OKARA: The locomotive of Lahore-bound Tezgam Express broke down at the railway station here and the railways authorities managed to take passengers to their destination with a freight train locomotive after a delay of two hours.

Tezgam Express arrived at the railway station from Karachi at noon and it was fully packed with the devotees who were returning from the urs of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar.

The locomotive developed some fault in the severe hot weather and the railway authorities could not fix it. Hundreds of passengers were left stranded and they started protesting at the station. Seeing the aggressive mood of the passengers, the railway station crew disappeared while some angry passengers tried to manhandle the ticket collector. Ultimately, the authorities managed to get a freight train engine to take passengers to Lahore. Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has taken notice of the incident.

TWO KILLED: A woman and her son died while her husband was injured when their motorcycle collided with a tractor-trolley on the GT Road.

Nadeem Akhtar, an army personnel, was traveling on the motorcycle with wife Rizwana and 13-year-old son Faizan. When they reached near the bypass, their motorcycle collided with a speeding tractor-trolley. As a result, Rizwana died on the spot while Faizan and Nadeem Akhtar were shifted to Okara Cantt Military Hospital were Faizan succumbed to his injuries. Akhtar is stated to be in a critical condition. The driver managed to escape while police impounded the vehicle and registered a case. The victim family belonged to Jhelum.

Opinion

Editorial

Iran stalemate
Updated 02 May, 2026

Iran stalemate

THE US and Iran are currently somewhere between war and peace. While a tenuous ceasefire — extended largely due to...
Tax shortfall
02 May, 2026

Tax shortfall

THE Rs684bn shortfall in tax collection during the first 10 months of the fiscal year is a continuation of a...
Teaching inclusion
02 May, 2026

Teaching inclusion

DISCRIMINATORY and exclusionary content in Punjab’s textbooks has been flagged in Inclusive Education for a United...
Water vision
01 May, 2026

Water vision

WATER insecurity in Pakistan has been building up for decades as per capita water availability has declined from...
Vaccine policy
01 May, 2026

Vaccine policy

PAKISTAN has finally approved its first National Vaccine Policy; a step the health ministry has rightly described as...
Labour rights
Updated 01 May, 2026

Labour rights

THE annual observance of May Day should move beyond statements about the state’s commitment to the rights of...