News in brief

Robbers arrested GUJAR KHAN, May 1: The police busted a six-member gang of robbers allegedly involved in looting houses in the guise of policemen and also recovered foreign currency, gold ornaments and police uniforms from their possession. Superintendent of Police (SP) Rural Division Halal Khan said this while addressing a press conference here on Sunday. Halal Khan said that a number of houses had been looted in Bewal, Jabbar, Basla Bangial, Malik Pur villages during the last four months and foreign currency and gold ornament were taken away by the robbers. The SP said the robbers looted the houses wearing police uniforms. According to the SP, gold ornaments worth Rs900,000, 11,050 pound sterling, Rs45,000, a DVD player and four police uniforms were recovered from them. Moreover, the police also recovered a 44 bore assault rifle, 2 pistols, a 32-bore revolver and a large number of bullets. He said that these alleged robbers had also committed robberies in Kallar Syedan area. The arrested outlaws had been identified as Nasir Ali, Jawaid Ali, Muhammad Zafar sons of Fazal Dad, resident of Dhoke Jhangi; Muhammad Zubair and Muhammad Imran. — Correspondent Stray dogs in I-10 sector ISLAMABAD, May 1: The rising number of stray dogs in I-10 sector has made life of the people very difficult as they are creating health problems and posing danger to their lives. Small groups of stray dogs can be seen roaming in almost every street and park of the sector especially the commercial areas and markets, Bilal Khalid, a resident said on Sunday. He said it had become very difficult for the people to move freely especially at night because of a large number of stray dogs. Ejaz-ul-Haq, another resident informed that the parks located in the area were usually packed with the stray dogs especially in the morning. Expressing concern over the situation, they called upon the authorities concerned to launch a campaign against the stray dogs. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate, 2,000 to 5,000 deaths occur annually due to rabies in Pakistan. — APP Wheat purchase centres RAWALPINDI, May 1: The Food Department has set up two centres at Taxila and Gujar Khan for purchase of wheat from the farmers, District Food Controller, Rawalpindi, Shabbir Khan Niazi said on Sunday. He asked the farmers to bring the wheat at the centre and get the price of their commodity on the spot, adding, this time, the government of Punjab had practically ended the role of the middle man. Shabbir Niazi said that the arrangements for the provision of jute bags had been made so that only the genuine farmers might avail themselves of the facility. He said the farmers by showing agriculture book or any other document could get 16 bags of 50 kilograms for procuring wheat. He said that the wheat would be purchased at Rs950 per 40 kilograms. He advised the farmers to directly approach the purchasing centres. — APP Compensation RAWALPINDI, May 1: The Rs1.3 million cheques of the compensation money were distributed among the heirs of the victims of the bus fire incident that occurred in Sohawa in February last year. Thirteen people were burnt to death as fire erupted in a bus carrying a marriage party. The cheques were distributed among the families of the victims belonging to the Christian community in a function held at Rawalpindi Arts Council Auditorium on Sunday. PML-N MNA Hanif Abbasi distributed the cheques on the behalf of the Punjab government. —A Reporter Cattle sheds resented ISLAMABAD, May 1: The cattle sheds in the rural areas of federal capital are causing various health problems for the residents of these localities. The residents of the capital rural areas said that the number of cattle pens had increased in recent past due to the lukewarm attitude of the authorities concerned. Mostly, the cattle sheds are located on the Islamabad side of the Expressway, right from Sohan and Khanna Pul to Ghouri Town and Bhara Kahu. Residents of Sohan said there were around one dozen sheds in the area with hundreds of buffalos. At times, it became impossible for the people to walk on the road because of the buffalos, they said. The people said that many people had rented out their vacant plots to the cattle pen owners which were creating health hazards for the residents and causing foul smell in the atmosphere because of cattle dung lying in open. "Open areas in front of these sheds have become breeding spaces for mosquitoes and flies," they added. — APP