Briefs

Nawaz, Modi can break the ice in Astana

Monitoring Desk

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi will have an excellent opportunity next month to break the ice and ease tensions that have been on the rise between the two countries, reported foreign media.  According to diplomatic sources, Sharif and Modi will attend the June 8-9 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Kazakhstan’s city of Astana where a meeting between the two, though brief and informal, may take place.   However, a Pakistan foreign office official who refused to be named said that no meeting had been planned as yet but “I would not reject the possibility of a brief meeting if SCO players play a role and urge both sides to control the rising tension”.

 

SHO among four cops killed in Kohat attack

By our correspondent

KOHAT: Four policemen including a station house officer (SHO) were killed in a terrorist attack near Lachi town on Saturday.  Police sources said the police mobile party was fired at by unknown gunmen near Lachi in Kohat district. They said Station House Officer (SHO) Khanullah of the Lachi Police Station had gone to Kamalkhel village to arrest some accused when his vehicle came under fire on the way back to Lachi town.  According to the sources, SHO Khanullah, Additional SHO of Lachi Police Station, Tahir Mahmood, and police constables Abid and Tanveer Ali were hit during the indiscriminate firing by the suspected terrorists and were killed.  Following the incident, police reinforcements were rushed to the site of the attack, the area was cordoned off and a search operation was launched to apprehend the attackers. However, there was no report yet if any arrests have been made.

 

Terrorist bid foiled in Quetta

QUETTA: Security forces raided a hidden weapons depot in Quetta on Saturday which saved the provincial capital from preplanned terror attacks.  According to the ISPR, Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) received intelligence information about a huge cache of weapons in the Gahi Khan Chowk area of Quetta. Terrorists had hidden a variety of advanced weapons underground to use against regional peace.  Weapons and explosives were recovered from the secret hideout. The cache includes 503 grenades, five locally-made IEDs, one RPJ7, two rifles, 22 RPJ7 bullets, 18 fuse and thousands of bullets.  ISPR stated that the weapons were hidden underground to conduct terrorist activities in future.

 

Man shot dead in Mansehra

By our correspondent

MANSEHRA: A man allegedly gunned down brother of his brother-in-law here on Saturday.  Saifullah, a resident of Abbottabad, had come to meet his sister in Khan Bahader area in city. He reportedly exchanged hot words with Muhammad Sadeer, stated to be younger brother of his brother-in-law Mohammad Shabir, and opened indiscriminate fire on him, leaving him seriously injured. The injured was rushed to the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital from where doctors referred him to Ayub Medical Complex in Abbottabad where he succumbed to his injures.

 

Several hurt in student groups clash at QAU

ISLAMABAD: A scuffle broke out between two student groups at the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Islamabad on Saturday, in which several students were injured and later on hospitalised.  According to the media reports, both student groups threw stones at each other.  A few students were severely injured and admitted to hospital in critical condition.  Soon after the incident police and paramilitary troops and rescuers were dispatched to the university. Police and Rangers fired tear-gas and brought the situation under control. At least 30 students were taken to hospitals with minor to critical wounds. Police claimed that they arrested several students and confiscated their weapons.