TOBA TEK SINGH: City police registered a case on Tuesday against more than 250 people, including 37 nominated, under sections 353, 291, 148, 149, 186, 440, 341of the PPC and 193D of Police Order 2002.

Charges on the people included forcibly closing railway crossing gates, blocking roads by setting tyres on fire, destroying signboards, damaging a police van and injuring policemen by pelting them with stones following a shutter-down strike on Monday. The strike was observed against the City police for allegedly killing a man, Shahid, in custody. A case was registered on the complaint of City police Station House Officer (SHO) Zahid Hussain. No arrests were made until the report was filed.

Another case was registered on the complaint of the SHO against City police Muharrar Nisar Ahmad under Section 155C of Police Order 2002 for not informing his officers that Sub-Inspector Akhtar Saeed Bhinder and two constables Tasawur Imran and Sajjad Ahmad tortured Shahid after arresting him five days ago.

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Waqas Alam and District Police Officer Dr Shahzad Asif met the protesters and assured them that as soon as it was proved Shahid had been killed in custody a murder case would be registered against the policemen responsible while different police teams try to arrest them. The aggrieved people decided to call off their protest over the assurance.

Asghar Ali, driver of the assistant commissioner who was allegedly affected due to teargas shelling on Monday, died at the DHQ Hospital on Tuesday.

FIR: Three office-bearers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) were among 250 people nominated in a first information report (FIR) registered by City police against the protest and strike on Monday.

Police conducted raids to arrest PTI activists Amer Butt, Ijaz Ahmad Ansari and Riaz Ahmad, but to no avail. However, police managed to arrest seven others nominated in the FIR.

CANAL: A Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) evaluation mission team arrived on Tuesday to determine problems faced by farmers regarding short water supply in their villages located on tail ends of canals.

The visit was conducted for JICA’s lower Chenab circle canal rehabilitation assistance programme. They held a meeting in Janiwala canal resthouse with local farmers.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2014