Lawmaker’s bail extended

RAWALPINDI, Sept 19: Lahore High Court (LHC)’s Rawalpindi bench on Wednesday extended the interim bail of PML-N lawmaker Mohammad Hanif Abbasi allegedly involved in the misuse of controlled chemical ephedrine for another week.

When a division bench, comprising Justice Shahid Hameed Dar and Justice Maqbool Ahmed Bajwa, resumed hearing of the pre-arrest bail petition of Mr Abbasi, his counsel Sardar Mohammad Ishaq could not appear before the court due to his engagements in the Supreme Court.

The counsel submitted to the division bench an application seeking adjournment. The court extended the interim bail of the accused till September 26.

About five to six officials of the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) were present in the court along with handcuffs for the arrest of the MNA in case of rejection of his bail plea.

The lawmaker, however, arrived in the court along with dozens of his supporters and security of the Punjab police.—A Reporter

Workshop on nutrition

MUZAFFARABAD, Sept 19: A 2-day inter-sector consensus-building workshop on nutrition policy guidance, strategic and operational planning concluded here on Wednesday. Outlining the scope of malnutrition problems in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and identifying practical steps to address it.

The workshop, which was organised by the AJK Planning and Development Department (P&DD) with around 125 participants mostly senior managerial level officials pointed out the results of the latest National Nutrition Survey (NNS, 2011) showing an alarming nutrition situation in AJK, where malnutrition was one of the main causes of death among infants and young children.—Staff Correspondent

Case ordered against armymen

RAWALPINDI, Sept 19: A bailiff of the family/senior civil court along with a group of policemen was detained for about four hours at a house in Quaid-i-Azam Colony allegedly by some armymen when they reached there to recover three children, police said.

Ghulam Sajjad, the bailiff, and police investigating officer Safdar Hussain in their separate complaints to the senior civil judge Mohammad Rizwan Arif said they along with a lady police official went to recover three children – Maliaka Khuram, Rida Hayat and Dua Khuram - from Shazia Saleem, living with her brother Major Amir Saleem at Quaid-i-Azam Colony, Dhamial.

When the bailiff showed the court orders to Major Saleem to hand them over the children as a decree had already been issued in favour of Major Khuram for their custody, Major Saleem telephoned to someone. Within moments, a group of military police personnel led by one Major Shamoon reached there and they refused to hand over the children.—Staff Reporter

30 bikes impounded

ATTOCK, Sept 19:  The city police have impounded 30 motorcycles for lack of number plates and other violations of traffic rules.

The district police headquarters said here on Wednesday that during a crackdown, the police have confiscated 30 bikes for various violations including absence of registration numbers and driving licences.

Later on, all the bikes were impounded at the city police station under Section 550 and the respective drivers were asked to fulfill legal formalities for the release of their vehicles. Sources said that the bike owners had tried to use their influence for the release of the confiscated vehicles but the police refused to do so without legal formalities. —Correspondent