Ex-nazim, 5 others held for attack on Lachi police

Source Dawn

A local court here on Wednesday remanded former union council nazim of Lachi tehsil and his five supporters in police custody for two days for attacking the police station.
The ex-nazim, Fawad Khan, and his relative Sohail had forcibly entered the Lachi police station to get his relative released after he was arrested on unspecified charges late on Tuesday night. According to reports, they had also exchanged hot words with the station house officer and other policemen and resorted to firing in the air.
Meanwhile, the people of the area surrounded the police station and pelted stones at the police as a result of which SHO Khanullah and two policemen received injuries. Some accused in the police lockup also got injured in the fighting.
The protesters later blocked the Indus Highway and demanded the release of the suspect Hidayatullah. The police overpowered them and arrested Fawad, Manzoor, Waseem, Faisal, Abid and Nazeer for interfering in police affairs, firing, beating policemen and blocking the Indus Highway.
The elders of the area reached the police station and initiated talks with the police officers for the release of the nazim and his men, who are said to be influential landlords of the area. The negotiations continued for several hours, but the police high ups ordered that the accused should be arrested and proper FIR lodged against them. Later, the police registered cases against several people who had blocked the highway and raids were being conducted for their arrest

Man burns wife to death in Kohat

Source Dawn

A man on Tuesday allegedly burnt to death his wife after having a brawl with her in Mir Ahmed Khan here and fled.
The police said Fayyaz who was married to Madeeha two years back had very tense relation with his wife and used to beat her.
On Tuesday he sprinkled kerosene oil on her and burnt her to death. He tried to burry her without post mortem but his in-laws got suspicious and took the body to hospital for autopsy. Doctors confirmed that she had been burnt to death and had not died a natural death. The police registered murder case against Fayyaz and launched investigations.

MOL, OGDCL provide soft loan of Rs 700m

Source Pakistan Observer

Managing Director MOL Pakistan, Erno Liptak said that OGDCL and MOL have provided Rs.700 million soft loan to the National Highway Authority (NHA) for the early completion of new Khushal Garh Bridge.

Talking to media, he said that the joint venture partners were glad that the dream for a new Khushal Garh bridge on the River Indus would become a reality in the near future, said a press release issued here.

He said each infrastructure project not only creates new jobs, but also opens up new opportunities for economic development.

“The new bridge will provide quicker and easier access for the people traveling between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab through Kohat Road on one hand and on the other it will help further enhance oil and gas exploration activities in the area.” He said that they are glad to be a part of this project of significant economic and strategic importance for Pakistan.

New Khushalgarh bridge to bring prosperity: Alamgir

Source The News

Federal Minister for Communications Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan Khalil said Thursday that the construction of new bridge at Khushalgarh will bring a new era progress and prosperity in the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He expressed these views while addressing a public gathering on the occasion of ground breaking ceremony of the bridge performed by Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani. The minister in his address said that this 373 meters long bridge will be a two-lane bridge which can be converted into four lanes in future to accommodate the traffic pressure. He said this Rs24 billion project will be completed in 24 months, and MOL Pakistan and OGDCL will provide assistance to the National Highway Authority (NHA) in this project.

Arbab Alamgir said after the discovery of oil and gas reserves in Kohat, this bridge will be of importance in transporting crude oil to Attock Oil Refinery. The minister said the present democratic government, which is moving forward with the vision of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, has launched development projects throughout the country without any discrimination.

He said that the completion of new two-lane Khushalgarh bridge will bring revolutionary changes in the area and not only the people of the area will benefit from it but it will also boost trade, tourism, industry and agriculture of the country.

