LARKANA, Feb 5: Sindh Minister for Excise and Taxation Shabir Qaimkhani has hinted at setting up checkpoints along the Balochistan border to check narcotics smuggling.

Talking to reporters in Qubo Saeed Khan near Shahdadkot, the minister said the department was considering establishing checkpoints in Qambar-Shahdadkot as the district was adjacent to Balochistan. He said his department was facing shortage of wireless-fitted vehicles and staff.

He said narcotics coming from the NWFP were entering Sindh from Kamo Shaheed border with Punjab and the department was trying to check it.

Installation of scanning machines on the motorway could contribute effectively towards halting the narcotics smuggling, the minister said.

SUICIDES: A girl and a man committed suicide in separate incidents, police said.

Sahib Khatoon Brohi, 16, shot herself in Massan locality of Shahdadkot. She was taken to a hospital, where she died.

One Koral Kalhoro committed suicide by a gun near Mirokhan town. Police said both the suicides were results of domestic problems.

PHONE CABLES CUT: Unknown thieves stole away a part of underground cable by sawing it off on Monday near Bagi (Mohenjodaro) telephone exchange disconnecting 200 phones lines.

Muhib Pirzado, former nazim of union council Bagi, told this scribe that it was the third incident in months that 150 metre of cable had been stolen.