SAHIWAL, April 25: Police on Saturday night arrested 40 people of two groups for a shootout over a land dispute in Chak 131/9L. The Iqbal Tahir Nargana group, reportedly enjoying support of PML-Q district president MPA Malak Jalal Din Dhakkoo
, had gone to take possession of 1.5 acres in Chak 131/9-L.
The Allah Ditta Chaudhry group, reportedly supported by provincial minister Muhammad Arshed Khan Lodhi, put up resistance. The two groups exchanged fire for three hours, but nobody was injured.
Dera Rahim police booked 40 people of whom 11, identified as Imran, Ejaz, Imtiaz, Zafar, Ghulam Farid, Shahamand, Ahmad Ali, Muhammad Ali, Zahoor Ahmed, Wazeer and Muhammad Amin, were sent to the central jail on judicial remand. Police recovered 11 rifles, 2,000 rounds and other arms from them and registered a case.
PROBE ORDERED: The district & sessions judge has ordered a judicial inquiry into the 'mysterious death' of a woman prisoner. Mst Sakeena, 80, a resident of Chuchak and the alleged ring leader of a narcotics gang, had been arrested on Sept 7, 2000, by the Multan anti-narcotics team when she was going to the airport with 28kg of heroin in a car.
The special court awarded her 39-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) with a fine of Rs1.5 million and sent her to the Multan women jail on Feb 19, 2002. Sakeena had been transferred to Sahiwal central jail on Aug 18, 2003, where she died on April 25 (Sunday). The district and sessions judge has appointed judicial magistrate Sahir Islam as the inquiry officer.
