May 25, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 19, 1429

BAHAWALPUR, May 24: Claiming an achievement in solving the mystery of murder of nine members of a family, the district police on Saturday revealed that a son, nephew and the servant of the head of the family were the perpetrators of the crime.

Nine members of a family were killed a month ago in Hasilpur, which falls in the Qaimpur police precinct, about 90 kilometres from here. The police have arrested family head Muhammad Ibrahim’s son, nephew and servant.

Hasilpur police inspector Pervaiz Iqbal Bajwa said the murders were a sequel to the illicit relations of Ibrahim’s daughter and his nephew, Ramzan. A sister of Ramzan was the daughter-in-law of Ibrahim who killed his daughter and perpetrated divorce of his son and daughter-in-law (Ramzan’s sister).

Ramzan nurtured grudge against Ibrahim who had to shift his family from Dokota near Tibba Sultanpur to Luddan Riasti near Hasilpur. Ramzan poisoned ears of Ibrahim’s son, Habibur Rehman, and servant, Rab Nawaz, and they together killed the nine dear ones.

huge loss: The windstorm that lashed the city and other parts of the district on Friday night caused damage to the tune of hundreds of thousands of rupees to the installations of Multan Electric Supply Company (Mepco).

The windstorm disrupted the electricity supply for hours plunging the majority of localities into darkness and bringing life to a standstill.

Scores of billboards and signboards and uprooted trees broke electricity wires on various roads and streets and a number of transformers broke down in the event.

Mepco Executive Engineer Muhammed Iqbal Joyia told dawn on telephone on Saturday that as reports were still pouring in about the damages in various localities, over 50 electric poles and 15 transformers had been reported collapsed in the city so far.

NOMINATIONS: All nomination papers of five candidates for the slot of district naib nazim were declared valid after scrutiny on Saturday.

The seat was declared vacant after the resignation of district naib nazim Syed Irfan Gardezi, an ex-MPA and district president of PML-Q, in November last to contest the election of Punjab assembly.

The election to the office will be held on a non-party basis on May 26.