NEWS IN BRIEF

Published March 1, 2012

Five injured in rocket attack

PESHAWAR, March 1: At least five person sustained injuries when a rocket fired from unknown location landed at posh Hayatabad locality on Thursday night.

According to police, the rocket possibly fired from Khyber Agency landed at Ibrahim Market injuring five persons. A shop also caught fire in the incident. Police have started investigation. —APP

Release of salaries demanded

PESHAWAR, March 1: The contractual employees of Fata Secretariat have expressed grave concern over non-payment of salaries for the past eight months and demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Barrister Masood Kausar to take notice of the matter and help release the same.

Holding a protest demonstration outside Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, the employees were holding banners and placards inscribed with demands for regularisation of their jobs and release of salaries at the earliest.

The protesters were led by Shehzad Khan who told media persons that 61 employees had been recruited in 2004 but their salaries had been stopped for the past eight months and they were facing serious financial problems. —Bureau Report

Resumption of polio drive

PESHAWAR, March 1: The local administration has decided to resume polio vaccination drive in 36 union councils of Peshawar from March 12.

The decision was taken in a meeting held here on Thursday with District Coordination Officer Siraj Ahmed in the chair. Officials of different departments including representative of World Health Organisation attended the meeting.

Several proposals were discussed on the occasion and it was decided that the drive would be re-launched in the high risk areas as a precautionary measure to stop the crippling disease from further spreading.

The DCO directed the officials concerned to submit a report in this regard before March 10 so that necessary steps could be taken in case of any problem. —Bureau Report

Swindler arrested

MANSEHRA, March 1: The police arrested here on Thursday a man who allegedly deceived people in the name of former chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Abbasi.

Police said that accused Mohammad Atif Abbasi had deceived people while posing himself son of Sardar Mehtab Abbasi.

Attiqur Rehman lodging FIR with city police stated that Mohammad Atif Abbasi had got a room at rent in his hotel introducing himself as son of Sardar Mehtab and did not pay Rs92,000 rent besides borrowing an amount of Rs75,000.

The police after lodging FIR arrested the accused and got his one-day physical remand.

Police said that the accused had also defrauded former contender for National Assembly Shaheen Zamir by getting a luxurious car from her but did not pay her the price money. —Correspondent

Scholarships for students

PESHAWAR, March 1: US Consul General Marie Richards on Thursday awarded scholarships to 100 students to participate in an intensive English language programme.

The scholarships are part of the English access micro scholarship programme sponsored by the United States, a press release issued here said.

The ceremony was held at Frontier Women University (FWU).

As executor of the programme, FWU selected 100 female students from local government schools and hired local teachers to lead the classes.

Through the access programme, the students will participate in 400 hours of intensive after-school English language instruction and summer learning activities over a period of two-year.

With this new programme, more than 400 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa students will benefit from the scholarships. —Bureau Report

Wali Khan University budget

MARDAN, March 1: The finance and planning committee of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan approved here on Thursday Rs2,392.76 million developmental budge for the year 2011-12 and Rs2,434 million for the next financial year.

In this regard, a meeting was held at AWKU which was presided over by Vice-Chancellor Dr Ihsan Ali. The meeting was also attended by registrar Prof Sher Ali Khan, dean of arts Zahur-ul-Haq, deputy secretary finance Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Abdus Samad, deputy secretary Higher Education Department Mohammad Israr and other officials concerned.

During the meeting, it was decided that financial help and medical facilities would be provided to heirs of those university officials who had died while in service.

Later, the officials of finance and government education department inspected the university’s developmental projects.—Correspondent

Free medical facilities

PESHAWAR, March 1: Dir Welfare Organisation has decided to provide free medical facilities to the needy people in different parts of the provincial metropolis.

Speaking at a meeting here on Thursday, the organisation’s president, Haji Rahatullah Khan, said that arrangements had been almost finalised for a mobile dispensary and the process of hiring medical staff was in final stages.

He asked the organisation’s members to serve the people irrespective of their political affiliations and areas.

Earlier, the annual elections of Dir Welfare Organisation PK-1 circle were held under chairmanship Haji Mohammad Saeed at the hujra of provincial minister livestock Haji Hidayatullah Khan in Din Bahar Colony Peshawar. —Bureau Report

Workers seek allowances

PESHAWAR, March 1: Railway workers held a rally here on Thursday Road against the government for allegedly creating problems in payment of different allowances and gratuity to the retired employees.

The protesters led by Pakistan Railways Workers Union Peshawar division president Syed Ashfaq Bacha. They were holding banners and placards inscribed with demands for restoration of the G.P. Fund, benevolent fund for widows, travelling and duty allowances.

He said corruption was at peak in Railway where the officers were busy accumulating wealth but the poor workers had been ignored completely and now the benevolent funds of widows had also been stopped for unknown reasons.

He asked railway minister Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour to stop exploitation of the workers and solve their problems at the earliest. —Bureau Report

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