SIALKOT: Six unidentified armed men looted gold jewellery, cash and other valuables worth Rs1.2 million at gunpoint from the house of Mirza Zahid Hussain in village Chobara, Pasrur tehsil on Saturday night.

The suspects forced their entry into the house, took the family hostage at gunpoint and started looting. They fled with Rs1.2m booty. Sabzpeer police are investigating the incident.

WATER CHANNELS: The construction floodwater channels in Nullahs Aik and Dek was under way to save villages of Sialkot and Pasrur from floods.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Farrukh Naveed told the media that a drain had been constructed near Pathanwali to divert 5,000 cusecs of floodwater in Nullah Aik. He added that work was also progressing to increase floodwater capacity of Nullahs Aik, Bhed and Palkhu that pass through almost all the congested residential, commercial and industrial areas of the city. This was being carried out by removing all encroachments along these nullahs besides ensuring early desilting and widening.

He further said a “flood protection wall” was also being built along Nullah Aik. The flow of floodwater was also being diverted near Pasrur to save villages from floods. He said senior officials of irrigation department had been directed to ensure timely completion of these projects before the start of the rainy season.

Meanwhile, 90 per cent construction on 1,100-metre-long bridge over the Chenab near Shehbazpur has been completed.

Gujranwala division Commissioner retired Capt Muhammad Asif told the media here that the Punjab government was spending Rs5 billion on the project that would connect Sialkot and Gujrat districts besides ensuring over 50pc reduction in the distance between Sambrial and Jalalpur Jattan from 72 kilometres to only 35km.

He said the bridge would also ensure easy access of people from Gujrat and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to the Sialkot airport.

ARRESTED: Police arrested three suspects in Daska for selling fireworks and crackers in various parts of the city.

Police also recovered a large quantity of fireworks from the suspects, identified as Nadeem Shehzad, Abdul Sattar and Ali Zulfiqar. Police sent the suspects behind bars after registering a case against them.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2018