Dispute claims life

KARAK, Oct 16: A man was killed, while another man and two women were seriously injured when two families clashed in Terri area of tehsil Banda Daud Shah here on Tuesday.

Police said that the two families, stated to be relatives, had an altercation over a minor dispute on Monday.

An official said that the Niazmeen and his family members attacked Anwar Badshah and other members of his family, killing Anwar on the spot, while his son Mohammad Hussain and wives of Watan Badshah and Yar Mohammad sustained critical bullet injuries. They were shifted to Terri civil hospital.

Police have registered a case on the complaint of Mohammad Hussain against Niazmeen, Asim, Ghaniullah and Ihsanullah and started investigation. —Correspondent

Eradication of polio from Fata

PESHAWAR, Oct 16: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Barrister Masood Kausar has said that government was committed to eradicate polio from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and added that there was a great decline in polio cases in Fata.

He was launching the anti-polio campaign at Governor’s House here on Tuesday. The governor on the occasion also distributed wheelchairs and Rs10,000 each among disabled people.

Speaking to media persons on the occasion, the governor said that anti-polio efforts in Fata were bearing fruit due to the cooperation of tribal people and religious leaders.

He said that polio cases had been reduced from 73 in 2010 and 59 in 2011 to 16 in the current year and added that it would be completely eradicated from Fata very soon. —Bureau Report

Increase in pension sought

PESHAWAR, Oct 16: Retired employees of army have expressed concern over non-payment of 20 per cent increase in their monthly pensions announced in the budget for 2012-13.In a press release issued here on Tuesday, pensioners said that when they approached the high-ups in GPO, they were told that the increase could not be paid until clear directives were received from the Controller Military Pension Lahore.

There were 18,000 army pensioners getting their remunerations from the GPO, an official told Dawn. Recently, he said, CMP had sent data to the GPO of around 7,000 pensioners for payment of 20 per cent increase in pension. The rest of the retired employees would be paid gradually, he added. —Bureau Report

Man dies on road

GHALANAI, Oct 16: A man was killed and two others including driver were injured when a passenger pick-up fell into a ravine in Babo Sar area of tehsil Prang Ghar of Mohmand tribal region here on Tuesday.

The pick-up was on its way from Babo Sar to Tangi area of Charsadda when the incident occurred.

The victim was identified as Sher Khan, while Sabar Khan and driver Yousaf were injured. They were taken to a hospital in Peshawar.

Meanwhile, the funeral prayers of the six victims, who were killed in a road accident on Monday, were offered in Kamali Haleemzai Ghazi Baeg area here on Tuesday. A large number of tribesmen attended the funeral. —Correspondent

Fata students demand peace

PESHAWAR, Oct 16: Students belonging to Kurram Agency have demanded of the government to take practical steps for revival of education facilities and restoration of durable peace in Federally Administrative Tribal Areas. They also called for sorting out peaceful solution to tribal issues instead of using forces in the region.

While speaking at a function held under the aegis of Kurram Students Union (KSU) in connection with union’s first foundation day at Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday, they said that army operations had made lives of the people miserable and asked for provision of basic facilities to the residents.

They said that educational activities had been suspended in the absence of teaching staff in various schools and colleges in Kurram Agency. “People are mentally traumatised by military operations and they are also facing difficulty in moving freely in the prevailing security situation,” they lamented. —Bureau Report

Toll collection opposed

MANSEHRA, Oct 26: A local action committee has vowed to resist the re-opening of a toll plaza by the National Highway Authority on Karakoram Highway here.

Presently, the NHA has suspended toll tax collection in Mansehra. The action committee, comprising local ulema, transporters, lawyers, traders and members from other segments of the society, had put up resistance to the plaza in early 2010.

A two-member Supreme Court bench had allowed the National Highway Authority to start tax collection in mid 2011 but NHA could not do so at that time and now it wanted to resume the same.

The meeting of the committee which was held at the central mosque here continued till evening and warned the NHA high-ups not to indulge in any ‘adventurism’. —Correspondent

Clean environment

KHAR, Oct 16: Speakers at a seminar held here on Tuesday said that clean environment was vital for a healthy society and urged the tribesmen to adopt the habit of handwashing.

Tribal elders, leaders of political parties, social workers, religious leaders, environmental experts and senior physicians spoke at the event held to mark the global handwashing day. The seminar was organised by Hayat Foundation in collaboration with Unicef.

The speakers urged the people to adopt the habit of handwashing with soap before eating because this habit could save more lives than any vaccine or medical intervention. —Correspondent

Science competition held

CHITRAL, Oct 16: The problems of environmental and cultural degradation as well as the under-utilisation of hydro-electric potential in the district found expression in the science and art competition held here the other day.

The students of both the public and private sector schools and colleges participated in the event which drew a large number of people to the venue situated at Aga Khan Higher Secondary Education, Seen Lusht.

The projects covered the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, mathematics, art and culture.

Chitral Model School and College bagged top positions in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology as well as art and Aga Khan Higher Secondary School for Girls Kuragh clinched first prize in mathematics while culture and painting prize went to Government Girls College Chitral. —Correspondent