12 more underage drivers held

TAXILA: As many as 12 more underage drivers were sent behind bars in Attock district The traffic police arrested four each in Attock City and Fatehjang, and two each in Hassanabdal and Jand.

The number of underage drivers sent behind bars so far has reached 42 in Attock district. The purpose of the campaign is to discourage violators and further reduce fatal accidents.

Traffic Police district Attock Incharge issued orders to all circle and sector in-charges of the district to take strict action against underage drivers to ensure protection for road users. Correspondent

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Aafia’s sister to meet her again in US prison

ISLAMABAD: Incarcerated Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui will meet his sister Dr Fawzia Siddiqui in a US prison on December 2.

Following an in-camera hearing of a petition filed with Islamabad High Court, seeking the release and repatriation of Dr Aafia, a counsel for her sister Dr Fawzia Siddiqui told mediapersons that the latter was visiting the US to meet her detained sister.

In June this year, both the sisters had a reunion at Carswell, the prison medical facility in Fort Worth, after 20 years.

The counsel, Imran Shafiq, said Dr Fawzia expressed apprehensions about her security before Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan during the in-camera hearing. He said the court directed the ministry of foreign affairs to ensure her security during the US visit.

He said Dr Aafia was detained in a small cell of an infamous jail and the legal team was trying to get her shifted to another jail.

During the hearing, Dr Aafia’s attorney Clive Stafford Smith joined the court proceedings through video link from the US. He informed the court about his visit to Afghanistan, where Dr Aafia was arrested in 2008.

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Family dispute claims woman’s life

Clash over a family dispute occurs involving two groups, says a police spokesperson.

RAWALPINDI: A woman lost her life and three individuals sustained injuries in a firing incident in Chauntra police station in Rawalpindi.

According to a police spokesperson, a clash over a family dispute occurred in the Chauntra area, involving two groups. During the altercation, gunfire erupted, resulting in severe injuries to Shaban and Sajila from one group and Basharat and Imran from the other group.

Sajila succumbed to her injuries during the incident, while the other three were transported to the hospital.

On this matter, Rawalpindi’s City Police Officer, Syed Khalid Hamdani, took notice and ordered the immediate arrest of those involved in the incident. The ASP stated that the suspects involved in the incident would be arrested and presented before the court to face the law. Our correspondent

On the same day, Rawalpindi district police arrested eight gamblers and recovered Rs16,950 stake money, six mobile phones, and other items from their possession.

New Town police conducted a raid and arrested Rajab Ali, Zafar Iqbal, Yaseen, Muhammad Nadeem, Muhammad Irshad, Muhammad Zafar, Muhammad Tariq and Zafar Iqbal, who were allegedly involved in betting while playing cards.

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Woman gang-raped on pretext of getting job

LAHORE: A woman was allegedly gang raped after being enticed for getting a job in Raiwind City. The victim told police that she had been living with her relative Rubina’s place in Green Town. She needed a job on which Rubina shared a contact for getting a job.

The suspects after talking to her on phone invited her to reach Green Town at a place for job interview. They took her to an undisclosed location in Raiwind City and raped her. She alleged that they also made her video and dumped her in Township when her condition deteriorated. A case was registered against the unidentified suspects.

MAN SUCCUMBS TO INJURIES 

A 23-year-old man died of burn injuries after a house caught fire in the Shalimar area. Reportedly, a house caught fire in Madina Park, Mehran Colony. The victim was trapped inside the house, received serious injuries and died. The victim was identified as Amjad. Reportedly, a petrol bottle had caught fire.

MAN FOUND HANGING IN BATAPUR HOUSE 

A man was found hanging in house in Batapur under suspicious circumstances. The victim identified as 33-year-old Idrees, father of four, was found hanging with a fan in house. His family alleged that his wife had murdered him as they had a dispute. Police removed the body to morgue.

MAN COMMITS SUICIDE 

A 70-year-old unidentified man committed suicide by hanging himself in the Shahdara area. The victim identified as Ramzan Anwar reportedly was frustrated due to personal reasons. He was so depressed on the day of the incident that he locked himself in a room and hanged himself to death. Police removed his body to morgue.

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Physical remand of teen in DHA accident case extended

LAHORE: An antiterrorism court (ATC) on Thursday extended the physical remand of a teenage boy for five days in a case of road accident in the Defence House Authority (DHA) that claimed lives of six members of a family.

The police presented the suspect, Afnan Shafqat, before the court on expiry of his previous five-day physical remand.

Rafaqat Ali, the complainant of the FIR, also appeared before the court.

