Road accident claims 2 lives

BATKHELA, March 20: Two persons were killed and eight others wounded when a car plunged into a deep ravine at Totakan in Malakand protected area on Wednesday.

Residents said an NCP car going from Totakan to Bajaur Agency fell into a deep ravine near Bosaq. As a result an old woman and driver of the car identified as Neak Zamin were killed on the spot and eight others suffered wounds.

The injured included Bakht Alam, Abubakr, Mohammad Riaz, wife of Hakeem Khan, Solia Bibi, Afnana, Amir Hamza, and Ruqia Bibi. The injured were taken to district headquarters hospital Batkhela. —Correspondent

Man shot dead

LAKKI MARWAT, March 20: A man was killed in a mosque in Shabazkhel village, said police on Wednesday.

They said the incident took place in the jurisdiction of Shaheed Haibat Ali Khan police station of Darra Pezu town.

A complainant Hazrat Umar told police after hearing gunshots he rushed to the village’s mosque and found his brother Mohammad Umar laying in a pool of blood. He said he saw two armed men escaping the spot.

“A minor quarrel between deceased Umar and a villager Samandar Khan led to the murder,” he said. He nominated Farman, son of Samandar, and his accomplice in the FIR.

Meanwhile, a large number of youths joined Tabdeeli Razakar programme of PTI on Wednesday pledging to utilise their energies to bring a positive change in the country.

The youth got registered with the programme at a function held at the residence of former city nazim Dr Khalid Latif Khan Minakhel. —Correspondent

Summer collection exhibition

PESHAWAR, March 20: A three-day spring summer collection exhibition started here on Wednesday. The exhibition is being organised by the Women Business Development Centre (WBDC) Peshawar in collaboration with WBDC Swat.

Designers and artisans from Peshawar and Swat have displayed their quality products in the exhibition.Talking to this scribe, Project Director, WBDC, Nabila Farman said the purpose of the exhibition was empowering women through promotion of their products.

She said the WPDC had organised several exhibitions and fairs displaying products manufactured by the women entrepreneurs and artisans of the province over last two years. The centre, she said, was providing family friendly environment for women shoppers. —Bureau Report

‘JI to sweep polls’

BUNER, March 20: The JI district chief Mohammad Hanif claims the JI will sweep the coming general elections on all the national and provincial assembly seats in Buner as the ruling alliance has miserably failed to deliver.

Addressing a gathering of new entrants to JI at Markz-i-Islami in Swari, he accused the PPP and ANP of looting the national exchequer, adding the looters would be made accountable and the looted national wealth will be recovered from them.

He said the JI had announced ‘clean and honest’ candidates for NA-28 and PK-77, 78 and 79 seats, and asked the people to vote for the JI leaders if they wanted solutions to their problems.

He also claimed there was a visible rift in ANP and PPP ranks in the district. He asked the newcomers to play due role in their respective areas for strengthening the JI. —Correspondent

JUI for helping Tirah tribesmen

PESHAWAR, March 20: Expressing deep concern over the dislocation of people from their homes in Tirah valley due to lawlessness, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F, Fata chapter, has asked the government to ensure immediate provision of food and other items to the people.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Wednesday, JUI leaders Haji Shamsuddin and Zia-ur-Rehman asked the FDMA to register all the dislocated persons living with host families so that they could get ration and non-food items as IDPs.

They suggested that the government arrange registration points at Warsak Road Peshawar, Badbher, Garhi Qamar Din, and Motorway Chowk at Ring Road, so that people living in different localities could easily enroll their names.

They also demanded ration distribution points at Kohat Development Authority ground to facilitate the migrants. They said about 150,000 people (30,000) families had fled Tirah valley due to lawlessness. —Bureau Report

PTI denies seat adjustment

TIMERGARA, March 20: The PTI, Lower Dir chapter, has denied seat to seat adjustment with JI and announced to field its own candidates on all the constituencies in the district.

The PTI district general secretary Ali Shah Mishwani a statement here on Wednesday said district leadership had not been taken into confidence by the provincial organisation while finalising any deal of seat adjustment with the JI.

He said workers of PTI had reservation on this arrangement. He said the Lower Dir chapter of the PTI had decided to field its own candidates on one national and four provincial assembly seats in the district.

Asking workers to launch election campaign, the PTI leader said they would win the upcoming elections as masses had been disappointed by all major parties and had been eying for a third force. —Correspondent