Two die on road in Bajaur

KHAR, March 21: Two people were killed and 11 others wounded when a passenger pickup skidded off the road and plunged into a river after its brakes failed at Memola area of Barang tehsil in Bajaur Agency on Thursday.

According to the local administration, the pickup was going to Khar from Memola area when it fell into the river 30km off Khar, killing two passengers on the spot. At least 11 others were wounded.

The personnel of Bajaur Levies and locals rushed to the spot after the accident and started rescuing the injured and shifting them to a local hospital. —Correspondent

Financial help for blast victims

PESHAWAR, March 21: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Engineer Shaukatullah has directed the relevant officials to release financial assistance to the families of the victims of Jalozai bomb blast.He issued these directives here on Thursday asking the political agent, Khyber Agency, Mutahir Zeb, to determine the losses and ensure early release of financial assistance to the people.

The governor said that provision of financial help was meant to ease the difficult situation faced by the blast victims and make them feel that they were not alone in this hour of trial. —Bureau Report

Man kills wife

DAGGAR, March 21: A man allegedly shot dead his wife over a domestic issue in the Ghazikhanay area of Buner district on Thursday.

Assadullah Khan, brother of the slain woman, told police in the district headquarters hospital, Daggar, that his brother-in-law Afsar Khan killed his sister and escaped from the house.

He said he was visiting his sister when he saw Afsar and his father Sarfaraz Khan arguing with her over some domestic issue. He added that Afsar took out a pistol in his presence and shot dead his wife.

The Pir Baba police have registered a case and started investigation.

Meanwhile, six people, a woman and a child among them, were injured when a car collided with a motorcycle rickshaw here on Thursday. —Correspondent

Butchers warned

MANSEHRA, March 21: Deputy Commissioner Mansehra Zulfiqar Shah has warned butchers to provide hygienic meat to the people otherwise action would be taken against them.

Mr Shah while talking to butchers during his visit to slaughterhouse here on Thursday expressed resentment over the unhygienic conditions and said that he would also take to task the officials concerned of the municipal administration and livestock department if the situation was not improved.

Mr Shah also admired the efforts by consumer protection council for what he said inviting his attention towards a highly important issue which could harm people’s health in the city. —Correspondent

NGO to launch uplift projects

KHAR, March 21: The Rural Livelihood and Community Infrastructure Project (RLCIP) will soon launch several mega schemes in the militancy-hit areas of Bajaur Agency.

Talking to journalists here on Thursday, Kamran Khan Safi, agency coordinator RLCIP, said that the livelihood and rehabilitation schemes would be funded by a World multi-donor trust in the militancy-hit areas of Salarzai, Loe Mamond and Nawagai tehsils.

He said that RLCIP would implement its projects through the directorate of projects, Fata Secretariat, to improve the livelihood and rehabilitate the infrastructures affected by militancy.

He said that a survey in this regard had been completed and the schemes would be launched next month. — Correspondent

Robbers’ gang busted

LAKKI MARWAT, March 21: Police and security forces busted a gang of robbers and recovered snatched money and other valuables from their possession in a joint raid late on Wednesday night.

A police official said on Thursday that armed bandits were busy in looting passenger vehicles at gunpoint near Chunnai bridge when security forces, who were on a routine patrol in the area, intercepted them.

The law enforcers captured three robbers identified as Hanifullah, Qudratullah and Sharifullah and seized weapons from them. Police also recovered cash, mobile phones and other valuables from the arrested bandits, the official said.

He said that a case was registered against the arrested robbers on the complaint of looted passengers and further investigation was underway. — Correspondent

Woman seeks help

MANSEHRA, March 21: A woman has sought help from the government in tracing out her mentally retarded son who went missing on January 2.

Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday, Zaitoon Bibi said that her son Mohammad Khalid, 22, had gone out of house on January 2 but did not return. She said that her family had exhausted all its resources to trace him but his whereabouts could not be known.

With tears in her eyes, Zaitoon Bibi said that she lived in Barari area on the outskirts of Mansehra city and her family was in shock over Khalid’s disappearance. — Correspondent