The investigating officer (IO) contended that further custody of the suspect was required to conduct polygraph and photogrammatic tests. He claimed that the age of the suspect was apparently more than 17 years.

However, the IO said, the bone ossification test for determining the age of the suspect had not yet been completed.

He said the suspect and his accomplices had also made offensive remarks to women passengers of the car. He said the prosecution also needed to determine at what speed the suspect was driving the car at the time of the incident.

The IO asked the court to extend the physical remand of the suspect for seven days.

A lawyer for the suspect opposed the remand and asked the court to send the boy to jail on judicial remand. He argued that the police unlawfully added the offence of terrorism in the case under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

A counsel for the complainant stated that the suspect had not challenged his remand before the high court and also withdrew his petition against inclusion of murder charge in the FIR.

Judge Abher Gul Khan extended the physical remand of Afnan for further five days and directed the IO to submit a report on the progress in the investigation at the next hearing.

Speaking to the media outside the court, complainant Rafaqat Ali alleged that he had been receiving threats and pressure was being exerted on him to withdraw the case.

`They said I have a son and three daughters behind me,` he said, mentioning the threats he received.

Rafaqat said he had been warned that he would regret pursuing the case.

The complainant lost his wife Rukhsana Bibi (45), son Husnain (25), daughter-in-law Ayesha (23), son-in-law Sajjad (30), fourmonth-old grandson Huzaifa, and granddaughter Anaya (4) in the deadly road accident.

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Rizwana, the tortured maid, recovers at LGH

LAHORE: A victim of domestic violence-15 years old Rizwana of Sargodhahas fully recovered and she will be discharged from the Lahore General Hospital (LGH) within a few days.

She was brought to the hospital in July when her employers, including a civil judge in Islamabad and his wife, were accused of torturing her inhumanly.

An LGH spokesperson said the doctors and nurses performed professionalduties diligently for 120 days for Rizwana`s treatment and care. Finally, she was able to stand on her feet. In the light of government instructions, the family of the girl was given accommodation and food for four months or so.

According to the patient`s history, when Rizwana was brought to the LGH, her condition was critical and her internal organs were affected.

During the treatment, the oxygen level of the girl continued to be uneven and sometimes the condition even entered the critical stage.

Three of a family found killed

TOBA TEK SINGH: The bodies of three people from a family were found in Jhang’s Shorkot tehsil locality of Haveli Bahadur Shah on Thursday night.

According to the Waryamwala police, Allah Ditta, his wife Khurshid Bibi, and their daughter Sania were found lifeless on beds in a room that was locked from the inside. Both women were slaughtered, while water was coming out of the man’s mouth. A pesticide bottle was also found on the man’s bed. An axe was found near Allah Ditta.

The bodies, two days old, were shifted to the Shorkot THQ hospital for autopsy.

The reason behind the incident is still unknown. A press release issued by the Jhang police said that the police will investigate the incident from all aspects.

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Two arrested in gang rape case

RAWALPINDI: A woman was allegedly raped by five men within the limits of Waris Khan Police Station. However, two of the suspected rapists were detained, while raids to arrest the rest were underway, police said.

The rape survivour stated in her FIR that she had developed a friendship with a man on TikTok. He asked to meet her on 6th Road from where he took her to New Amer Pura in a car. Upon reaching there, her friend left to bring a meal for her.

She added in his absence four unidentified persons who were already present there, forcibly raped her along with her friend.

As per a police spokesman, two of the accused were arrested by the police after the registration of the FIR, while the medical examination of the victim is being carried out.

Meanwhile, a woman was killed and three others were injured in a clash between two groups in the Chontra area on Thursday.

As per the police, during an exchange of gunfire between two groups over a family dispute, Ms Sajeela was injured and she lost her life, while Shaban and two persons from the other group, Basharat and Imran, were injured in the clash.

The injured were shifted to the hospital and the police stated that the accused involved in the clash would be arrested soon. Staff Reporter

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SHC warns of summoning PM in missing persons` cases

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday hinted at summoning the caretaker prime minister if police and provincial administration could not make any progress in recovery of missing persons.

The SHC warned the law enforcement agency and administration to produce the missing persons in court or else it would pass appropriate ordersin thisregard.

When the hearing began, a two-judge bench comprising Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto and Justice Amjad Ali Sahito was informed that no progress was made inalmost all the cases of missing persons fixed for hearing on Thursday.

Justice Phulpoto remarked, `The court may summon the prime minister if police and administration are powerless.

The bench further observed that cases of the people who had gone missing from Karachi were pending for the past 10 years, but no progress had been made regarding their whereabouts.

