LAHORE: A correspondent for a private TV channel was arrested on Wednesday after he went to the Lahore railway station to collect two parcels containing weapons and items used in making explosive devices. The consignment was sent from Karachi.

`The consignments were got booked by a Karachi-based anchor-personfor a Lahore correspondent of the private channel,` Pakistan Railways General Manager (Operations) Javed Anwar told newsmen at a press conference here on Wednesday. Railways Police Inspector General Munir Chishti and DIG Shariq Jamal were also present.

Mr Anwar said anchorperson Syed Waseem Qaiser had booked the consignments on Tezgam and Fareed Express, stating the parcelscontained household articles. The consignments were addressed to TV correspondent Asif Shehzad Qureshi.

The PR staff found in the parcels 10 revolvers, one of 32 bore and nine of 30 bore, a pump action gun, three packets of ball-bearings, one packet of nails, nine bottles of liguor and 40 grams of hashish, besides 1.5kg of suspicious white powder.

He said Asif Shehzad Qureshiwas arrested when he came to collect the parcels.

His channel identity card was confiscated.

Mr Anwar said PR Police Karachi DSP Niaz Ahmed had been suspended, while SHO Furganul Haq, Sub-Inspector Ashram Dad, Constable Sardar Mohammad, Railway staff Anas Butt and Khadim Hussain had been arrested after registration of a case against them.