SIALKOT: Gujranwala Commissioner Khwaja Shamail Ahmad has expressed dismay over the failure of the Sialkot administration in draining out floodwater which is still inundating various urban parts of the city despite three weeks after the rain/flood.

He ordered a probe into the matter and said all those responsible for the negligence would be taken to the task.

During a visit to the affected areas of the city, the commissioner directed DCO Nadeem Sarwar and the officials concerned of the Sialkot tehsil municipal administration to use the maximum number of pumps and sucker machines to save city from the outbreak of epidemics caused by stagnant water.

He directed the Gujranwala Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) managing director to provide three sucker machines to the district administration of Sialkot.

The commissioner was told that encroachments had squeezed the seasonal Aik and Bhed Nullahs which resulted in flood. Politically influential people had set up makeshift shops and even built houses along both sides of the nullahs. Sialkot city was badly hit by these nullahs.

Commissioner orders probe

The commissioner also visited various spots of the nullahs and directed the DCO to ensure removal of encroachments and start desilting.

City’s several congested areas, including Govt Pilot Boys Higher Secondary School, Sialkot, Rehmatpura, Kothey, Talwara Mughalaan, Rehmanpura, Shafi Da Bhatta, Kishaneywali, Shujaabad, Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park, Doburji Araiyaan, Ban Phatak and Talaab Sheikh Maula Bakhsh were still under four-foot water.

These flooded urban areas of the city fall in NA 110, the constituency of Federal Minister for Defence, Water and Power Khwaja Asif.

HELD: The Daska police on Monday arrested four suspects on charges of killing a former army man.

Daska DSP Engineer Rana Zahid Hussain said Iftikhar Ahmed of village Rehmatabad was killed near Wadala Sindhuaan-Satrah on Aug 26 but nobody knew who had killed him.

He said the police resolved the case and arrested four suspects, Ehsan alias Saana, Shoaib Mayo, Faisal and Umer, on charges of killing Ahmed.

The DSP said Daska City police also busted two inter-district gangs of robbers, namely Mohsin alias Juna Gang and Khalid alias Khalu Gang and arrested their eight members, namely Mohsin alias Juna (ring leader) , Khadim Hussain, Saleem alias Seema, Khizar Hussain, Khalid alias Khalu, Afzaal Ansari, Abdul Rehman and Ajmal Irshad Sahaaran.

ARRESTED: The Daska police on Monday arrested four suspects on charges of killing a former army man.

Daska DSP Engineer Rana Zahid Hussain said Iftikhar Ahmed of village Rehmatabad was killed near Wadala Sindhuaan-Satrah on Aug 26 but nobody knew who had killed him.

He said the police resolved the case and arrested four suspects, Ehsan alias Saana, Shoaib Mayo, Faisal and Umer, on charges of killing Ahmed.

The DSP said Daska City police also busted two inter-district gangs of robbers, namely Mohsin alias Juna Gang and Khalid alias Khalu Gang and arrested their eight members, namely Mohsin alias Juna (ring leader) , Khadim Hussain, Saleem alias Seema, Khizar Hussain, Khalid alias Khalu, Afzaal Ansari, Abdul Rehman and Ajmal Irshad Sahaaran.

Published in Dawn, September 30th , 2014