Fire victim dies

RAWALPINDI, Feb 16: A teenage boy, who was burnt critically along with his two younger brothers after being trapped in fire that erupted in their hut along IJ Principal Road on Tuesday night, died in Holy Family Hospital on Thursday.

Three brothers, Bilal Javaid, 12, Baboo Khan, 8, and Shah Rukh, 5, received critical burn injuries after fire engulfed their hut while they were sleeping inside.

Javaid Khan, father of the children was sitting in a nearby hut when fire broke out as a candle fell on the floor.

“The only sister of three brothers had lit the candle before leaving for her aunt’s house,” the police investigating officer and father of the victims said. The fire was so intense that the three brothers could not be rescued. — Staff Reporter

Expat looted by ‘policemen’

RAWALPINDI, Feb 16: An expatriate returning from Saudi Arabia was robbed of Saudi Riyals 30,000 by impersonators posing as policemen on his arrival in Rawalpindi on Thursday, the victim and police said.

Khan Afsar, who arrived from Jeddah at Benazir Bhutto International Airport, was on his way to his native town Upper Dir in a car when he was intercepted by another car with blue revolving light on its roof on Peshawar Road Westridge.

The occupants got out and showed their official cards, though they were in plain cloths and introduced themselves as CID officials. He added, they said there had been intelligence reports that the man coming from Saudi Arabia had links with Al-Qaeda and they wanted to search him. Later they snatched 30,000 Saudi Riyals recovered from him and sped away in their car.— Staff Reporter

TTP ‘terrorist’ arrested

ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: Security forces claimed to have arrested a suspect affiliated with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) during an operation on Thursday late night, sources told Dawn.

The sources said a team of security personnel in response to an intelligence tip off – regarding a suspect who was hiding in the area of Shams Colony, located in the limits of Sabzi Mandi Police station – conducted the operation which led to his arrest from a house.

He was identified as Hashmat Ullah, and was the active member of TTP Swat chapter. He was allegedly involved in several attacks at the security forces in Swat and also fought against the security forces during operation in Swat.

However, he escaped and went into hiding, the sources said, adding that a month ago his presence was spotted by intelligence in Islamabad, which started tracing him.

After the arrest he was shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation and may be handed over to law enforcement agencies in Swat in connection with his involvement in terrorism. —Staff Reporter

DHQ Hospital gets new MS

RAWALPINDI, Feb 16: Punjab government on Thursday appointed Dr Zaman Khan Niazi as Medical Superintendent of District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, Raja Bazaar.

A notification in this regard has been issued by Punjab Health Department. Dr Zaman assumed his charge, informed the hospital officials.

Dr Sher Ali Khan Niazi, the former MS DHQ hospital, has been asked to report to the office of Secretary Health, Lahore.

It is pertinent to mention here that Dr Zaman also served as Director Health Rawalpindi, MS Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and Holy Family Hospital (HFH).— A Reporter

GHQ attack case

ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: Justice Rauf Ahmed Sheikh of Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench on Thursday dismissed petitions of five convicts, including the mastermind of GHQ attack, seeking copy of their trial proceedings conducted by field general court martial.

The petitioners were Aqeel Ahmed alias Dr Usman, the mastermind of the GHQ attack; Khalilur Rehman, Mohammad Usman, Tahir Shafiq and Wajid Mehmood. The court ruled that under article 199 (3) of the constitution, it could not proceed with the matter.

However, their counsel - Tariq Asad, Colonel (retired) Inamur Rahim, Nadeem Shah and Sardar Abdul Hafeez - said they would file an-intra court appeal before a two-member bench of the LHC.

Advocate Rahim told Dawn that Justice Saghir Ahmed Qadri earlier had directed the naval authorities to provide copy of the trial proceedings to the accused in an identical petition and on the basis of that they would request the division bench to revisit the decision of Justice Sheikh.

The FGCM on August 11 awarded death sentence to Ahmed, life imprisonment to Wajid, Khaliq, Usman, 10-year’s imprisonment to Adnan and seven years each to Shafique and Imran in the charges ranging from desertion, murder, taking hostages and terrorism to attacking the armed forces at the GHQ on October 10, 2009. — A Reporter

Car bazaar banned

RAWALPINDI, Feb 16: Parking, sale and purchase of vehicles on service roads, streets and open areas along Benazir Bhutto Road was banned by district administration under section 144.

Rawalpindi Administrator and District Coordination Officer (DCO) Saqib Zafar issued notification on Thursday banning car bazaar held in Chandni Chowk area on Friday.

DCO also directed local police and Rawal Town Municipal Administration (RTMA) to launch massive action against the car dealers and the people who would come to the area for sale and purchase of cars.

On the instructions of DCO, RTMA formed a special squad under the supervision of Town Officer Regulation Tauseef Ahmed Malik.

It may be mentioned here that last month, Commissioner Zahid Saeed also imposed ban on Friday bazaar of the cars in the area on the complaints of local residents. However, the administration and police failed to take any action.— A Reporter

More rains from Sunday

ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: The Met office on Thursday predicted more rain with snowfall over the hills in different parts of the country from Sunday to Wednesday.

According to the spokesman, a fresh westerly wave is likely to approach the country on Sunday that will generate scattered rain in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, North Balochistan, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.

Under the influence of this westerly wave more snow is expected over the hills of Murree, Galliyat, northern areas, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir from Sunday to Wednesday. — A Reporter

Iesco workers rally

RAWALPINDI, Feb 16: The workers of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) on Thursday took out a protest rally at Benazir Bhutto Road and blocked it for traffic leaving the commuters stranded for two hours.

More than 300 protestors were agitating against the proposed privatisation of Iesco, appointment of Chief Executives from private sector on heavy remunerations, surging power tariff on account of Rental Power Houses and inflation.— A Reporter