Two shepherds shot dead

KOHAT, Jan 23: Two shepherds were shot dead in the mountains of Darpati area of Lachi tehsil here on Monday.

The Lachi police said that a man Rafid and his nephew Naidad Khan were grazing cattle in the nearby mountains when two persons, Rid Khan and Shaukat Khan, opened indiscriminate fire at them after a brawl. They died instantly and their bodies were shifted to hospital for autopsy and later handed over to their relatives.

The Lachi police registered the case and lunched search to arrest the killers, who managed to escape after committing the crime.—Correspondent

PTI dissidents form group

PESHAWAR, Jan 23: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf dissident workers have decided to form ‘PTI ideological group’ in the party.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Saturday the group’s leader Sajid Gumrani and his general secretary Zahoor Ahmed Kakakhel said that party leadership had ignored the old guards and adjusted the corrupt elements in PTI and in such a situation they could not remain in the party.

Mr Gumrani said Imran Khan ignored 80 per cent of the middle class people and hugged the 20 per cent corrupt people, mostly the land lords, capitalists, Chaudhris, Khans and well-off people against his party manifesto.

Recalling a clash with supporters of a former provincial minister from Nowshera Pervez Khattak at PTI Islamabad office on Dec 12, he said his friends were completely peaceful and did nothing wrong but the minister’s supporters had attacked them with sticks.—Bureau Report

Polio eradication

GHALANAI, Jan 23: The parents and religious scholars were urged on Monday to play their due role in eradicating polio from Mohmand Agency.

Agency surgeon Dr Farooq Shah, field coordinator Dr Wazir Safi and Maulana Abdul Manan in their speeches at a function organised by National Research and Developmental foundation here at Mohmand Press Club on Monday, called upon the parents and ulema to come forward and play their role in this regard.

Dr Farooq said there were four confirmed polio cases in the year 2011 in the tribal agency. He termed the number as alarming.

The ulema said polio vaccination was in accordance with Islamic Shariah, adding healthy society could play dynamic role in developments of any country. They also called upon the parents to help polio teams in making the upcoming drive a success.—Correspondent

Funds embezzlement

PESHAWAR, Jan 23: A tribesman Habib-ur-Rehman of Landi Kotal has announced to start protest march from Peshawar Press Club to Islamabad today (Tuesday) against the alleged corruption of MPs from the Khyber Agency.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday he said the members of parliament had failed to serve the people and embezzled the funds meant for development.

He said the people of the tribal regions were facing great difficulties due to the military operations and negligence of the elected representatives. He said the lawmakers were busy in loot and plunder of the national wealth.

The tribesman held the lawmakers responsible for killing of innocent people and depriving them of basic facilities of life.—Bureau Report

Fuel adjustment surcharge

PESHAWAR, Jan 23: The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to extend relief to the people of the province from the new levy of fuel adjustment surcharge.

Rejecting the fuel adjustment surcharge, the chamber urged the provincial government to take appropriate measures for exempting the province’s electricity consumers from the new levy.

In a joint press release issued on Monday, the SCCI president Afan Aziz and vice-president Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi termed the introduction of fuel adjustment surcharge a ‘cruel’ act on part of the federal government. They said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had already suffered massive losses as a result of militancy and flashfloods.

“Instead of controlling power pilferage, the federal government has resorted to reducing deficit by recovering losses from the general public in the shape of fuel adjustment surcharge.”—Bureau Report

Prisoners appear in exam

MANSEHRA, Jan 23: As many as 18 inmates languishing in Haripur jail appeared in bachelor and master degree examinations last year after Hazara University waived off their examination fees.

Prisoners Ameenullah of Chitral and Mohammad Ameen of Neelum valley in AJK had written a letter to the VC Hazara University urging him to waive off their examination fee.

Sources said the inmates also demanded of the government to waive off the examination fee of the other inmates who wanted to appear in the examination from the jail.

The letter said that the government should provide free of cost examination facilities to inmates across the country.

“If government gives fee relief to inmates across the country a large number of prisoners could be able to appear in examination to become educated and useful citizens,” said the letter.—Correspondent

Stamp papers’ shortage

KARAK, Jan 23: The Awami Rabita Committee of the old bazaar has demanded end to the ‘artificial crisis’ of stamp papers saying the stamp papers of Rs40 were being sold at Rs200 in the open market.

The committee general secretary Hafiz Mohammad Yaseen and others told a press conference here on Monday the sellers of stamp papers in league with the finance department had created an artificial crisis to fleece the needy people.

They claimed that the illegal business had been going on since long and demanded of the District Coordination Officer Mohammad Zubair Khan to take notice of the situation. They threatened if the district administration did not take corrective measures then they would organise protests.—Correspondent