Students seek fee exemption

PESHAWAR, Nov 23: The students belonging to the militancy-hit districts of Malakand division have criticised the government for not honouring its promise of exempting them from fee.

Talking to media persons here on Friday, a number of students led by Wahab Gul of Agriculture University Peshawar said the fee had been refunded to some students belonging to Swat but rest of the districts had been ignored.

He said people of Swat, Shangla, Buner, Upper and Lower Dir suffered equally due to militancy, but about only Swat students were facilitated. The fee exemption, he said had been provided by different public sector and semi-government universities, but the Agriculture University was yet to implement the decision. He said the funds for the purpose had been provided by USAID through Higher Education Commission.—Bureau Report

Slain girls laid to rest

BATKHELA, Nov 23: Three sisters who were killed by their uncle in Pethaw Maayar area of Sakhakot over a trivial dispute were laid to rest at their native town on Friday.

Shah Nawaz, brother of deceased girls, reported to Sakhakot police that his uncle Asafzada, son of Amirzada, opened fire on his three sisters aged 18, 20 and 22 after exchange of hot words. The girls were killed on the spot and the accused managed to escape after the incident. The Sakhakot police registered FIR against the accused under sections 107 and 302 and started investigation. The father of the girls is a daily wager in Saudi Arabia. The girls were laid to rest at their ancestral graveyard amid moving scenes.—Correspondent

Use of iodised salt urged

TIMERGARA, Nov 23: The Lower Dir DCO Mahmood Aslam Wazir has directed all sub-divisional magistrates and officials of the health and food departments to regularly visit the markets and check food items especially iodised salt.

Chairing a meeting at his office on Friday the DCO asked the SDMs and health officials to take strict action against those salt factories and sellers who did not confirm standard level of iodine in salt. He also directed police officials to keep rapid testing kits in their checkposts and ensure that the salt was being properly iodised.

He highlighted importance of iodine in daily food and said the disease of goiter was caused by its deficiency. The EPI district coordinator Dr Jehan Zeb also urged the officials concerned to check level of iodine in salt.—Correspondent

Policemen get training

BANNU, Nov 23: A group of 432 policemen have completed the training imparted by the military trainers to help them cope with the growing incidents of militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The 432 policemen from parts of the province, including 32 from Bannu and 11 from Lakki Marwat, got training at the army training centre in Bannu. They were awarded certificates and shields on completion of their course. The training was aimed at providing them better skills in combating the enemy forces and criminals.  Brigade Commander Imran Munawwar on the occasion said that, ‘we have common enemy and to cope with it all the institutions would have to work jointly’.

He said the government’s writ would be established at all costs as it was vital for country’s survival.—Correspondent

Widow calls for justice

MARDAN, Nov 23: A widow has asked the authorities concerned to take action against her relative who has occupied her land in Thoot Shah Banda area of Lundkhwar village.

The widow of (late) Arif Ullah, while speaking at a press conference here on Friday, said her husband’s nephew identified as Sarzamin Khan had illegally occupied her inherited 12 kanals of land after death of her husband in June this year.

She said she had the right to get one-fourth of the total 48 kanals of her husband’s land but her husband’s nephew had illegally captured all the 48 kanals. She said he was also threatening her to get out of her house.

She appealed to the chief minister, chief justice of Peshawar High Court and IGP to provide her justice.—Correspondent

Muharram procession

PESHAWAR, Nov 23: The main procession of 8th Muharram appeared on Friday from Imambargah Syed Najaf Ali Shah under tight security. A group of children clad in green dress on the occasion showed solidarity with the oppressed Muslims of Palestine and condemned the atrocities committed against them by the Israeli forces.

The procession passed through various traditional routes, including Mohammad Jauhar Road, Qissa Khwani, Kocha Risaldar, Kohati Gate, Church Road, Chowk Shahbaz and returned to the same venue before evening prayer.

All link roads and pathways had been sealed with deployment of heavy contingents of police and Frontier Constabulary personnel, who thoroughly checked the participants. The police also checked different spots through the sniper dogs.—Bureau Report