BAHAWALPUR, Sept 1: Union council V (Bahawalpur city) Nazim Sheikh Azizur Rahman has admitted that the death certificate of an alleged dacoit was issued by his office.

A confirmation letter was dispatched on Wednesday to a Karachi judicial magistrate, Ms Shaista Hamid, who had asked the Nazim to confirm veracity of the death certificate of Faisal Shahzad Ghoraya.

The Nazim has, however, not commented on the actual issue of authenticity of the death certificate submitted to the judicial magistrate by the accused's uncle to help him eschew trial in the case. He claimed in the reply that the matter was still being probed.

The Nazim further submitted that applicant Shabbir Goraya, who is uncle of the accused, was implicated in the case. Faisal Ghoraya, who was arrested for his alleged involvement in a dacoity case in Karachi a couple of months ago, was set on bail by the judicial magistrate. Later, his uncle produced his death certificate with the magistrate, which was signed by the UC officials.

CAPTIVES FREED: As many as 41 prisoners involved in petty offences were set free by a team of judicial officers here on Wednesday. The team comprising Bahawalpur District and Sessions Judge Saleem Qureshi, judicial magistrate Tariq Javed and civil judge Ghulam Abbas inspected the new central jail and borstal. It ordered release of 45 prisoners.