The killing of five persons, including two policemen, a self-immolation bid by two Pakistan People’s Party workers. and the burning of a railway station shattered the eerie silence in the volatile Sindh province, according to latest reports. The agitation by the 10-party alliance of the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy assumed a new dimension when two PPP workers set their clothes ablaze in Dadu, one of the worst-hit towns in the nearly two week-long violence.

Search for survivors

Relief teams searched for survivors from the toxic gas disaster at a volcanic lake in western Cameroon that killed at least 2,000 people and left the area looking like it was hit by a “neutron bomb”. The President, Paul Biya, said the death toll could be higher, but that most of the gas appeared to have dissipated from around Lake Nyos, where an explosion at the bottom of the lake loosened a huge pocket of gas that swept through lakeshore communities.

Informer shot at in Punjab

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A police informer was shot at and injured by a wanted terrorist, Bhola, who escaped despite being fired at by security men in Amritsar. Five suspected terrorists were taken into custody in Faridkot and Amritsar districts. The situation in the curfew-bound town of Giddarbaha was stated to be tense but under control. Four have been rounded up in connection with the killing of three persons in a car near Moga, a police spokesman said in Faridkot. He said the “ real culprits” were expected to be nabbed soon, following the interrogation of the four persons.

More customs, excise reliefs

The Finance Ministry announced more concessions in customs and excise duties in response to industry representations during open house meetings. The ministry decided to extend the concessional rate of 55 per cent ad valorem customs duty for project imports to railway electrification projects under the World Bank loan agreement.