Seminary head shot dead

ISLAMABAD, Feb 8: An administrator of a seminary was gunned down on Wednesday, police said.

Maulana Riaz Ahmed, 50, a native of Mansehra, administrator of Jamia Darul Uloom, was killed allegedly by his in-laws in Nain-Sukh Colony located in Bhara Kahu.

Police said Rayaz Ahmed reached the home of his in-laws on their call who beat and injured him. However, he tried to run away but his two relatives intercepted him after a brief chase. They injured him by firing two shots at him. Resultantly, he fell on the ground.

Hearing the gunshots, people rushed to the spot and found him lying on the road. Later, the police were informed who shifted him to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The police said motive behind the murder was yet to be ascertained. — Staff Reporter

Body found

CHAKWAL, Feb 8: Body of a retired armyman with two bullet wounds was recovered from a wooded area, police said on Wednesday. Sobedar (retired) Banaras Hussain, a resident of Dhok Shaikhan of Dohman police station had been missing since Jan 27.

Dohman police started efforts to trace the killer after registering a case. — Correspondent

Religious scholar dies

MURREE, Feb 8: A religious scholar died while his two companions received serious injuries as their car veered off the road and fell into a ravine near Dak Bangla Girls High School, Rawat on Wednesday, Rescue 1122 sources said.

Haji Muhammad Zafar, Principal Jamia Hanfia Ta’aleem ul Quran, Sohawa came to Rawat, Murree to offer condolence at the death of Qari Ziaur Rehman Faruqi’s mother. While returning, his car skidded and fell into a ravine. Haji Zafar died on the spot. His body and the injured were shifted to THQ hospital. — Correspondent

Minor dispute claims life

ATTOCK, Feb 8:   A wagon driver deliberately ran his van over a labourer over a minor dispute in Attock city killing him on the spot, police said on Wednesday.

Hand cart of a labourer, Mohammad Javed hit a wagon near Railway park Attock city. Its infuriated driver first manhandled him and then allegedly ran his vehicle over Mr Javed and sped away.

On receiving the information, local police and Rescue 1122 reached the scene and shifted the body to district headquarters hospital. After the postmortem, the police handed the body to Mr Javed’s relatives. — Correspondent

PBM to sponsor students

ISLAMABAD, Feb 8: The Pakistan Baitul Maal will sponsor all orphan students of National University of Modern Languages (Numl) to enable them continue their studies.

Chairman PBM Zamurad Khan conveyed this decision to Rector Numl Masood Hasan in a meeting here on Wednesday.

Mr Khan said PBM had launched a number of welfare projects and sponsoring orphans’ education was one of them. This is in addition to the already announced 100 scholarships for deserving students of Numl. He said the orphan students would also be offered scholarships.

A sports gala will be arranged at National Sports Gymnasium where 3,000 children from sweet homes across Pakistan would participate and showcase their talent, he added. — Staff Reporter

Exam centre staff suspended

TAXILA, Feb 8: Local authorities suspended the entire staff, including superintendent, deputy superintendent and invigilators deputed at an examination centre for allowing students to use unfair means.

The centre was set up for primary standard annual examination 2011 at Govt Girls higher Secondary School Hassanabdal.

Executive District Officer (education) Dr Umer Farooq during surprise visit to the centre found the staff silent over use of unfair means . — Correspondent

Clerks’ pen-down strike

RAWALPINDI, Feb 8: All Pakistan Clerk Association (APCA) on Wednesday observed a complete pen-down strike in the city against inflation, hike in petroleum prices and government’s apathy towards the problems of clerks in the country.

The strike was observed in education, food, social welfare, agriculture, works and services, building, population welfare, public health, highway, forest and poultry departments and in RTMA. The clerks wearing black ribbons on their arms also held protest demonstration in front of their offices and chanted slogans against the government for not redressing the problems being faced by the clerks.

Talking to newsmen, APCA President Dost Mohammad Barohi and city chairman Iftikhar Ahmed Guddu said they rejected the government suggestion about monthly allowance to officials from BPS-1 to BPS-16 in the upcoming budget instead of increasing their basic salaries. — A Reporter

Jeweller’s house looted

RAWALPINDI, Feb 8: A jeweller’s house in the limits of Airport police station was looted on Wednesday.

Shoaib Ahmed said he along with his brother and two sisters was at home while his mother and other female family members had gone to visit a relative when three armed persons entered the house. He said one of the robbers held them hostage at gunpoint while others began to ransack the house. “The culprits looted Rs2.7 million and gold jewellery weighing 60 tolas and escaped,” he said. — Staff Reporter