Girl killed by ‘stray bullet’

MANSEHRA, March 18: A young girl fell prey to a ‘stray bullet’ which, according to family, hit her accidentally.

The incident occurred at Hadora village when 17-year-old Zaida Bibi was hit by a bullet which was accidentally fired by one Mohammad Usman, a cousin of the victim.

Jahanzab Khan, the SHO of Gharihabibullah police, said when police reached the home of the victim, who succumbed to injuries at hospital, she had already been laid to rest.

He said father of the girl was settled in Karachi and her mother registered a report with the police in which she claimed that her daughter was killed accidentally.

Mr Khan said according to FIR Mohammad Usman was the cousin of the victim and was cleaning his pistol which accidentally went off, killing Zaida Bibi.—Correspondent

Traders rally against TMA

MANSEHRA, March 18: The traders have warned the tehsil municipal administration not to construct shops outside main bus terminal otherwise they would stop work by force.

“If TMA constructs shops at the nullah outside the main bus terminal the flow of traffic and business of traders would be affected badly so the TMA should scrap its plan otherwise we would restrict it by force,” said Mohammad Hanif, the president of the traders body, while speaking at a rally taken out here on Sunday by the shopkeepers against the proposed construction of the shops.

The traders, who gathered outside the bus terminal, raised slogans against TMA. Speaking on the occasion Mohammad Hanif, Farooq Lughmani, Haroonur Rasheed and others said TMA had already converted women waiting rooms at the terminal to shopping centres and now wanted to construct the shops at the nullah which would cause blockade of the vehicular traffic and affect the business activates.

They said they had already taken the issue with the TMA but in vain.—Correspondent

Six ‘outlaws’ arrested in Lakki

LAKKI MARWAT, March 18: Police claimed on Sunday to have arrested two wanted criminals and four suspects during a search operation in Bargai village, bordering the frontier tribal region.

“After receiving information about the presence of suspected militants and anti-social elements in the border village, police force backed by commandos of Elite Force and ATS launched the operation, said an official.

He said that the law enforcers eliminated several hideouts of anti-state elements in the area and arrested two dreaded proclaimed offenders in the offensive. “Police also held four suspected militants and recovered three Kalashnikovs, four rifles, four spare magazines, a hand grenade and 141 rounds from outlaws,” he maintained.—Correspondent

Another blast victim dies

PESHAWAR, March 18: Death toll from the suicide attack in Badbher rose to 18 as another person succumbed to injuries here on Sunday.

The suicide attack had taken place on March 11 at a funeral prayer. Apparently, target of the suicide bomber was Deputy Speaker Kushdil Khan who had just left the spot before the explosion.

Zaiwar Khan, who had been admitted to the intensive care unit of Lady Reading Hospital, died on Sunday morning.

Other injured of the suicide attack were still under treatment in different wards of the hospital.—Bureau Report

Grant for university

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, March 18: The Planning Commission has approved over Rs510 million for the improvement and strengthening of equipments and labs of the Gomal University. The project would be carried out by the Japan International Corporation Agency, said VC of the university Dr Mansoor Akbar Kundi, while talking to media persons here on Sunday.

Dr Kundi said according to the HEC evaluation report the university had ranked third among the medium universities of Pakistan. He said the approval of the funds had also dispelled a perception that the Gomal University was ‘B’ class, adding the institution had improved considerably.

Mr Kundi said the government was keenly focusing the uplift matters of the varsity as well as the higher education to improve the educational standards of the backward regions.

Talking about scarcity of funds, he said financial support from the government was imperative to improve quality of education in the public sector varsities.—Correspondent

Exam staffers suspended

CHARSADDA, March 18: The chairman the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Peshawar made surprise visits to several matric examination halls and suspended two superintendents and an invigilator over negligence of duty.

The BISE chairman Dr Mohammad Shafiullah directed the staff to ensure fair and transparent conduct of the examination. He also asked teachers, parents and other concerned officials to play their role in curbing trend of cheating in examinations. He warned the examination staff of stern action in case of negligence of duties.

He suspended two superintendents and an invigilator at New Model School Bakhshu and Government High School Zuhrab Gul over negligence of duty.

Meanwhile, the male and female matric students said they could not do well in the paper of Urdu as it was out of course, and demanded extra marks in the paper.

They criticised the maker of the paper, saying the out of course paper was aimed at ruining their future. The parents also expressed concern over the difficult paper and appealed to the chairman and controller of examinations to give relaxation marks in the paper to compensate the students.—Correspondent