Two UTPs escape

RAWALPINDI, Feb 21: Two under-trial prisoners (UTPs) escaped from police custody after cutting iron bars of judicial lockup in Murree on Tuesday, police said.

Khul Mir was facing charges of depriving a Sri Lankan tourist couple of cash and gold ornaments while Tariq Mehmood was facing trial in fake currency case. Both had been in judicial lockup located near GPO Murree for the last 14 days, police source said.

They managed to escape at night after cutting the iron bars of the lockup allegedly with the connivance of the police officials deputed there.

In the morning, the five policemen on duty found the lockup empty and both the criminals missing.

After the incident came to light, the policemen on duty were taken into custody for investigation.

City Police Officer (CPO) Azhar Hameed Khokhar reached Murree to investigate the incident. Till the filing of this report, the police were unable to trace the escapees.— Staff Reporter

Fire at police line

RAWALPINDI, Feb 21: A section of Police Line Headquarters caught fire on Tuesday causing damage to the uniform stitching and storage area, eye witnesses and police sources said.

“Fire just gutted the laundry and tailoring section. No person was reported to be injured due to fire erupted due to electric short circuit,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Headquarters Tahir Sikander who looks after housing and lodging of the police force in the line headquarters.

On information, fire fighters of Rescue 1122 rushed to the scene and the fire was brought under control after a struggle of more than an hour.

An eyewitness said the police uniforms in large quantity were gutted in the fire. Thick clouds of smoke could be seen from a far, which created panic among the police personnel residing in the nearby barracks.— Staff Reporter

7 illegal structures sealed

RAWALPINDI, Feb 21: Rawal Town Municipal Administration (RTMA) on Tuesday sealed a cellphone tower, four shops and two houses as they were being constructed without the approval of building site plans.

Talking to Dawn, RTMA Town Officer Regulation Tauseef Ahmed Malik said a cell phone tower was being erected in thickly-populated Bhabara Bazaar. RTMA staff stopped it and sealed the office as the mobile company failed to get No-Objection Certificate (NOC).

RTMA staff also found four shops in Usman Plaza near Chandni Chowk being constructed illegally; he said.

The shops were sealed and owners were asked to appear before Rawal Town administrator within a week.

Mr Tauseef said another team sealed two houses at Kartarpura as the construction work was started without RTMA’s approval of building site plan.— A Reporter

Analytical laboratory at QAU

ISLAMABAD, Feb 21: Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) will set up a state of the art ‘analytical laboratory’ to provide services in the areas of environmental testing, industrial hygiene and on-site field services.

Trained chemists, material scientists, technicians and laboratory management will be appointed to ensure quality of the reports.

The decision to set up the laboratory was taken during the visit of Federal Minister for Science and Technology Changez Khan Jamali to QAU on Tuesday, an official of University told Dawn.

He said the project would soon be started as being low cost it did not require the approval of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) of the Planning Commission.— A Reporter

Detained persons recovered

GUJAR KHAN, Feb 21: On the orders of additional sessions judge, the police recovered two persons from the illegal confinement of revenue department officials and a landlord.

According to sources, Kamal Ahmed, a resident of Mohrah Sar Andaz village, came to court on Tuesday for hearing of his case when his opponents accompanied by the officials of the revenue department allegedly attacked him and later confined him in the office of the revenue officer Saeed Nawaz.

Raja Qaisar Mehmood Advocate, on getting information, filed a petition, seeking recovery of his client. On the order of Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Naveed Iqbal, a police party led by SI Zaheeruddin Babar recovered Kamal Ahmed. The police after registering a case arrested a revenue official identified as Imran Faiz. — Correspondent

Protest against loadshedding

TAXILA, Feb 21: A large number of Iesco consumers and stone carving industry workers on Tuesday blocked Taxila-Haripur road near Taxila Museum on Tuesday by burning tyres to protest prolonged and unscheduled loadshedding in their areas for the last several days.

Carrying placrads, banners, sticks and clubs, demonstrators gathered at Museum road and chanted slogans against Wapda and government and later burnt tyres to put traffic out of gear for hours. Some of the protesters hit rickshaws and other vehicles with sticks.

Addressing to the protesters, speakers said that the loadshedding had resulted in acute shortage of water in some areas. Besides, fluctuations in the voltage had destroyed most of electronic appliances.

Malik Tahir, a resident of the area said that unscheduled loadshedding had badly disturbed his family life. — Correspondent