Peshawar teen girl used voice changer for extortion
Reported in Jang (February 24, 2015) police in Peshawar have arrested a teenaged girl on charges of extortion. The first-year student used a voice synthesizer to threaten wealthy traders on the phone, using SIMs registered in names of several men.
Civil judge beaten up over standing in line
According to Nawa-e-Waqt (February 24, 2015) the owner and employees of a cellphone service dealership in Pattoki beat up a civil judge (tashaddud ka nishana banaya). He had arrived at the office for the biometric verification of his mobile phone SIM, when an an argument broke out (talkh kalami) over standing in line.
Cleric allows killing aggressive wife, mother-in-law
Dunya reports (February 25, 2015) a cleric in Sukkur issued an edict (fatwa sadir kar diya) allowing a husband to kill his wife and mother-in-law who fought with him. Police have arrested the cleric.
‘Cricketers should be tried in military courts’
Quoted in Express (February 25, 2015) Senator Abdul Qayyum Soomro of PPP demanded during a meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting that the Pakistani cricket team be tried in military courts upon their return after losing the World Cup.
Police trick man into lock-up
Reported in Dunya (February 26, 2015) when a man called up Model Town police station to seek help in registering his house rental agreement, they invited him to the police station, where they locked him up despite his protest (cheekh-o-pukar).
Fake lawyer caught in Lahore
According to Jang (February 26, 2015) a committee set up by lawyers in Lahore caught a fake lawyer who wore a uniform and appeared in courts. He was given to the police.
Fingerprint devices don’t recognize PTA chairman’s thumb
Quoted in Dunya (February 27, 2015) the chairman of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said the biometric verification system set up by cellphone companies could not recognize his own thumbprint.
Rice truck to president’s farmhouse abducted for ransom
Nawa-e-Waqt reports (February 27, 2015) a truck transporting rice to the president’s farmhouse in Karachi was hijacked by unidentified men (lay urray) and asked for Rs 1 million in ransom. The men have not been found, but the truck was found in Malir.
Donkey trading
Quoted in Dunya (February 28, 2015) Chaudhry Shujaat told reporters that what had been happening before the Senate elections was not horse trading but donkey (khota) trading.
Bank robber beats bad luck
Reported in Nawa-e-Waqt (February 28, 2015) a robber who looked like a madrassa student entered a bank in Karachi waving a bomb. The three security guards ran away. The man tried to break the counter glass to steal cash, but could not. He tried to fire his pistol but it didn’t go off. He jumped behind the counter, stole a million rupees, and tried to flee on his motorbike, but it didn’t start, so he ran away on foot.
Traffic cop gives ticket to ‘man, son of animal’
According to Express (March 1, 2015) a motorcycle rider refused to tell his name to a traffic waden in Lahore following a quarrel over whether he had jumped the red light. The policeman gave him a ticket identifying him as ‘human, son of an animal’ (insaan wald janwar). The chief traffic officer suspended the warden.
Policemen fire official guns to celebrate wedding
Four policemen were arrested in Kasur for shooting in the air with their official guns at their friend’s wedding the entire night, reports Jang (March 1, 2015).