Encroachers fined

RAWALPINDI, Dec 29: During a drive against the encroachments, the Rawal Town Municipal Administration (RTMA) staff imposed a fine of Rs99,000 on 99 shopkeepers and vendors for establishing their stalls on the footpaths and at roadsides.

According to a spokesman, the RTMA launched drive in the city and removed encroachments from Raja Bazaar, Bara Market, College Road, Jamia Masjid Road, Commercial Market, Sadiqabad, Muslim Town and Benazir Bhutto Road.

He said that the RTMA staff under the supervision of Town Officer (Regulation) Tauseef Ahmed Malik imposed fine of Rs55,000 on shopkeepers and vendors at the main bazaars of the city and collected fine of Rs44,000 from those who came to RTMA offices to collect their confiscated items which they had displayed on the footpaths.

He said that the drive would continue to remove the encroachments from main markets and bazaars on daily basis. He said that the RTMA provided addition personnel to the anti-encroachment squad to make the drive more effective.

He said that the Rawal Town administrator asked the shopkeepers and vendors to remove their goods from footpaths and roadsides voluntarily otherwise the civic body would take stern action against them.— A Reporter

Vehicle recovered

TAXILA, Dec 29: The National Highways & Motorway Police (NHMP) on Thursday recovered a car on Islamabad-Peshawar motorway (M-1). The vehicle was snatched at gun point from Hafizabad.

NHMP spokesman Umar Shoaib told newsmen here that some outlaws snatched a car (QAM- 375). On getting information all police patrolling teams were put on high alert. Sensing high alert, the car lifters left the vehicle on motorway and escaped.

Later the vehicle was handed over to local police. — Correspondent

Teacher suspended

ATTOCK, Dec 29: A teacher of Government Boys Elementary School at Thatti Syedan village was suspended in corporal punishment case, it has been learnt.

Sources in education department informed Dawn that the district administration has suspended teacher of the school in Jand tehsil.  Mohammad Altaf has severely beaten a student Bashir Ahmed on which a departmental inquiry is initiated under the supervision of deputy district officer education and the teacher has been suspended, sources maintained. — Correspondent

PBM adopts 2,800 children

ISLAMABAD, Dec 29: As many as 2,800 orphan children between four and six years of age have been adopted by Pakistan Baitul Mal (PBM) which would meet their educational and other expenditure.

Chairman Pakistan Baitul Mal (PBM) Zamarud Khan said this on Thursday during a visit to Sweet Home along with wife of Saudi ambassador in Pakistan. He said that the fathers or both the parents of these children had died in bomb blasts or other terror incidents.

He said out of these 2,800 children, 700 were sponsored for 14 years by philanthropists and donors. The PBM established sweet homes where all the facilities would be provided to these poor souls. —Staff Reporter