Two killed in Mardan

MARDAN, Nov 15: Two persons including a girl were killed in two separate parts of the city here on Thursday.

In the Dherey area of Katlang Tehsil, two brothers hurled a hand grenade into the house of a widow killing of her daughter identified as Mst Nasiha on the spot.

The widow while registering FIR in the Katlang police station said that the accused brothers, Irfan and Mushtaq, had sent a marriage proposal for her daughter a year ago but which she refused.

After the refusal, she said, differences developed between the two families and on Thursday the two brothers threw a hand grenade into the house just before dawn killing her daughter and partially damaging the house.

In the second incident, an old family feud claimed life of a 9th grade student in Mayar locality. —Correspondent

4 held for attacking magistrate

PESHAWAR, Nov 15: Police have arrested four butchers for attacking a special magistrate at Chamkani Bazaar here on Thursday. An official of the police station said that special magistrate Niamatullah Khan was checking price lists and quality of meat and other food items when a group of armed men attacked him.

“They opened fire on the magistrate and snatched rifle from his gunman but the police timely reached the spot and brought the situation under control,” said an official of the police station. He added that the accused, Sher Rehman, Muqeem, Waseem, and Mustaqeem, were arrested and charged under section 382, 342 and 506 of Pakistan Penal Code and 3/6 of Food Act.

Another source said that the accused also thrashed the magistrate and his gunman and held him hostage for several hours at gunpoint. —Bureau Report

Mother and child week

KHAR, Nov 15: The local health department with the collaboration of Unicef observed mother and child week in Bajaur Agency.

During the week-long activities, at least 5,000 children under five years of age and 3,000 pregnant women were provided basic healthcare facility.

Talking to reporters at Khar on Thursday, agency coordinator National Programme for Family Planning and Primary Healthcare Dr Zakir Hussain said that the mother and child week was observed with the aim to create awareness among the tribesmen about the health of mothers and children and also provide basic healthcare facilities in far-flung areas of the agency.

He said that several teams of the doctors and paramedics including 145 lady health workers took part in the activities and families were provided ORS and zinc syrup while immunisation against different communicable diseases were also provided to the children. —Correspondent

Patwari booked

MANSEHRA, Nov 15: The anti-corruption establishment Mansehra has registered a case against a junior revenue official for getting a job in tehsil municipal administration on fake documents.

ACE director Fiaz Ali Shah had received complaints about ghost schools and employment on fake certificates and degrees in Hazara and ordered the circle in charge Mansehra Ijaz Ahmad to investigate the issue.

An inquiry committee led by Mr Ahmad reveiwed the record of Tehsil Municipal Administration Oghi and found that Rashid Usman had got employment on a vacant post of patwari in 2008 on fake intermediate certificate.

The certificate was also sent for verification to controller board of intermediate and secondary education in Abbottabad, which termed it fake. —Correspondent

Poet completes PhD degree

PESHAWAR, Nov 15: Renowned young poet of Pashto language and journalist Israr Atal has completed his PhD degree in Pashto from the University of Peshawar (UoP).

Israr Atal was registered as a PhD scholar at the UoP in 2008 under the supervision of Professor Dr Aslam Gohar. He completed his thesis titled: “Pashto reportage: A critical review” in time. He successfully defended his topic at the UoP Pashto department, after which the examiners recommended his name for doctorate degree.

Vice-chancellor Professor Dr Qibla Ayaz of the University of Peshawar, professors of various departments of the UOP, scholars, students and fans of Atal’s poetry were present during defence session, said a press release issued by the UoP. —Bureau Report

Speech contest

PESHAWAR, Nov 15: A naat, qirat and declamation contest was held at the Pakistan Educational Foundation (PEF) postgraduate college here on Thursday.

The qirat competition was won by Latifullah of the Nation Public School, while Junaid Khan of PEF College clinched the trophy in naat competition.

In Urdu declamation contest, Kainat of PEF College lifted the trophy, while the English speech contest was won by Inam of Al-Mashriq public School.

Provincial Minister for Religious Affairs Haji Nemroz Khan was the chief guest on the occasion. He gave away trophies and certificates to the participants who won different positions.

While speaking on the occasion, the minister urged the students to focus their attention on attaining quality education so that they could face the challenges of modern age in a befitting manner. —Bureau Report