It also deplored that there were numerous sessions of the joint investigation teams and the Provincial Task Force (PTF) for Missing Persons in these matters, but there was no positive outcome.

Justice Amjad Sahito remarked that the SHC had been hearing 10 to 15 petitions relating to missing persons on a daily basis for almost a decade. He observed that the court could have disposed of a number of other cases duringthis period.

The bench directed the home secretary and DIG-investigation to personally look into the matter of missing persons and use modern communication devices to locate their whereabouts.

On a previous hearing, the bench had also summoned the home secretary over a delayin providing financial assistance to the families of missing persons after a provincial law officer had submitted that compensation had been given in some cases to the families of missing persons while remaining cases were pending before the home department for consideration.

On Thursday, additional advocate general (AAG) contended that the home department had sent a summary to the chief minister regarding financial assistance to the families of 18 missing persons, who had been categorised as enforced disappearance cases.

He further submitted that the compensation would be paid to the families after approval of the provincial cabinet.

In 2021, the SHC had directed the federal and provincial authorities for extending financial assistance to families of missing persons in case a head of the family had gone missing and his relatives were facing a financial crisis.

In April last year, a provincial law officer had informed the SHC that one-time compensation of Rs500,000 for each family of 12 missing persons, whose cases fell within the category of `enforced disappearance`, was being provided.

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Two arrested in connection with murder of woman

TOBA TEK SINGH: The police have arrested two people from Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the blind murder of Sonia Bibi, who was killed on Oct 4 in Toba Tek Singh`s Raja Park locality.

District Police Officer Syed Karar Hussain told a press conference on Thursday that Sonia Bibi worked as a receptionist in a real estate office. She was shot dead while walking home with her father by two unidentified motorcyclists. The investigation revealed that Sonia had formed a friendship with Abdul Razaaq Shah of Mansehra through social media. Despite herpromise to marry Razaag, her parents rejected the proposal, resulting in Razaag and his friend Junaid syed carrying out a drive-by shooting.

Junaid drove the bike, while Razaaq fired the fatal shots.

INJURED: A student was shot and injured by a fellow student following a dispute at the G o y e r n m e n t Postgraduate College in Gojra on Thursday.

Arsalan and Nabeel, who had exchanged harsh words on Wednesday, saw tensions escalate as Nabeel attacked and injured Arsalan. He was shifted to the Gojra Tehsil Headquarters Hospital for medical attention.

FAIZ AHMED FAIZ: A seminar titled `A Talk with Mooneza Hashmi` was organised on Thursday at theUniversity of Agriculture Faisalabad, where speakers discussed the promotion of Faiz Ahmad Faiz`s ideas.

Mooneza Hashmi, Faiz`s daughter of the poet, and the guest of honour, shared insights into Faiz`s life and thoughts, as revealed through letters written to her father.

She highlighted ongoing efforts by the Faiz Foundation to digitize Faiz`s memories for public access, enriching lives with his timeless wisdom.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan presided over the seminar. He said the establishment of the Faculty of Art and Humanities in the university, which also featured a dedicated FaizBlock, was a remarkable step.

Dr Riaz Majeed advocated for the creation ofthe Faiz Ahmed Faiz Chair to preserve and research Faiz`s life and work.

Mooneza Hashmi and Dr Iqrar inaugurated the Kapas Mela at D Ground, showcasing new varieties, products, and models that captivated the campus community and visitors alike.

NEW BLOCK: In the Government College University of Faisalabad (GCUF), a new academic block and health center were inaugurated on Thursday.

The modern facilities include health and physiotherapy amenities, security offices, classrooms accommodating 1000 students, and faculty offices.VC Prof Dr Nasir Amin led the inauguration ceremony, marking a significant expansion in the university`s infrastructure.

FCCI: Economic sovereignty is imperative to achieve the objective of sustained growth, and for this purpose, we must get rid of aid and debts, said Dr Khurram Tariq, Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) president, at a seminar on `Breaking the Aid and Debt Chains`, by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) and the Pakistan Society of Development Economists (PSDE) on Thursday.

H said that financial mismanagement, coupledwith policy-related structural issues, has plunged Pakistan into a deep economic crisis.

Dr Tariq explained in detail the management of debt, financial market dynamics, issues related to foreign aid, power, and politics, highlighting that the record increase in the PSX indicates a bright future for Pakistan.

However, he said there is need to strengthen our institutions by observing financial discipline, coupled with transparency and judicious spending.

He said that the economic decline has been halted, and now we anticipate growth, particularly in the SME sector during the second half of 2024.

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