SWABI: The police arrested 21 proclaimed offenders and eight other outlaws and recovered two Kalashnikovs, 25 pistols, two shotguns and several rounds from them on Friday.

District police officer Imran Shahid said that SHOof every police station had been directed to clear the area in hisjurisdiction from criminals and if any untoward incident occurred there they would be responsible for that.

He noted that POs indulged in criminal activities and posed threat to the life and property of people.

Meanwhile, a businessman of Topi tehsil identified as Saiyed Khan was killed in a road accident. The incident occurred on Topi-Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate road when a truck hit a motorcyclenear Chaodher area.

An FIR has been registered against the truck driver.

TOBACCO GUTTED: A big quantity of tobacco leaves were gutted when two Virginia tobacco curing kilns (bhattas) caught fire here on Friday.

At present, Virginia tobacco curing process has been underway in the district, which would be followed by grading and purchasing.

The incident occurred in Jalbai village of Chota Lahor tehsil.

The farmers said that the routine tobacco curing process was underway when one of the kilns caught fire and it also engulfed the nearest one.

Bhai Khan, one of the kiln owners, said that dry leaves of tobacco had fallen on the main pipe that caught fire, which engulfed the whole kiln.

A Rescue 1122 team controlled the fire, but the tobacco there had been turned into ashes by then.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2020