PM’s Kohat public rally cancelled

Source Dawn

The public gathering arranged for Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani after the foundation stone-laying ceremony of new Khushalgarh Bridge on Thursday (today) at the farmhouse of Provincial Minister for Housing Amjad Khan Afridi in Kohat has been cancelled due to political rivalry, Dawn has learnt reliably.
Mr Amjad had invited the prime minister to his farmhouse at a lunch after inaugurating work on the new bridge. However, MNA Dilawar Shah strongly objected to the programme and took the plea that as the function was of federal government the prime minister should stay at his hurja for a lunch.
The foundation stone-laying ceremony of the new bridge would start at 9am on Thursday (today), according to the invitation cards issued on behalf of the housing minister. The lunch programme of the prime minister at the farmhouse mentioned in press cards had been removed with a black marker after the official cancellation of the programme.
Confusion prevailed here about the PM’s programme as both the political leaders issued invitations about the lunch to people at their respective places. Even they verbally told the people that they were hopeful that the gathering would be held in Kohat.
Both the MNA and the housing minister belonged to the ANP.
Some local leaders said that security and pressing engagements of the prime minister could be a reason for cancellation of the public meeting in Kohat.

Ministry decides payment of 5pc bonus for oil, gas producing areas

Source Pakistan Observer

Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources has decided to grant production bonus to those districts where oil and gas reserves have been discovered, said White Paper 2011-12 of the Finance Department Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for financial.

The funds will be spent through Petroleum’s Social Development Committees (PSDC) comprising MNAs Chairmen, MPAs Tehsil Taluka Nazims, district Nazim members, DCO (Secretary) of the district and two representative of the Exploration and Production (E&P) Company Member/ Vice Chairman.

Secretary of the PSDC (DSO) will open and administer a joint bank account with the title Petroleum’s Social Development Fund (PSDF), to be operated by District Coordination Officer and the Executive District Officer (EDO) Finance and Planning for the purpose of funding projects identified by the PSDC through the production bonus payable by the E&P Company.

All those E&P companies who are obligated to pay production bonus to the government for infrastructure development of the area will deposit the production bonus directly in the bank account of the Secretary (DCO) of the PSDF in consultation with the Director General, Petroleum Concessions (DGPC). The proceeds of first production bonus against Tal black of MOL was US $ 5,00,000 (Rs. 29.486 million), which had already been deposited in the account of DCO Karak and DCO Hangu during the year of 2008-09.

Second production bonus against the Tal Block of MOL was US $ one million (RS. 85.809 m), which had been deposited in the account of DCO Karak and Hangu amounting to Rs. 66.963 million and Rs.18.846 million respectively during the financial year 2010-11. Third bonus of US $ 1.5 million may become payable against the said block during next financial year of 2011- 12, the will be directly paid by the respective Exploration and Production (E& P ) company to the concerned Districts Governments under the existing guidelines of productions bonus.

The Provincial Government has also decided to transfer 5 per-cent shares of receipts on account of Oil and Gas receivable from Federal Government to the respective districts where well head of Oil and Gas are located. In this connection report of the committee headed by the Chief Secretary, KPK regarding utilization of 5 per sent share has been approved by the Provincial Cabinet. The said 5 per sent share will be over and above the size of District and Provincial ADP and will be utilized on Electricity, Supply of Gas, Education, Technical Education, Water Supply Schemes, Roads and Health facilities.

Utilization of 5 per cent share in the socio-economic condition of the area. For the financial year of 2010-11 a sum of Rs.225.185 has already been allocated and released to concern Districts i.e. Kohat and Karak as 5 per sent share of royalty on oil, gas Excise Duty on Natural Gas and Gas Development Surcharge. Moreover the last installment of Rs.42.071 million is also paid to Sui Northern Gas Pipeline from the provision of 5 per cent share from the current financial year for providing, gas facilities to the natives of the district Karak and Kohat which has approved by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources of the Federal Govt.

Beside Hydel resources, the Province of KPK has been blessed with large reserves of Oil and Gas. After 18th amendment Provincial Govt. has equal share with the Federal Govt. in all the forth coming production regarding Oil and Gas. Keeping in view the Eighteenth amendment Provincial Cabinet has given the approval of establishment of Oil and Gas Exploration Company. The company will be registered soon with the Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan and other relevant institutions.

After registration this company will be such as OGDCL, MOL and PPL in different blocks. In compliance with the decision of Peshawar High Court under Article 158 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, all the commercial undertakings like CNG etc in the Province are exempted from loadshedding.

