Doctor kidnapped

TAXILA, June 26: A noted physician was kidnapped from near his clinic here on Saturday evening.

Police said Dr Saeed Ahmed was going home around 9pm after closing his clinic at Faisal Shaheed Road opposite Christian Hospital when a black car without bearing any registration number intercepted him. Three armed men came out from the car and bundled him into their vehicle and drove off firing into the air. The police have registered a case and are investigating. — Correspondent

Families of school victims

ATTOCK, June 26: The Punjab government provided Rs400,000 financial assistance to the families of two students who were killed and four others who were injured when the boundary wall of their school collapsed last March.

Saad Nawaz of class III and Nayyab Bibi of Prep class died when the wall fell while still under construction around the Government Primary School, Ababakar village of Hazro tehsil. Four other students sustained serious injuries from the falling debris.

Adviser to Punjab Chief Minister Col (retired) Shujah Khanzada handed the cheques to their families at a ceremony, attended by government officials and local notables. The families of the dead students received Rs100,000 each while those of the injured got Rs50,000 each. Mr Khanzada said that Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shehbaz Sharif granted the financial assistance on his request. — Correspondent

Monsoon is here, almost

ISLAMABAD, June 26: Weather forecasters have good news for the hapless citizens of the twin cities: a whole week of monsoon rains and thundershowers - maybe starting today, even if “scattered”.

A Met Office spokesman said Sunday that monsoon currents were “penetrating continuously” the upper parts of the country, indicating the start of regular monsoon rains during next 24 to 36 hours (Monday/Tuesday) in the country.

The expected first spell of monsoon rains will last 4-5 days in upper parts of the country, giving scattered rains/thundershowers with isolated heavy falls in Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Kashmir.

The rain/thundershowers are also expected in Islamabad during next 24 hours. Monsoon rain is also predicted at isolated places of lower Sindh during the mid-week.

Met Office also said that the monsoon normally starts in Pakistan on July 1, but it is going to start four days before during this year.

The prevailing hot/humid weather conditions since last a few days are likely to subside in Islamabad, Punjab, KPK and Kashmir from Monday. — A Reporter