May 14, 2006	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 15, 1427

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GUJRANWALA, May 13: Amer Cheema, a young engineer who was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a German prison, was laid to rest on Saturday at his native Saroki village in Wazirabad amid thousands weeping.

According to reports, an uncountable number of people attended the funeral procession and prayer which was led by Prof Nazir Ahmad Cheema, the deceased’s father.

The body reached Lahore from Germany and was later brought to Gujranwala Cantonment by the chief minister’s helicopter. From there it was taken by an ambulance to Saroki where the funeral prayer was offered.

Prominent among the participants were Jamaat-i-Islami Secretary-General Syed Munawar Hassan, MNAs Qazi Hamidullah and Farid Ahmad Piracha, and City District Nazim Fayyaz Ahmad Chattha.

The bereaved family alleged that the government had kept them in the dark about the body’s arrival and, consequently, a large number of people could not be a part of the procession.

The JI leader also criticised the government for not properly taking up the issue with the German authorities.

Meanwhile, the district and Wazirabad tehsil bar associations observed strike and lawyers reached Saroki in large number. The transporters didn’t charge the people who were making for the funeral.

The district administration had taken measures to guard against any untoward incident.

STAMPEDE: Some people were reported to be injured in a stampede during the funeral prayer.