Former official convicted

PESHAWAR, Oct 30: An accountability court on Tuesday convicted a former executive engineer of works and services department, Mardan, Abdul Qayyum Marwat, in two references and sentenced him to five years rigorous imprisonment with fine of over Rs39 million.

The court presided over by Shamsher Ali Khan observed that the prosecution had proved its case against the accused and the evidence on record proved his involvement in the commission of the offence.

The NAB had filed the references against the accused pertaining to misuse of authority. The accused had awarded contract of supply and fixing steel grill/railing to the primary schools in Mardan costing Rs3,200 million, without seeking administrative approval from the competent authority, thus causing a loss of Rs47.648 million.

He had also misappropriated funds meant for repair and maintenance work in various schools in Mardan thus causing a loss of Rs1,277 million to exchequer. —Bureau Report

JI’s new chief sworn in

CHITRAL, Oct 30: The newly elected district amir of Jamaat-i-Islami Maulana Ghulam Mohammad took oath of his office here on Tuesday.

Ghulam Mohammad, who got elected as MPA of Islami Jamhoori Ittihad in 1990, has headed the party for five terms. He has also been nominated as candidate of the party for KP-89, Chitral-I in the coming election.

Maulana Sher Aziz relinquished charge of the party office after administering the oath to Ghulam Mohammad at a ceremony.

Meanwhile, a man was killed and six others sustained serious injuries when a jeep carrying 14 passengers plunged into a ravine at Barenis, some 40km from here on Tuesday. Local police said the injured were rushed to DHQ hospital where Abdul Nasir, a senior official of education department, succumbed to the head injures. All the injured belonged to Kosht village. —Correspondent

4 killed in Charsadda incidents

CHARSADDA, Oct 30: Four people were killed in separate incidents here on Tuesday.

A trader, Shamshad Khan, was killed when a three-wheeler turned upside-down in Shabqadar. He was taken to hospital where he succumbed.

In another incident, an elderly man was hit by a vehicle at Batgram area and succumbed to his injuries. The TMA staff laid him to rest as his identity was not confirmed.

Meanwhile, a man with the help of his two brothers opened fire on his wife and another man on charge of having illicit relations. The man was killed on the spot while the woman injured. Later, the injured woman lodged FIR against her husband and in-laws at Tarnab Farm police station.

In Katozai, Shabqadar a youngster, Kamran, was gunned down over petty dispute during a cricket match. Meanwhile, Saro police found an unidentified body. —Correspondent

Cut in taxes demanded

KOHAT, Oct 30: The CNG association Kohat has demanded decrease in the taxes after the new prices announced by Ogra.

Members of the association demanded that after decrease in the prices of the CNG their profit margin had been slashed by Rs17 per kg.

The CNG association’s president Haji Aslam, speaking at a protest of the dealers, said the CNG sector had been hit hard by the government policies. He said billions of rupees had been invested in the industry so the government should solve the problem amicably keeping in view the interest of the business community. —Correspondent

Lifting of curfew hailed

KHAR, Oct 30: Tribesmen of Bajaur Agency have expressed joy over lifting of a five-year-long night-time curfew as normalcy limps back to the militancy hit tribal area.

The locals said life in the whole region returned to normal after the authorities lifted the night-time curfew on October 19, which was imposed in the entire agency in 2008 to maintain law and order.

“We faced lots of difficulties due to the restrictions on movement of people after 5pm till 7am,” said a resident.

Residents of Mamond said the curfew during night had crippled social life of the people who could not move out of their homes in any condition. The end of the night curfew showed that the law and order and security situation in the agency had improved, they said, adding the tribesmen would extend full cooperation to the security forces in the maintenance of law and order. —Correspondent

PPP reorganisation in Hazara

ABBOTTABAD, Oct 30: Provincial Minister for Revenue and new divisional president of PPP Shuja Saleem Khan has said the party would be reorganised at the grassroots level in Hazara.

He was speaking at a meeting of PPP leaders and workers from the Hazara division here the other day. He was flanked by district presidents and secretaries of Haripur, Mansehra, Kohistan, Battagram, Thorghar and Abbottabad along with MPAs Naeema Nisar, Faiza Rasheed and Sajida Tabassum. Divisional president of PPP Hazara labour bureau Sheikh Nisar was also present.

Mr Saleem said the party would be reorganised at the divisional level before the next general elections. He said that the government had allocated huge funds for development schemes in the current fiscal year. —Correspondent