Two held on suspicion

ISLAMABAD, Jan 21: Security forces detained two persons after spotting them wondering around the army aviation helipad at Shakarparian on Saturday night.

Sources said a telephone call from a woman about the presence of the two suspicious persons had alerted the law enforcers.

The security personnel deployed in the area took the two suspects into custody. Later, they were taken inside the heliport for investigation.

A contingent of police, including anti-terrorism and bomb disposal squads, also reached the spot.

The sources said during interrogation it was revealed that the two were returning from the Sports Complex after playing tennis. They were spotted by the woman who assumed them as suspects and informed the police.

The family of the persons got information of their disappearance and approached the police to register a kidnapping case.

Later, police officers met the security force personnel deployed at the heliport and held talks for release of the men. Till filing of this report at about 10pm, the negotiation was in progress.— Staff Reporter

Fraudster, accomplice nabbed

ISLAMABAD, Jan 21: The capital police arrested a fraudster and his accomplice – a retired Captain – for arranging forged direction of interior ministry for scholarship to foreign students in Pakistan, police said on Saturday.

Besides, two Afghan students were also arrested for using the scholarship letter. Police said the arrest of fraudster was made from a hotel, located at Sitara Market on a tip-off provided by two students who were arrested earlier. He was identified as Mukhtar Ahmad and he had arranged fake directions of the ministry for five students against scholarship of Rs500,000 for each.

He was paid Rs200,000 for getting the direction issued on the letterhead of the interior ministry, when the letter was handed over to the student. — Staff Reporter

Dawn staffer grieved

ISLAMABAD, Jan 21: The grandmother of Dawn’s senior correspondent Amir Waseem died in Karachi on Thursday. Her funeral will be taken out on Sunday at 1:30pm from House R-74/1, Gulshan-I-Shameem, Block 8, Federal B Area, near Jamia Masjid Shuhda. She will be laid to rest in Yasinabad graveyard. — Staff Reporter