KARACHI: Gen Mohammad Musa, Commander-in-Chief, Pakistan Army and President of the Pakistan Hockey Federation yesterday declared open the Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium, behind Napier Barracks, amidst loud cheers from local enthusiasts.

“I hereby declare open the Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium and the membership of the Hockey Club of Pakistan,” said the C-in-C and simultaneously pigeons and coloured balloons were released to mark the opening ceremony.

Earlier, Brig Riaz Husain, former chairman of the PHF Working Committee and convenor of the Hockey Club of Pakistan welcomed the Army chief. He said the Club was formed with the specific object of promoting hockey in particular and other sports in general in the country.

Brig Riaz said that Karachi had about 80 hockey clubs but hardly six with their own play fields and a good deal of local talent in the city remained undeveloped because of the lack of playing fields.

[Meanwhile, as reported by agencies from Multan,] the cross-examination of two more prosecution witnesses was completed yesterday [Feb 12] at the resumed hearing of the Magisterial inquiry into Police firing on a students’ procession last month.

Mr Mohammad Aslam Sukhera, Additional District Magistrate, Multan, is conducting the inquiry.

Witness Sultan Khan, a building contractor, stated that he saw the students’ procession on Kutchery Road, when it was heading towards the Lohari Gate. At this point the Police van coming from the opposite direction stopped before the procession and about 10 Policemen emerged from the van.

They asked the students to disperse. One of the members of the Police party was clad in white clothes. The students were enraged when Police intercepted their procession. One of them brought a tin of kerosene oil and sprinkled it on the van. Another student brought some fire from a nearby oven and set the van on fire.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2016