Contractors reject new policy

PESHAWAR, Oct 18: The government contractors in Fata have expressed concern over the cancellation of their licences and demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor to exempt them from registration with the Pakistan Engineering Council.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, Khyber Contractors Association president Iqbal Khan said the government had declined to award them new contracts since June 2012, creating financial problems for them. Flanked by other contractors, including Haji Bacha Khan, Haji Fida Khan and Haji Samad Khan, he said 65 contractors in Khyber Agency were deprived of new schemes on the condition that they first got registered with the PEC.

He said officials in the Fata Secretariat were involved in commissions as they used to award contracts to people of their choice while ignoring the senior contractors.He rejected the new policy and demanded restoration of the licenses issued through the political administration. — Bureau Report

Woman shot dead

LAKKI MARWAT, Oct 18:  A woman was killed and her relative sustained injuries when their rivals opened fire on them in Naserkhel village near Naurang town in limits of Shaheed Asmatullah Khan Khattak police station.

Police said on Thursday Jehanzeb, Balqiaz and Ms Gul Meena were cutting fodder for animals in their fields when accused Mashal Khan and Majid Khan came there and started firing on them. They said as a result Gul Meena and Balqiaz were injured and were taken to civil hospital Naurang where Gul Meena succumbed to injuries.

The deceased woman’s son Jehanzeb escaped the attack. He told police in his report he received injuries on his head and nose when two armed men, Najibullah and Mohibullah, also came to fields and beat him with buts of their weapons before the firing incident.

It is said a dispute over children’ quarrel between both the parties led to the firing incident. — Correspondent

Training programme

TIMERGARA, Oct 18: The opening ceremony of the four-day training on “Active Citizens Programme” was held in the department of sociology and social work, University of Malakand on Thursday.

The project is being financed by the British Council-funded SPADO organisation that is holding the event with the cooperation of department of sociology and social work for the students of Malakand Division, according to a press release.

The training aims to facilitate and train the students to identify their problems and take possible steps for their solution through community support.

The acting vice-chancellor of the university opened the training programme. He termed the students as agents of social change and development. He also exalted the efforts of chairman of the department of sociology and social work Dr Arab Naz and his team for uplift of students. — Correspondent

Polio target

LAKKI MARWAT, Oct 18: DCO Nisar Ahmad on Thursday paid surprise visits to several villages and hamlets of Kurrum Par area to check performance of polio teams.

EDO health Dr Abdul Ghaffar Wazir also accompanied him. In Kachi Kamar, polio workers informed DCO that some parents had refused to apply polio vaccine to their children.

Mr Nisar met with the reluctant parents and convinced them on vaccination of their children. “The disease can paralyse children for life,” he told parents, calling upon them to extend cooperation to polio teams and get their children vaccinated. He also told the villagers they should not believe in misconceptions about oral polio vaccine as it was completely safe for the health of children.

The DCO also checked door chalking and finger marking in Landiwah, Bhawali, Wanda Shahaabkhel and other villages and directed the health teams to ensure immunisation of targeted population. — Correspondent

Nation is proud of youth

PESHAWAR, Oct 18: Governor Barrister Masood Kausar has said the youth have always brought laurels to the nation and there exists every hope that they will be the prominent leaders in every field, including science, health, education and services in future.

“We have Malala Yousafzai, Ibrahim Shahid, Saeeda Mir, Sharam Changazi, and many others and we feel proud of them,” said the governor while speaking at the oath taking ceremony of office-bearers and members of the provincial chapter of the National Youth Assembly at Governor House on Thursday.

He expressed confidence that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of the assembly would practically involve its members in decision making process, fostering their leadership qualities and making it a powerful forum. He said the government was also taking every possible step to enable the students of the province and Fata to keep pace with the modern world. — Bureau Report

Houses looted

MANSEHRA, Oct 18: Unidentified people took away 11 tola gold, around Rs30,000 cash and other valuables from two houses in Balakot in the absence of inmates the other day.

Mohammad Sadeer of Garlat area told police that robbers deprived him of six tola gold and 23,000 cash when the family was away.

Mohammad Aftab, another local resident, said five tola gold, Rs16,000 cash and other valuables were stolen when and he and other members of his family were away. Police lodged complaints and began investigation into the two robberies. However, no arrest could be made by night. — Correspondent