August 21, 2008	Thursday	Sha'aban 18, 1429

OKARA, Aug 20: The swelling Ravi caused flooding at several areas near Mauza Masroorky, about 35 kilometre from the city, on Wednesday.

The wave of floodwater affected the village and five localities near the bed of Ravi, inundating crops over a large area. District Police Chief Ihsan Sadiq sought help of the rescue teams to ferry villagers to safety.

According to the Flood Control Centre, the water flow at Head Balloki (the river Ravi), some 50 kilometre from Okara district, was 70,000 cusecs upstream. It was 47,210 cusecs downstream -- touching the medium-level flood wave. Meanwhile, Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, a provincial minister, visited the flood-hit areas in and around the Sutlej on the instructions of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. He told newsmen that the Punjab government was fully alive to the situation and making efforts to help the distressed.

CASE: Police on Wednesday registered cases against nine people in two rape cases.

Reports said Ramzan, Amanat Mokha and Tufail abducted a woman at Arazi Bihar Shah village and raped her.

In the other incident, Anwar, Maqbool, Maman Shahnawaz and Allah Ditta abducted a girl and raped her.