Bannanje bus stand work: 50-year-old trees shifted
Udupi, October 13: A few trees of almost 50-years-old, which were about to axed to construct a KSRTC bus stand at Bannanje near here, have got a new lease of life, with the authorities shifted them to nearby places on Saturday.
In order to construct the bus stand, the Forest Department has given permission to axe 28 trees. Knowing this, environmental activists Premananda Kalmadi and Vinaychandra urged the department and other authorities to save the trees. Even they have also appealed Forest Minister R. Shankar to protect the trees. Responding to their appeal, the Minister directed the authorities to shift those trees to somewhere else. Following this, 16 trees were identified for shifting. Among them, three trees were shifted under the guidance of Jeeth Milan of Green Brigade of Mangaluru.
The trees were transplanted on the border area of the bus stand. Since the authorities were able to shift only three trees, it was decided to shift another four trees- one Hebbalasu, two teak and one Uppali- on Wednesday. The expenses to be incurred for shifting the trees would be borne by bus stand contractor Sridhar Acharya, said Premananda Kalmadi and Vinaychandra Sastana.
7 trees axed overnight
Out of total 16 trees, it was planned to shift 14 trees. But on Friday night, the forest department officials and the contractor have axed seven trees without giving any information. Knowing this, the environmental activists took the forest department officials and the contractor to task. Later, the contractor has agreed to bear the expenses of shifting the remaining trees and fulfilled his promise today.
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Pak police registers case against unidentified gunmen for opening fire on LeT co-founder
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Lahore (PTI): Pakistan's Punjab Police on Friday registered a case against unidentified gunmen for opening fire on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder Amir Hamza, who suffered bullet injuries in the attack in Lahore.
On Thursday, two unidentified gunmen riding on a bike opened fire on the vehicle of the private TV channel 24NewsHD TV, owned by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, on Peco Road in Lahore near the TV channel's office.
In the attack, Hamza suffered bullet injuries.
"The FIR has been registered against unidentified gunmen, but it is sealed forthwith," a senior police officer told PTI.
He said the intelligence agencies have taken over this case from the police, and they are currently investigating the matter.
The channel's religious programme host Justice (retd.) Nazir Ahmed Ghazi and Hamza were in the vehicle when it was attacked. Hamza was shifted to a hospital for treatment.
Punjab police on Friday said that "upon receiving information about the incident, the SSP Operations immediately reached the scene and a high alert was imposed in the area. SSP Operations Tauqeer Naeem also met the affected individuals. Thankfully, all present in the vehicle remained safe during the firing."
It further said senior police officers of the Township and Chung, along with a heavy police contingent, were present at the scene.
"Police collected evidence from the site and initiated an investigation. Efforts to arrest the suspects are underway using CCTV footage and geo-fencing techniques. Search and sweep operations are being conducted at various locations, with scrutiny of suspicious individuals ongoing," police said.
It added that those involved in the incident will be traced and arrested soon.
The police sources said that Hamza has been shifted to his residence in Jauhar Town, Lahore, where police and agency personnel met him.
The leadership of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a political front of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's banned Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD), including Hafiz Saeed's son Hafiz Talha Saeed, also called on him.
TV host retired Justice Ghazi, who remained unhurt in the attack, remained a legal counsel for Hafiz Saeed, they said.
The PMML has strongly condemned the attack on Hamza and demanded that those involved in the incident be arrested immediately.
Hamza is regarded as LeT's second most important leader after its chief Hafiz Saeed, who has been in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail since 2019 after getting convicted for several years in terror financing cases.
Hamza has been designated as a terrorist by the US. In the past, he served as the head of LeT's "special campaigns" department.
In 2018, Hamza formed a fundraising group for the LeT following a ban on the JuD and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation by the Pakistani government.
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