Afghans, IDPs overstaying their hospitality

Source Dawn

The prolonged stay of Afghan refugees and internally displaced persons from tribal regions has created social and economic problems besides posing threat to peace of the district, locals complain.
The elders of internally displaced persons say that police ask them to submit personal guarantees that they will not indulge in terrorist activities during their stay in the district, but they have been refusing.
The locals said that prolonged stay of IDPs had resulted in increase in rents of houses, land and shops besides creating joblessness in the area.
On the other hand, IDPs, once welcomed by the locals with open heart, blame government for its failure in flushing out terrorists from their tribal agencies during the last several years.
The IDPs from Kurram and Orakzai agencies, Hangu district, Waziristan Agency, Darra Adamkhel, Malakand and Swat have been living in Kohat for the last four years. They have set up new settlements on Indus Highway by occupying or buying land from the local people.
Locals alleged that some of the IDPs joined militant groups and were creating law and order situation in the district.
“They have also converted University Road and Indus Road Bypass up to Zero Point into a no-go-area,” locals alleged.
Recently, police arrested a group of Taliban, allegedly involved in making suicide jackets and improvised explosive devices, from the area. An electricity transformer was also recovered from the house. Locals said that new seminaries and mosques were being built in the areas where IDPs lived.
Sources said that militants had also entered the district in the guise of IDPs and were posing threat to peace of the area.
In addition, there are thousands of Afghan refugees, who have permanently settled near the mountains of Darra Adamkhel and some parts of the city without any kind of restriction on their movement.
Some of the Afghan refugees have bought homes in the city and shops in the costly main bazaar. They have made huge investment in cloth, fruit and transport businesses besides establishing small factories of shoes and other outlets.
The officials concerned, when contacted, were unable to give accurate figures of IDPs living in the district. However, locals said that their number exceeded 200,000.
Owing to uncertain situation in the conflict zones, the IDPs are reluctant to go back to their homes. Same is the case with Afghans.

Taliban commander arrested in Kohat

Source Central Asia Online

A Taliban militant commander, Mata Mir, was arrested during a police encounter in Kohat June 10, media reported.

According to Express Tribune, police raided an area near Dhal Bhazadi and arrested the militant commander.

Mir belongs to Tehrik-e-Taliban and has been involved in several incidents of target killings and terrorism in the country, media added.

Militants kidnap 18 miners from Darra

Source Dawn

About 100 armed militants belonging to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attacked heavily-guarded Darra Adamkhel and kidnapped 18 coalminers from Akhorwal area late on Friday night.
0fficials said that the TTP of Tariq Afridi group, which supports Hakeemullah Mehsud, penetrated into the area in the night from Tora Chinna area, which connects Darra Adamkhel with Khyber Agency.
They abducted 26 miners some of whom were also armed. Some people showed resistance and fired at the militants and escaped from their custody, but 18 men were taken away to Khyber Agency.
The security forces and political administration learnt about the incident on Saturday morning and conducted a search operation for the recovery of the kidnapped miners, who were taken across the tribal borders by that time.
The coalmines were taken over by the armed lashkar of the area when the TTP started collecting monthly tax from the miners and asked them to stop providing any kind of assistance to the army or the political administration. The sources said that the TTP had been killing and kidnapping people of those tribes in the past, who ferried food and water to the security forces trenched in the high mountains.
They said that lashkar men had refused to fulfill their demands and challenged their atrocities in Darra Adamkhel. They said that the opponent Momin Khan Afridi group, which leads the lashkar, had been asking the TTP to end their terror in Darra and threats to the local parliamentarians and businessmen because they were innocent and could not afford to support any side.
The sources said that the TTP of Tariq Afridi tried to kill his opponent, Momin Afridi, and his commanders in a suicide attack at a mosque during Friday prayers in Atariwal area. But Momin Afridi was not present in the area on that day.
Later, the TTP in a telephonic message warned the tribesmen of Atariwal to stop supporting Momin Afridi otherwise more attacks would be conducted against his tribe. The Atariwal sub-tribe of Momin Afridi group lives in the main Akhorwal area of Darra Adamkhel from where 18 miners had been kidnapped.
Momin Khan Afridi group formed a parallel Islami Taliban Momin Afridi Group in 2008 to flush out the TTP.