LAKKI MARWAT: An outlaw was killed in an exchange of fire with the police in Kherukhel locality here on Tuesday, police claimed.

An official said the district police chief Syed Khalid Hamdani, on a tip-off that an outlaw was hiding in the village, formed a police party which reached the locality.

He said the policemen came under fire when they were laying siege to the hideout of proclaimed offender named Abdul Rashid.

The law enforcers returned the fire and in the ensuing exchange of fire, which continued for half an hour, shot dead the outlaw, the official said, and added police seized an AK-47 assault rifle, spare magazines, bullets and narcotics from the hideout of the criminal.

Later, the district police officer rewarded cops who took part in encounter with commen-dation certiEcates and cashprizes.

Also in the day, police arrested four criminals in search and strike operation in the limits of Tajori police station. They included Ejaz, Kamran, Attaur Rehman and Wakil, who were wanted by police in murder and attempted murder cases.

Police also seized two SMGs, two rifles, eight spare magazines and 494 bullets from the arrested men, and registered cases against them.

TREE PLANTATION DRIVE: The district boy scouts association held a function at Government Higher Secondary School, Michenkhel, in Lakki city on Monday to launch a tree plantation drive.

Lakl(i Marwat Tehsil Nazim Hidayatullah Khan and elementary and secondary education department`s ADO Nisar Mohammad inaugurated the drive by planting saplings on the school premises.

The boy scouts sangnationalsongs,and alsospolce about the importance of tree plantation.

School principal Mohammad Umar asked the students and boy scouts to actively take part in the drive to make it a success.

He said forests were inevitable for maintaining a balanced ecosystem and sustainable environment. He asked the scout leaders to motivate boy scouts to participate in tree plantation drive.

Also in the day, district education officer Abdus Salam Marwat paid a surprise inspection visit to government higher secondary school, Shabaz Khel, and checked the attendance of staff.

He inspected the construction work on the school`s building under the standardisation project.

Mr Salam also attended a reception hosted in his honour by school officers association in Lakki city, and thanl(ed heads of schools and termed their role inevitable for promotion of education in the backward district.