February 15, 2002	Friday	Zilhaj 2, 1422

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BAHAWALPUR, Feb 14: The number of landmine victims in Cholistan desert rose to seven when the driver of the ill-fated jeep died at the BVH on Thursday.

Muhammad Arif had sustained serious injuries in the landmine blast at Toba Kachowala near Indo-Pak border, some 100 kilometres from here. He was shifted to the BVH in precarious condition on Wednesday while six family members of Naseer Langah had died on the spot. The dead were laid to rest in their village.

KILLED: Maqsood Randhawa, elder brother of Naib Nazim Basharat Randhawa of Yazman tehsil and PPP activist Shaukat Randhawa, was killed by a speeding truck near Lodhran Adda Permit, some 30 kilometres from here.

A large number of people attended his funeral prayers.

HOUSE LOOTED: Six armed men masquerading themselves as CIA police men looted the house in Chak 1-BC near Abbasnagar police station, some 20 kilometres from here.

Painclothes men entered the house, made the inmates hostage and locked them in a room. Later, they scooped a 12 bore gun, cash, jewellery and valuables worth thousands of rupees and escaped.

A case has been registered against the accused.

DUTCH AMBASSADOR: The Dutch Ambassador, Mr Chop Volkte, on Wednesday visited the St. Dominican Church, Bahawalpur, to pay homage to the 15 Christians massacred last year.

The visitor met members of the community and condoled over the killing.

Later, he called on district Nazim Tariq Cheema at his residence where he was briefed about the government system and the uplift projects the district council had undertaken.

The Nazim told him that the councillors of the minority were being accommodated in the development works.