BAHAWALPUR: A 10-day ‘Jashn-i-Bahawalpur’ kicked off at the glittering polo ground (historic Noor Mahal) on Thursday night.

The celebrations are held to commemorate the historic occasion when the former princely Bahawalpur State acceded to Pakistan. The documentation was done on Oct 3, 1947 by the late Emir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi and the Quaid-i-Azam signed the historic document at Al-Shams in Malir, Karachi on Oct 5.

According to a press release, the celebrations were inaugurated with the national anthem amid an impressive march past by the schoolchildren and sports teams followed by cultural dances and singing of the national songs.

ACCIDENT: Two women were killed and eight people suffered injuries when a tractor-trolley overturned at the overhead bridge near Channigoth on Ahmedpur East-Liaquatpur Road, about 80 kilometres from here, on Friday.

According to police sources, the accident took place due to speeding by the tractor-trolley which was descending the overhead bridge. The injured were shifted to the Bahawal Victoria Hospital in a critical condition.

The Channigoth police took the driver into custody.

PROTESTS: Families of some railway employees on Friday protested the district administration’s move to vacate residential quarters around Sammsatta railway junction.

The protesters claimed that the railway administration did not serve notices on them before the operation.

In another protest, shopkeepers of Ahmedpur East demonstrated against the removal of the parking lot outside a private plaza by its owners. They said the owner of private plaza had removed the parking lot where he had built more shops.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2017