportunity to the students of all colleges of the district to purchase books of their choice on concession rates at their doorsteps.

They said books related to literature and linguistics, architecture, fine arts, computer sciences, media, religion and current affairs were displayed evoking great interest from both the academia and students. —Correspondent

JUI-F names candidates

TIMERGARA, Jan 20:  The JUI-F, Lower Dir chapter, on Friday announced the names of its candidates for national assembly and provincial assembly seats for the next general election.

The announcement was made during the party executive council’s meeting with its chief Qazi Fazlullah in the chair.

Briefing journalists, district secretary information Sahid Mahmood said Senator Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan had been nominated to contest election from NA-34 Dir constituency, Qazi Ayazuddin, Mufti Khalid Mahmood and Qari Azizuddin from KP-94, Dr Mujeebur Rahman, Haji Abdul Rahman, Haji Aminullah and Syed Awar Khan from KP-95 Jandol, Maulana Ziaul Haq, Habibur Rahman, Mubarak Syed and Haji Shakirullah from KP-96 Maidan and Maulana Gul Rahim, Maulana Ghulamullah Haqqani and Faridullah Shal from KP-97 Adenzai. —Correspondent

Student gets distinction

PESHAWAR, Jan 20: Mohammad Salman Haider Qureshi, second year student of Peshawar Medical College, secured first position in the construction of Biochemistry Concept Map contest.

The competition among the medical students of all public and private sector medical colleges of Pakistan was held at Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Karachi. Mr Qureshi’s topic was ‘Cardiac Markers’, according to a press release issued here on Friday. “Indeed, such competitions are very important for the grooming of young talents and play a multidimensional role in the educational careers of students,” said Mr Qureshi in his remarks. —Bureau Report

Pesco officers’ strike

PESHAWAR, Jan 20: Pesco and Tesco officers associations will launch a protest campaign from Monday against appointment of what is termed outsiders as heads of different power companies in the country.

The associations, in a joint statement on Friday, asked the government to stop interfering in the affairs of the board of directors of the power companies. They stressed the need for centralising the promotion and upgradation of the senior officers.

The associations expressed solidarity with all workers associations across the country for making combined efforts for resolution of their problems. They vowed to continue protest till solution to their demands. —Bureau Report

Pakhtuns’ miseries

CHARSADDA, Jan 20: PPP-S chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has accused the governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the centre of multiplying the problems of Pakhtuns. Speaking at a public meeting at Sherpao village in Charsadda on Friday, he said the champions of the Pakhtuns’ rights had pushed them into a quagmire.

The former federal minister said the ruling parties had failed to diagnose the issues of Pakhtun nation. The meeting was held to launch a membership campaign of the party and finalise arrangements for the death anniversary of former chief minister Hayat Mohammad Khan Sherpao. —Correspondent