KASUR: The Phoolnagar Saddar police registered a case on Tuesday against 18 people for attacking and holding hostage a Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) team at village Olakh Bonga.

Complainant Sub-Division Officer Muhammad Amjad said five Lesco officials raided the house of Sajid Mahmood in village Olakh Bonga for power theft.

Meanwhile, 18 people, including Sajid, his brothers Asif Mahmood and Muhammad Nisar, along with 15 other unidentified people manhandled the officials. They detained Lesco officials in a room, thrashed them and snatched cash and official cards from them.

EROSION: Hundreds of acres were submerged when the embankment of the BRB canal near Vehgal Pathanwala was eroded due to the strong current of the canal.

The standing crop of rice was badly damaged.

Farmers Fajar Din, Fiaz Ahmed, Nasarullah, Muhammad Khalid, Mushtaq and others blamed the Irrigation Department for not working on weak embankments despite repeated complaints.

According to Kisan Board Pakistan Information Secretary Muhammad Ramzan, the department deliberately ignores the weak embankment and after erosion, gives contracts for kickbacks. The end sufferers were the farmers, he said.

He urged the authorities to look into the matter.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2017