Family disputes claim 4 lives

CHARSADDA, Oct 7: Four people, including two women, were killed in separate incidents in Charsadda on Friday.

In the first incident Riazul Haq shot dead his wife, Neelam, mother-in-law and brother-in-law, Yaqoob, over a family dispute.

In the second incident, Yasar Iqbal of Azad Kashmir along with other accused gunned down his wife, Shagufta, at the house of his in-laws in Bela Korona on the outskirts of Charsadda.

Meanwhile, two girls, while attempting to commit suicide, shot and injured themselves, over family issues. The girls who were identified as daughter of Saifur Rehman of Naqi Abad, and a student of government high school Hari Chand, were taken to hospitals. —Correspondent

Loadshedding continues

LANDI KOTAL, Oct 7: Despite official claims about ending loadshedding of electricity throughout country, residents of Khyber Agency are still subjected to almost 22 hours of electricity suspension since last two weeks.

The excessive loadshedding has created acute shortage of water and hampered functioning of hospitals.

Households, schools, mosques and even government offices are facing water shortage, which has forced the residents to buy water at exorbitant prices.

Doctors at the agency headquarters hospital said they had cancelled all surgeries.

Officials of the Tribal Areas Electricity Company said they could not cope with the growing demand of electricity and that too without payment of monthly bills. —Correspondent

Troops meet accident

PARACHINAR, Oct 7: Ten security personnel were injured in a road accident in Alizai area of lower Kurram on Friday.

A vehicle of Tall Scouts, on way to Buggan from Alizai, turned upside down after hitting a security checkpost on the Tall-Parachinar road due to over-speeding, injuring ten security personnel. The injured were taken to hospital. Meanwhile, heavy rains coupled with hailstorm damaged standing crops, vegetable and killed dozens of cattle heads and birds.

Residents said the heavy downpour followed by hailstorm destroyed standing crops of paddy and aroma depriving hundreds of farmers of their income. Dozens of cattle heads and birds were also found dead.

The people urged the government to compensate the farmers and declare the area calamity-hit. —Correspondent

Contractors’ concerns

KARAK, Oct 7: Contractors association Karak has expressed resentment over what it alleged illegal distribution of contracts of development projects among a selected group of contractors and demanded an end to the practice.

The association leaders, Sajjad Khan, Asif and Javed Iqbal, addressing a press conference here on Friday, said the contractors had been ignored by the elected representatives in contract awarding process. They said contracts were being given on the basis of political affiliation.

They warned that the genuine contractors would boycott the bidding process if the practice was not stopped forthwith. —Correspondent

Water supply scheme

TIMERGARA, Oct 7: A water supply scheme rehabilitated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) at Rabat was inaugurated on Friday during a function.

IOM engineer Mohammad Bacha said the scheme, which was damaged during last year’s floods, was rehabilitated at Rs7.2 million.

The sub-divisional magistrate Fazal Karim inaugurated the scheme and said more than 6,000 people would be benefited from the project.

Meanwhile, the ANP central information secretary and Senator Zahid Khan said on Friday work on Balambat-Bandagai gas pipeline would be started in a couple of days. Talking to journalists he said the project would cost Rs320 million.

He said the work on pipeline from Odigram to Khall would also start year end. —Correspondent

Protesters block road

CHARSADDA, Oct 7: The residents of Tangi area on Friday blocked the main Peshawar road in protest against the death penalty to Mumtaz Qadri by an anti-terrorism court for killing former Punjab governor Salman Taseer.

The residents affiliated with various religious groups came to the roads and blocked the road for traffic. The traders of Tangi bazaar also joined the protest by downing shutters of their shops.

The protesters condemned the court decision and demanded of the government to set free Mumtaz Qadri. —Correspondent