Salman Taseer's son kidnapped from Lahore

 LAHORE: Shahbaz Taseer, son of slain former governor Punjab Salman Taseer has been kidnapped from Lahore's Gulburg area Friday, Geo News reported.

According to police, Shahbaz Taseer was traveling on his regular route from his residence to his office, when he was stopped by four men traveling in a car and on a motorcycle. He was removed from his vehicle and his mobile phones and laptop were thrown back in his car by the kidnappers.

After receiving news of the kidnapping, police rushed to the crime scene and surrounded the area.

Sources said that he was traveling with his friend who was later released by the kidnappers. His friend later informed the police about the abduction.

Rangers and police were deployed outside his residence after the incident.

Drug addict kills wife

 FAISALABAD: An addict killed his wife and threw her body in a canal in the area of D-Type Colony police station.

According to police, Ejaz strangulated Shumaila when she refused him to give money. Later, the accused threw the body into the canal.

However, on a tip-off, police recovered the body and started investigation by arresting accused Ejaz. (APP)

BDS Annual exam to begin from Sept 19

HYDERABAD: Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro informed here on Friday said that MCQ Theory Programme of Final Professional BDS Annual Examinations will start from September 19.

The examinations will be conducted at Jamshoro Campus and the schedule of examination programme is being issued separately, he said. (APP)

Citizens pray for peace in Karachi on PM's appeal

 MULTAN: Like other parts of the country, people of Multan observed a 'Youm-e-Dua' on Friday in response to an appeal from Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani for peace in Karachi and an end to other challenges being faced by the country.

A large number of citizens reached mosques to perform "Juma-tul-wida" prayers. Ulema from all schools of thought highlighted different aspects of blessings of Ramazan in their sermons. They stressed upon people to promote brotherhood and unity into their ranks as it was very essential to put the country on the way to progress and prosperity.

They also highlighted fruits of peace and appealed anti-social elements to stop violence as it was damaging the soft image of Islam and the country. They also appealed to Ulema, politicians and civil society to play their effective role in peace in Karachi.

Big gatherings of "Namazis" were seen at Abdali Mosque, Markaz Ibn Ul Qasim, Shahi Mosque Eid Ghah, Qadeemi Mosque Shah Gardez, Shahi Mosque Totlanwali, Jamia Mosque Khawaja Owais, Jamia Masjid Mumtazabad and other mosques. (APP)

Eid shopping gains momentum in Quetta

QUETTA: Eid shopping has gained momentum with large number of people visiting the shopping centers and other markets of the provincial capital.

As the Eid-ul-Fitr was nearing, the main markets and trade centers in downtown are crowed with buying stuffs such as shoes, jewellery, cosmetics and other wearing.

The bazaars are seen flooded with visitors specially women and children. The shopkeepers have displayed their best items outside their shops to appeal the customers while vendors have also set up carts on footpaths.

Owing to the dilapidated conditions of the city roads and additional vehicles coming from across the province to Quetta for shopping, roads were seen crammed with vehicles forcing them wait in queue for hours.

Law enforcement agencies have adopted stringent security measures to cover the shopping areas and to avoid untoward incident. Police personnel in plain clothes have also been deployed in the city to keep vigil on the anti-social elements. (APP)

PSC appoints subject specialists, lecturers

 PESAHAWAR: On the recommendation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission, the government has appointed Imtiaz Khan S/O Juma Khan, Subject Specialist, Govt: Higher Secondary School, Billi Tang, Kohat and Nadeem Akhtar S/O Abdul Ghaffar, Lecturer in Statistics, GPGC Bannu as Male Assistant Professors of Statistics (BS-18) of College Cadre in Higher Education Department with immediate effect and posted them against the vacant posts in the GPGC Kohat and GDC Badaber Peshawar respectively.

Similarly on the recommendation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa PSC, the government has also appointed certain recommended candidates of the commission as Male Assistant Professors of Computer Science (BS-18) of college cadre in Higher Education Department, with immediate effect on the usual terms and conditions and posted them in the colleges noted against each.

They included; Shoukatullah S/O Saleh Muhammad, Lecturer, GPGC Bannu posted at GDC Domail, Bannu while Jehangir Khan S/O Almas Khan, Lecturer, GC Peshawar posted at GPGC Nowshera against the vacant posts. Likewise, Syed Ishtiaq Hussain S/O Syed Mazhar Hussain Shah, Lecturer, GC Peshawar posted in the same college against the post of Khalid Sohail, Assistant Professor, GC Peshawar selected in BS-19 by PSC and Fida Hussain S/O Gulzar Hussain, Department of Computer Science, University of Swat, Saidu Sharif Swat who has been posted at GDC Yar Hussain Swabi and Muhammad Zubair S/O Haji Banaras, Lecturer, H.No. 165, Street No. 8 Sector J-3, Phase-II, Hayatabad Peshawar posted at GDC Zarobi Swabi against the vacant posts respectively.

Moreover, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has regularized the services of Taifullah S/O Ghandal Khan, BS-17 Lecturer in Islamiyat at GDC Jamrud, Khyber Agency and Muhammad Hasnain, BS-17 Lecturer in Urdu, GPGC Kohat who were appointed on adhoc basis with effect from September 24, 2009. (APP)

Halal-tagged vaccine ad spurs controversy

ISLAMABAD: A leading consumer group has protested against the use of religion by a Swiss pharmaceutical transnational company to sell its vaccine tagging it with Halal.

A spokesman of the group said that Halal is an Arabic word which means religiously permissible, fearing that it may affect other vaccines crucial for children and women survival.

He added the said company advertised its vaccine for meningitis under
cover of 'public service message' flashing a popular celebrity, a TV person of religious program to weight the ad and target consumers in a deceptive manner.

He said on the complaint of The Network for Consumer Protection, the
Competition Commission of Pakistan, a state-funded body to ensure fair business practices, has already initiated probe and issued a letter to the company asking it to explain the said ad.

He said the advertisement is targeting around 200,000 intending pilgrims, who need to get vaccinated against Meningitis before traveling to Saudi Arabia.

He said another pharmaceutical company has also adopted the same
advertisement strategy and is claiming that its vaccine imported from Belgium is also Halal by using the image of Holy Makkah to deceive the consumers.

CEO of The Network, a member body of the Consumer International, a UK based world federation of consumer groups, Nadeem Iqbal said that use of such words like Halal may negatively affect on use of other vaccines particularly being used for polio eradication in the country.


He said this trend of tagging a product with Halal or Haram is not restricted to health sector only but the use of religion to sell products has also spread to banking sector.

He said The Network for Consumer Protection has already lodged a complaint with the Competition Commission against a Middle Eastern Bank, which is using similar tactics to entice the customers besides a company which is making milk packs. (APP)