Dera health official missing

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Dec 12: EDO (health) Dera Ismail Khan Dr Ashiq Salim, along with his driver and a medical technician, went missing from Kohat while on way from Peshawar to Dear Ismail Khan on Tuesday.

Sources said Dr Ashiq Salim was coming from Peshawar to Dera Ismail Khan in his car along with his driver Javed and medical technician and district general secretary of paramedical association Attaullah. When they reached Kohat their contact with family members got disconnected.

Family sources said the EDO had phoned his sister in Peshawar that he had crossed the Kohat tunnel but latter his whereabouts were not known as his mobile number was not responding.

The DCO Dera Khan Bakhsh Marwat contacted administrations of other districts and informed them about the development. He directed safe recovery of the EDO and other employees of the health department. —Correspondent

Policemen dismissed

PESHAWAR, Dec 12: Eleven policemen have been dismissed from service on account of their involvement and gross misconduct in the Bannu jailbreak incident.

The penalties were announced by the superintendent of circle headquarters prison, Peshawar, on Wednesday in exercise of the powers under the Efficiency and Discipline Rules, 2011. The action was taken after receipt of replies to the show cause notices sent to the policemen and hearing of their cases.

The personnel (jail wardens) who were awarded the penalties include, Mir Laiq Khan, Sayed Khan, Hafiz Mir Hassan Shah, Abidullah, Asif Ali Shah, Mohammad Ibrar, Gul Mir Dali, Ameenullah, Saqib, Nasib Gul and Raqibaz Khan.

Militants had managed to break the Bannu central jail and got release about 400 inmates mostly militants in April 2012. —Bureau Report

PML-N names office-bearers

PESHAWAR, Dec 12: The Pakistan Muslim League-N announced office-bearers for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa here on Wednesday.

According to Rehmat Salam Khattak, PML-N’s provincial general secretary, Umer Farooq Khan Hoti, who had recently resigned from PTI, was appointed as provincial senior vice-president and coordinator for Mardan division as well.

Besides, Saeedullah Khan Khalil of Peshawar and Zahir Shah of Mardan were named as provincial vice-presidents and Naveed Akhtar of Mardan as provincial joint secretary and Jahanzeb Khan provincial additional general secretary.

Similarly, a former PPP leader Mehrab Gul of Mardan was appointed as provincial coordination secretary.

Haji Abdur Razaq Palosai was appointed vice-president, Peshawar chapter, and Haji Sher Ali Khan of Danishabad as district additional general secretary.

Provincial president Pir Sabir Shah asked the newly appointed office-bearers to start work for strengthening the party in the province. —Bureau Report

‘600,000 passports pending’

TIMERGARA, Dec 12: PML-N vice-president Amir Muqam on Wednesday said at least 600,000 passports were pending at the head office in Islamabad for the last three months.

Talking to journalists at Chakdara, Amir Muqam said the delay in issuance of the passports had multiplied woes of the applicants. He said applicants were getting their normal passports in 90 days instead of 30 days while urgent ones in 30 days instead of six days.

The PML-N leader said that authorities concerned were fleecing the people as the applicants had no option but to give extra money to the officials.

“I will never demand of the prime minister or president to take action in this regard because I know they can do nothing,” Amir Muqam said and appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to take notice of the issue. —Correspondent

Students block road

KARAK, Dec 12: The students of postgraduate college Karak on Wednesday took out a procession to protest against shortage of water in the college.

The students led by Sanaullah Shah and Matiullah Khan boycotted classes and marched from the college to Karak city, where they blocked the Bannu road to traffic.

They complained that the students were facing enormous difficulties due to shortage of drinking water and other basic facilities in the college.

Later, the students dispersed after holding a meeting with DCO Ali Anana Qamar who assured them of provision of basic facilities and resolution of other problems. —Correspondent

POs arrested, arms recovered

PESHAWAR, Dec 12: Launching a crackdown against anti-social elements, capital city police on Wednesday apprehended dozens of outlaws, including seven proclaimed offenders, and recovered arms and narcotics from them, police claimed.

Acting on the directives of CCPO Imtiaz Altaf, police teams conducted raids in various areas of the city led by SSP operations Imran Shahid.

During the crackdown police arrested dozens of outlaws, including seven POs for their complicity in crimes of serious nature. Police also recovered two AK-47, three rifles, 11 pistols, six kilogram hashish and nine bottles of liquor from their hideouts.

Cases have been registered against the arrested persons and investigations are underway.—APP