Rail car service to resume

KOHAT, Nov 3: The rail car service between Kohat and Rawalpindi will resume on November 7 after remaining suspended for almost a year, officials said on Saturday.

The service which was equally beneficial for the business community and the people was stopped for unknown reasons 13 months back without prior information. The service is used by families twice a day and the businessmen to export ‘mazri’ to Punjab from Bilitang.

The service would resume on Wednesday, according to the decision of the officials, the station master told Dawn.—Correspondent

Elders oppose forest cutting

UPPER DIR, Nov 3: Eighteen tribes of Biyar area of Upper Dir have decided not to allow tendering of the forest and threatened to resist any move against the wishes of the people.

At a meeting, the elders, including Malik Sahib Shah Kaka, Salamat Khan, Malik Zakirullah, Malik Najeebullah, Malik Mohammad Nawaz and others, said timber mafia was bent upon tendering lot no 617 to 625 in collusion with some vested interests from the area. Malik Zakir said through a resolution the meeting decided not to allow tendering of the said lots of forest as the district revenue office had not paid dues of previous timber to the local people.

“Till the payment of the dues, we will not allow tender of the eight lots,” said Zakir. The elders said a case that was referred to the civil court by the Peshawar High Court and Darul Qaza had been won by the people.—Correspondent  

Royalty money being ‘wasted’

KOHAT, Nov 3: The president of Kohat Citizen Forum Engr Malik Asad has alleged a sitting minister is spending huge royalty from oil and gas on unnecessary projects.

Mr Asad said Kohat was receiving Rs300 million annually as royalty from local oil and gas resources. But a minister Amjid Afridi was spending it on unnecessary and substandard projects.

The meeting of the forum on Saturday was attended by Col (retd) Shahid Noor, president of Kohat Pakistan Muslim League-N Sher Ahmed Khan, Mohammad Rasheed and Bholo.

They said Amjid Afridi had now joined ANP after enjoying power during the regime of Gen (retd) Musharraf, adding his brother, a senator, was state minister of PPP in the centre.

Reacting to sharp criticism of Kohat Citizen Forum by Amjad Afridi, they said the latter had been switching sides for monetary and political gains.—Correspondent  

Motorcycle rally of JUI

KARAK, Nov 3: Jamait Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) Karak chapter, on Saturday took out a ‘Namoos-i-Risalat’ rally which resolved to make the Islam Zindabad conference scheduled to be held here today (Sunday) a success.

The motorcycle rally led by party district leaders started from Takht-i-Nusrati and after passing through roads of Karak city reached Chountra where it converged into a big public meeting at Mithakhel.

Addressing the rally national assembly candidate of JUI Ayub Khattak, provincial assembly candidate Javaid Khattak, Maulana Shahzada, Qari Shakil and Maulana Taj Ali asked the people to participate in the Islam Zindabad Conference.

They said the conference would determine the future course of Karak politics and claimed that JUI would clean sweep all the three constituencies of the district.

The speakers said Karak had become the stronghold of JUI-F and added that central leader of the party Maulana Fazlur Rehman, former chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Akram Durrani and other central leaders would address the conference.—Correspondent  

Action against bakers

PESHAWAR, Nov 3: The city district government on Saturday arrested 41 bakers for selling underweight bread.

The arrested bakers were also included those who were selling double-bread which is banned by the city government.

A team led by assistant coordination officer Habibullah Arif raided shops of bakers in Ganj, Lahori Gate, Birisko, Kakshal, Ramdas, Shah Qabool, Kohat road and Bhana Mari areas.

The government has fixed 120 gram bread at Rs6 while the bakers are selling 170 gram bread at Rs12, according to officials. The previous rate of 115 gram bread was Rs5, they said.

Raids were made on the bakers’ shops on the complaints of the consumers. They said raids would continue till implementation of the fixed rates of the bread.

Meanwhile, president of the bakers association Mohammad Iqbal, when contacted, said rate of the bread was fixed prior to the holidays of Eid which was not received by the bakers.—Bureau Report  

Policeman injured

LAKKI MARWAT, Nov 3: A policeman was shot at and wounded when an attacker opened fire on him in Mughal Manjiwala village on Friday night.

The wounded ASI Mohammad Sadiq told this correspondent he heard some creeping sound at midnight and came out of his house to see what was happening. “I noticed a man on the rooftop who shot at me with his weapon,” he said, adding the attacker managed to escape.

ASI Mohammad Sadiq, who got bullet wounds in the arm and leg, is said to be an expert of operating heavy weapons and had recently imparted training to cops on use of heavy weapons as an instructor.

Meanwhile, a police contingent launched search operation in the area but no arrests were made. Police have registered a case and started investigation.—Correspondent  

Protesters block road

MINGORA, Nov 3: The dwellers of Kalam staged a sit-in and blocked the main road at Bagh Dheri area against the delay in reconstruction of the road. Traffic remained blocked on the road for several hours.

The protesters led by ANP MPA Syed Jaffar Shah gave a 10-day deadline to the NHA authorities to start work on the road or else they would stage a long march to Islamabad and organise a hunger strike in front of Parliament House. The road was destroyed during the 2012 devastating floods.

The MPA said the government had allocated Rs2,550 million for reconstruction of the road but the NHA had yet to start work on it despite getting the amount.—Correspondent

Annual sports gala

LAKKI MARWAT, Nov 3: Several matches were decided in the annual government high and higher secondary schools tournament on Saturday. EDO education Haji Meer Azam Khan is supervising the tournament.

State run and private high and higher secondary schools of the district have been divided into four zones, including Lakki, Naurang, Bachkan Ahmadzai and Shahbaazkhel. Principal

The students of government run and private schools are participating in football, volleyball, basketball, cricket, athletics, scouting, rifle drill, PT show and literary competitions.—Correspondent