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FAISALABAD, July 22: The irrigation department and police have declared 23 landlords, politicians, former ministers and parliamentarians, and a retired colonel belonging to Jhang district, as “habitual water thieves.”
The list has been prepared on the directive of the Punjab governor to initiate crackdown against the water thieves.
The list includes the names of former federal minister and former ambassador to the US Syeda Abida Husain, former federal minister Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat, former adviser and MPA Mehr Muhammad Aslam Bharwana, former MNAs Makhdoom Asad Hayat, Syed Zafar Abbas and Syed Amir Husain Shah, former MPAs Iftikhar Husain Bukhari, Syed Taqi Shah and Syed Imran Shah, and notables of the area Rai Ziafat Ali Bhatti, Rai Muratab Ali Bhatti, Khalid Hayat, Liaquat Hayat, Amir Abdullah Bhatti, Rai Ismatullah Bhatti, Chan Pir, Rai Tahir Bhatti, Rai Mubasher Bhatti, Syed Ghazanfar Abbas, Rai Zulfiqar Bhatti, Syed Fazal Raza, Haji Sher Muhammad Bhatti, Kamran Mumtaz Niswana and Colonel Pervez Sultan Bhatti (retired).
Despite having orders for their arrest, Jhang police have failed to take action against them because they are influential and have deep roots amongst bureaucracy and ruling group.
In a directive issued to the Punjab IG, the governor said during his recent visits to districts, a number of growers complained that they were being deprived of their share of water as the influentials, with connivance of irrigation department staff, steal water.
REMANDED: A Jaranwala civil judge-cum-judicial magistrate on Monday remanded in judicial custody three men accused of attempting to kill an American national and attacking the house of his in-laws in a Jaranwala village.
The accused were produced before the court amid tight security after the expiry of 14-day remand.
The judge said in his short order that since no formal application has been moved by the defence counsel for the release of the accused on bail, the accused be sent to the Faisalabad district jail on judicial remand and produced before the court on August 5.
Jaranwala police had on July 8 arrested Mazhar Hussain, Zubair Usman and Asim for attacking the house of the in-laws of American national Afraz Jawed in Chak No 111 JB.
Afraz had complained that the accused tried to kill him when he objected to the sermon of prayer leader during Friday prayers.
Camp office: The Punjab Housing Department has set up a camp office at the General Hospital, Ghulam Muhammadabad, for early disposal of allotment cases of the residents of the locality.
In addition to a form distribution/collection counter, an information counter has also been set up at the camp office for the guidance of the applicants. On Monday, over 100 people received forms from this counter.
The camp office has been established on the directive of the Punjab governor to resolve chronic cases and give proprietary rights to the residents of this colony established in 1958-59.
The housing management officer said most of the pending cases related to the D and D-extension blocks. These cases had lingered on due to some technicalities or violations/non-compliance of rules by the applicants.
MINISTER: Punjab Social Welfare Minister Shaheen Atiqur Rahman will pay a brief visit to Faisalabad on Tuesday.
