Three die on road

MANSEHRA, Aug 11: Three people were killed and six others sustained injuries when a passenger jeep plunged into a deep ravine in Torghar district the other night.

The jeep carrying passengers was on its way to Torghar from Battagram but the deriver while negotiating a sharp turn in Sarkhali Bnada lost control over the steering as a result the vehicle fell into ravine.

The driver Hakimzada, Koki Bibi, wife of Mohammad Nasir, and her seven-year-old son were killed on the spot.

While Gulzareen, Naseebur Rehman, Syed Afsar Hussain, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Ishaq, and Farhad sustained critical injuries and were taken to district headquarters hospital in Battagram.—Correspondent

Timber seized

ALPURI, Aug 11: The security forces and the forest authorities in a joint raid seized timber worth over Rs6 million from a depot in the Bazaar Kot area, about 12 kilometers off here on Thursday.

Sources said the security forces, police and the forest officials raided a depot in Bazaar Kot and seized at least 760 timber logs and arrested a number of accused involved in timber smuggling.

DFO Shangla Ismail said the security forces handed over the seized timber to the forest department. He said the accused had been shifted to an interrogation facility.

Locals said the timber smugglers were involved in ruthless cutting of precious trees and dumped the logs in different areas for onward smuggling to other parts of the country.—Correspondent

Rain turns weather pleasant

SWABI, Aug 11: Heavy downpour overnight turned the weather pleasant giving some relief to the people from the harsh weather, which became more acute due to excessive loadshedding in the month of Ramazan.

The clouds hovered over the sky throughout on Thursday as more rain was forecasted in the region. People said the rain had made fasting in Ramazan easy. They said with the pleasant weather they didn’t have much need for power.

They, however, criticised the government for failing to fulfill its promise of ensuring uninterrupted power supply during Ramazan.

Farmers said the rain had provided much-needed water for maize crop and vegetables.—Correspondent

Minorities stage demo

PESHAWAR, Aug 11: Minority Labour Party Pakistan (MLPP) on Thursday held a demonstration at Sher Shah Suri Road near Peshawar press club vowing to play effective role for protection of the country.

The demonstrators were carrying banners inscribed with slogans praying for safety of the country.

Earnest Nihal, central president of MLPP, Shaukat Lal, Yousaf Bhatti, Griffin Thomas, Suraj Khokar and William John were leading the protesters. Talking to reporters they said before independence all the nations jointly struggled but after that in 1940 a historical Pakistan resolution was passed, adding, the minorities played their due role in creation of the country. —Bureau Report

Professional education

PESHAWAR, Aug 11: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Sardar Hussain Babak said on Thursday the government was making concerted efforts to promote education in the province.

This he said during a visit to the Right Female College at Charsadda on Thursday.

The minister was accompanied by Vice-Chancellor Abdul Wali Khan University Dr Waqarul Hassan, Special Secretary, Elementary and Secondary Education, Farid Qureshi and other officials.

Mr Babak said the government was working on an ambitious plan to promote technical and professional education as advancement in the field of contemporary education was a guarantee for achieving progress and prosperity. The minister urged teachers and parents to play their role positively for promotion of education and support government efforts to organise educational edifice on modern lines.—APP

Posting cancelled

PESHAWAR, Aug 11: The provincial government has cancelled the posting and transfer of Director (administration), Directorate of Prosecution, Syed Feroz Shah, and retained him at his position.

Last month the provincial Home and Tribal Affairs Department had issued a notification through which Mr Feroz Shah was transferred and posted as Senior Public Prosecutor, Anti-Terrorism Court, Peshawar, replacing Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, who was posted on his position.

The department has now issued a notification through which the said posting and transfer has been cancelled and both the officers have now been retained at their respective positions.—Bureau Report