KOHAT: Two youth were killed and five others seriously injured when firing erupted after a brawl over transgender persons during a wedding function in Jawaki Banda area here on Friday.

An official of the cantonment police said Naseer and Yaqoob of Jawaki Banda and Amir of Muhammadzai town opened fire after the quarrel, killing Dil Nawaz of Jawaki and Qeemat Khan of the Old Cattle Market on the spot.

He said Burhan and Tofail of Jawaki, Sarif and Irfan of Nowshera, and Irfan of Jungle Khel were injured in the firing.

He said the injured were referred to the KDA Teaching Hospital, wherefrom two of the wounded were referred to a Peshawar hospital in precarious condition.

The official said the police reached the spot soon after the incident and arrested one of the accused, Nasser. However, the others escaped the area.

He an FIR had been registered against the suspected killers.

VACCINATION DRIVE: Deputy commissioner Roshan Khan Mehsud has directed the police to ensure foolproof arrangements for the safety of vaccinators during a 12-day anti-measles vaccination drive beginning from Nov 15 across the Kohat district.

He issued the directives while chairing a meeting held here on Friday to review arrangements for the drive.

The meeting was told that 4,192 suspected cases of measles among children and pregnant women had been reported during the current year.

The health officials informed the meeting that disease among pregnant women could result in pain in joints and brain defects and could also infect the newborn.

The officials said over 350 teams had been formed for running the campaign.

SUSPECTS ARRESTED: Police arrested 18 suspects and recovered weapons and ammunition from them during search operation in Sumari Payan area the other day.

Lacchi DSP Nazir Hussain and SHO Tariq Mehmood conducted an intelligence-based operation and rounded up 18 persons in different parts of the tehsil.

The arrested persons were shifted to the police station and then handed over to the investigation police for further interrogation. The seizure included two Kalashnikovs, two rifles, three pistols and hundreds of cartridges.

Cases were registered against the arrested persons under relevant clauses of law.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2021