Category: District

Muzaffargarh: An 18-year-old youth was allegedly poisoned to death in Basti Tangwani, Ali Pur tehsil. Police said on Wednesday, Gulfam, working as Driver, was found in critical condition outside his house at night. He told his mother that Saifullah, Nomi with the connivance of two unidentified accomplices had mixed wheat-preservation pills into a cold drink and made him consume it.

He was rushed to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital and later referred to Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, where he died. Police concerned took the body into custody for a postmortem and registered a case.

The victim’s mother stated that few days ago,her son had been beaten by the two accused.They also snatched his mobile phone and demanded Rs 100,000. Police were investigating.

Gujrat: Deputy Commissioner Noor-ul-Ain Qureshi chaired a meeting to review the measures for promoting tree plantation, improving greenbelts and implementing plantation plans under ongoing development projects. According to official sources, the meeting decided that horticulture funds allocated under ongoing development schemes would be utilized for large-scale plantation across the district.

In the first phase, trees will be planted on the central medians of Gujrat-Sargodha Road and Kotla Arab Ali Khan Road to enhance the beauty of the roads and promote a greener environment.The deputy commissioner directed the relevant departments to complete the plantation drive at the earliest and ensure proper care, irrigation and protection of the saplings to ensure the project’s long-term success. Deputy Conservator Forest, Deputy Director Development Tasawar Abbas, Chief Officer District Council Syed Faraz Mehdi, officials of the Highways Department and other officers concerned attended the meeting.

Abbottabad: Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Prisons, Iftikhar Ullah Jan, visited Central Jail Haripur on Wednesday, where he inspected various departments and inaugurated several new facilities and development projects.

He was accompanied by Special Assistant for Tourism and Culture, Malik Adeel, Member Provincial Assembly, Akbar Ayub Khan, and Inspector General of Police, (IGP) Prisons, Rehan Gul Khattak.

During the visit, officials briefed the delegation that the prison currently housed around 1,100 inmates and has introduced modern security systems, digital governance, NRTC integration, a virtual court, pharmacy, Outpatient Department, diagnostic medical facilities, and a production laboratory. They also said Central Jail Haripur was now the third prison in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, after Peshawar and Mardan, to have its own website.

The delegation was informed that the total approved cost of ongoing Annual Development Programme (ADP) schemes and two new projects stood at Rs 342 million, of which Rs153 million has already been spent, while overall progress has reached 55 percent.

The Special Assistant also inaugurated the Shaheed Zahir Sports Arena, the Staff Officers’ Mess, and the renovated Prison Industry Showroom.

Addressing officials, Iftikhar Ullah Jan directed that prison records be fully digitised, vocational training and prison industries be expanded, rehabilitation programmes for drug-dependent inmates be strengthened, and the vacant dentist post be filled without delay.

He also called for examining the transfer of low-risk prisoners to jails closer to their homes to facilitate family visits.

He said the government was committed to transforming prisons from detention facilities into centres of reform, rehabilitation, education, and skill development. During the visit, he also reviewed facilities for women and juvenile inmates, distributed commendation certificates among prison staff, while IGP, Prisons Khattak presented honorary souvenirs to Iftikhar Ullah Jan and Malik Adeel.

Sialkot: District Police Officer(DPO) Sialkot,Captain (Retired) Dost Muhammad has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Basheer Health Services,a police release said on Wednesday.

Under this agreement,police employees will receive discounts on hospital general check-ups,general surgery operations and laboratory tests.

The medical and educational issues of police personnel will be addressed on a priority basis,he concluded.

Mirpur: Election authorities on Wednesday organized a training workshop for Presiding Officers in Mirpur as part of preparations for the phased Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, beginning on July 27. The session, chaired by District and Sessions Judge and District Returning Officer (DRO) Mirpur Jahangir Ahmed Jarral, was attended by Returning Officers of constituencies LA-2, LA-3 and LA-4, Deputy Commissioner Sajid Aslam, Senior Superintendent of Police Khurram Iqbal and Presiding Officers from across the district.

Participants were briefed on electoral laws, the code of conduct, polling procedures, voter facilitation and their responsibilities on polling day. The workshop aimed to equip election officials with the knowledge and skills required to conduct the electoral process in a transparent, impartial and efficient manner.

Addressing the participants, Jahangir Ahmed Jarral said Presiding Officers played a central role in ensuring free, fair and credible elections. He directed them to discharge their duties with complete neutrality, integrity and professionalism while strictly adhering to the Election Commission’s rules and code of conduct. He added that close coordination among election authorities, the district administration and law enforcement agencies would be maintained to ensure the smooth conduct of polling and promptly address any issues.

The district returning officer said comprehensive monitoring arrangements had been put in place to safeguard transparency throughout the electoral process and warned that negligence or dereliction of duty would not be tolerated. Describing Presiding Officers as the backbone of the polling process, he said every effort would be made to provide equal opportunities and facilities to candidates and voters and to ensure the conduct of peaceful, free and transparent elections across the district.

Bahawalpur: The Regional Office of the Federal Ombudsman heard more than 100 public complaints against various federal government departments during a complaint hearing session, with several cases decided on the spot and relief worth millions of rupees provided to affected citizens.

According to an official press release, Associate Advisor Khalid Nazir presided over the hearing, which dealt with complaints involving the Sui Gas department, the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), Pakistan Post Office, the Federal Employees Benevolent and Group Insurance Fund (FEBandGIF), the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the Passport Office.

Complainants raised a range of issues, including correction of utility bills, payment of pensions and financial benefits, banking disputes, gas connections and other administrative matters.

After reviewing each case, the Associate Advisor directed representatives of the relevant departments to resolve the complaints promptly in accordance with the law and applicable regulations.

According to the press release, several complaints were settled during the hearing, while the remaining departments were instructed to take immediate action to ensure that citizens received their lawful entitlements. The hearing resulted in relief amounting to millions of rupees for complainants, who expressed satisfaction over the outcome.