Former UC nazim held

PESHAWAR, Jan 24: A former nazim of Mathra union council was arrested for allegedly taking money from flood survivors here on Tuesday.

An official told Dawn that Jahangir Khan had collected Rs2,500 from each flood victim in his area and promised to help them in getting Watan Cards at the earliest, but failed to do so. The accused was arrested by the local police on public complaints and produced before Peshawar DCO Siraj Ahmed Khan in his office, who sent him to jail under 3 MPO.

Similarly, the DCO withdrew his earlier order regarding sending a schoolteacher Haji Gul of Suleman Khel, Badhber to prison under 3MPO for refusing to vaccinate his children against polio. —Bureau Report

Cheques distributed

ABBOTTABAD, Jan 24: Cheques amounting to Rs13.25 million were distributed among deserving women of five districts of Hazara division under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and Waseela-i-Haq Programme.

The cheques distribution ceremony was presided over by provincial Minister for Industries and Commerce Syed Ahmad Hussain Shah. PPP MPAs Naeema Nisar and Sajida Tabassum, BISP director Abdul Samad and relatives of the beneficiaries were also present on the occasion.

The beneficiaries who received the cheques included 29 people from Mansehra district, 27 from Battagram, 12 from Abbottabad, 12 from Haripur and four from Kohistan. Minister for Industries Syed Ahmed Shah while addressing the gathering said that more than one million people would benefit from BISP only in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. —Correspondent

Man kills uncle

SWABI, Jan 24: A man killed his uncle when they clashed here on Tuesday over a dispute on a piece of land.

Police said that two brothers were holding a discussion at a jirga to resolve the issue in the Marghuz village when Pervaiz Khan, son of one of the two, exchanged hot words with his uncle, Mushtaq Rehman. Pervaiz got infuriated and opened fire on his uncle killing him on the spot.

Police have registered a case against Pervaiz, who escaped from the scene after the incident. —Correspondent

Certificates, kits awarded

PESHAWAR, Jan 24: Thirty young community activists from the flood-hit areas of Dera Ismail Khan were awarded certificates and kits after completion of a skill training programme here on Tuesday.

The Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) had organised a 15-day training programme in mobile phone repairing and electrical works under the early recovery initiative of the United Nations Development Programme.

Speaking on the occasion, UNDP field coordinator Alexis Sixela Nimbona said they had been extending help to the crisis-hit people to recover and be able to earn their livelihood in a dignified manner. “Skilled youth are an asset to a nation and such trainings will play an important role in reducing poverty,” he said. —Bureau Report

Call to set up burn hospital

PESHAWAR, Jan 24: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Syed Masood Kausar has requested the visiting incoming-head of International Committee of the Red Cross to establish a burn hospital, inviting attention for improving disaster management facilities in the province.

According to an official handout, ICRC senior official Paul Castella apprised the governor about his organisation’s operations and the services it had been extending in the health sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

He informed the governor that ICRC was sponsoring training of 60 healthcare providers in Peshawar who on completion of their training would be deputed in various healthcare units of Fata. —Bureau Report

International art workshop

PESHAWAR, Jan 24: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa culture department will hold an international art workshop and an exhibition of the works of Ghani Khan to project Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s soft image, according to a handout.

The culture department signed a memorandum of understanding with Hunarkada, Islamabad, on Tuesday, for organising the two events.

The art workshop, ‘Face Off’, according to the handout, aims at sensitising the society about tolerance, impact of terrorism, and to promote Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s image as a peaceful area.

The artwork produced during the two-week long workshop would be displayed at an exhibition that would be held at the culmination of ‘Face Off’. Artists from disciplines of visual and performing art, literature, journalism, media, and experts from Pakistan as well as abroad would be invited to attend the workshop. —Bureau Report

Police-public contact

KOHAT, Jan 24: The regional police chief of Kohat has stressed that the officers should keep close contact with the elders by holding meetings and khuli kutcherys to bridge the widening gap between the force and the masses.

He was speaking at the ceremony of promotion of police officers on adhoc basis for their courage and bravery for eliminating diehard criminals and regaining control over the so-called no-go areas of Gorzandi in Lachi tehsil and Kachai on the Hangu road in Kohat. The deputy inspector general of police warned that the black sheep in the department who had contacts with criminals would be expelled. He advised the heads of police in Karak, Kohat and Hangu to keep close liaison with the elders of the areas and take action against anti-social elements. —Correspondent

Wanted criminals held

LAKKI MARWAT, Jan 24: Police claimed to have arrested nine wanted criminals from different villages during a search operation here on Tuesday.

The operation was simultaneously launched in several villages after a tip-off. The police captured nine criminal wanted in murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and other cases of heinous nature. Police also eliminated several sanctuaries of outlaws and anti-social elements in Dadiwala, Jabukhel, Tap Takhtikhel, Samandi and Agari Khanzad Khel, he said. Meanwhile, police said on Tuesday that a man molested a boy near Pezu Town and escaped.

They said that a case was registered against the accused on the complaint of victim’s father, Gul Rauf. —Correspondent

FIA to probe customs officials

PESHAWAR, Jan 24: Referring to a complaint of traders of Swat against the customs officials of Mardan for allegedly forcing them to pay extortion money on transportation of different goods, the home and tribal affairs department has directed the Federal Investigation Agency to probe into the matter.

The home department in a statement here on Tuesday said that the traders of Swat in a letter had complained to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister against the customs authorities and appealed him for provision of protection to them.— Bureau