TOBA TEK SINGH: The Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) has pointed out to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that women in 295-JB Devidaspura village of the district have never been allowed to vote in any general or local body election.

The network said this had been decided mutually by representatives of all political parties in the village. Fafen requested the commission to send a special team to convince people of the village not to deprive women of their right to vote.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Fafen Assistant Project Manager Muhammad Shahid and Convener Tahir Zeeshan said under the Citizens Action for Democratic Governance project, they prepared a report and recommended the government introduce reforms in election rules and give overseas Pakistanis the right to vote in elections.

Reporters were shown a report detailing rigging and irregularities found in the 2015 local body elections by the network’s survey teams at various polling stations of the district.

STADIUM: The tehsil municipal administrator and additional district collector, Zeeshan Shabbir Rana, on Sunday announced that the Umer Chaudhry Hockey Ground of Housing Colony will be converted into a stadium for which construction work will start soon.

In his speech after distributing prizes among hockey players following a Jashan-i-Baharan match between Gojra and Toba teams, Rana lauded participation of all the players in the match that was won by the Toba team.

The match was inaugurated by District Sports Officer Attaur Rehman and District Information Officer Nisar Khan.

ROBBERY: Dacoits looted a senior lawyer in Kamalia on Sunday.

Advocate Chaudhry Muhammad Mukhtar told Kamalia City police he and his friend Javed Iqbal were on their way to Faisalabad in a car. When they reached near bypass road, two armed men intercepted their car and snatched Rs175,000 cash, mobile phones and other valuables.

Published in Dawn, February 29th, 2016