NEWS IN BRIEF

Published April 2, 2012

Three arrested in Swabi

SWABI, April 2: Three people have been arrested in connection with blowing up of a pylon near Kalabat village, Dawn learnt on Monday.

Police said unidentified miscreants targeted 500KV main transmission line from Tarbela Dam to Sheikh Mohammadi grid station with bombs overnight. Three bombs exploded one-after-other, blowing up a pylon.

The three arrested people were identified as Najeem Khan, Qayyum Khan and his son. They belong to Kalabat village. Meanwhile, firing erupted in a meeting of the Kalabat jirga, which resulted in injuries to one person.

A participant told this correspondent the jirga was convened to stop use of local graveyard as playing ground. But suddenly some members exchanged hot words which led to eruption of fire. The injured was identified as Dalawar Shah who was taken to hospital.—Correspondent

Community schools

PESHAWAR, April 2: A USAID-funded community school has been made functional to educate out of school children in the militancy-affected Swat district.

The US relief agency in association with Peace and Development Organisation (Pado), an NGO, has initiated a project to build 15 community schools to target out of school children of all ages.

The managing director of Pado Ziaullah Khan inaugurated the community school in union council Bahrain. Local elders, academicians, and officials of the NGO attended the function, according to a press release issued here on Monday.

Ziaullah Khan said the launching of the informal educational project would help promote educational activities in the backward areas and will prove a milestone in eradicating illiteracy.

He said the community schools would be established in Madiyan, Bahrain and Tirat union councils to provide free education to 1,500 children. He said the students of the informal schools will also be provided free textbooks, notebooks and other things.

JUI-F resents flags’ removal

PESHAWAR, April 2: Activists of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F on Monday held a protest demonstration at Sher Shah Suri Road against the government for what they said removal of the JUI flags from different locations in the provincial metropolis.

The protesters were led by Maulana Abdur Rauf Jan and Qari Fayaz ur Rehman.

The participants shouted slogans against the Senior Minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour and officials of the Peshawar Development Authority.

Talking to media persons the JUI leaders said the flags had been removed by PDA staff at the behest of the minister which meant that he could not tolerate to see the flags on the prominent places.

“The Awami National Party flags are not removed from the electric poles but the banners and flags of JUI were removed,” Maulana Rauf complained.

He asked the PDA officials to remove the giant billboards carrying portraits of the ANP leaders from different intersections.—Bureau Report

Four car-lifters arrested

NOWSHERA, April 2: Nowshera Kalan police on Monday arrested four car-lifters.

The arrested persons were identified as Mohammad Ullah, Naimat Ullah, Ismail and Anwar Zeb. A snatched car, four pistols, Rs3,000 and mobile phone were also recovered from them.

Police said a taxi driver Mohammad Suhail of Mansehra had filed a report in Nowshera Kalan police station that a young man had booked his cab (2375-B) from Mansehera to Akora Khattak at Rs3,000.

He said the man requested him to drive him from Akora Khattak to Mera Akora as he had an emergency at home.  He said three persons came out of the bushes and halted them at gunpoint.

They snatched the keys of the car and let him wandering at the deserted area.—Correspondent

Cheating in exam discouraged

CHITRAL, April 2: EDO Education Siraj Mohammad has said that the menace of cheating was discouraged in the recently held matriculation examination.

In a press release issued on Monday, he said the supervisory staff of the examination centres was selected with care and only the honest ones were assigned the job.

He said no high school of the district collected funds from the students to entertain the invigilators which had been a regular practice since long.

“All the superintendents of the centres were made to pledge that they will not accept any gratification and will try their utmost to discourage the cheating”, the EDO education added.—Correspondent

Tests, interviews postponed

PESHAWAR, April 2: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission has postponed the interviews/oral tests for the posts of male district officer and deputy director, teachers education and curriculum of the elementary and secondary education department.

A statement issued from the commission office on Monday said the PSC had scheduled the interview, tests from April 5 to 30, which were postponed till further orders.

The call letters issued to candidates for the said interviews may be treated as cancelled.

Meanwhile, the Postgraduate Medical Institute Peshawar has also postponed its scheduled interviews.

The institution, in a statement notified that interviews for the posts of assistant professor general surgery, assistant professor neurosurgery and senior registrar general surgery, which were to be held on April 3, have been postponed till further orders. Next date for interviews will be notified later.—Bureau Report

Opinion

Editorial

Afghan turbulence
Updated 19 Mar, 2024

Afghan turbulence

RELATIONS between the newly formed government and Afghanistan’s de facto Taliban rulers have begun on an...
In disarray
19 Mar, 2024

In disarray

IT is clear that there is some bad blood within the PTI’s ranks. Ever since the PTI lost a key battle over ...
Festering wound
19 Mar, 2024

Festering wound

PROTESTS unfolded once more in Gwadar, this time against the alleged enforced disappearances of two young men, who...
Defining extremism
Updated 18 Mar, 2024

Defining extremism

Redefining extremism may well be the first step to clamping down on advocacy for Palestine.
Climate in focus
18 Mar, 2024

Climate in focus

IN a welcome order by the Supreme Court, the new government has been tasked with providing a report on actions taken...
Growing rabies concern
18 Mar, 2024

Growing rabies concern

DOG-BITE is an old problem in Pakistan. Amid a surfeit of public health challenges, rabies now seems poised to ...