OKARA: The Livestock and Dairy Development Department staff of Okara district went on strike on Tuesday in protest at the beating of their colleague by farmers in village 16/GD.

Veterinary Assistant (VA) Murad Ali with other staffers held a sit-in on the lawns of the district office. He told reporters farmer Muhammad Jaffar called VA Muhammad Shafiq for the checkup of his unhealthy buffalo. When Shafiq with Artificial Insemination Technician Muhammad Saleem arrived at the farm, Jaffer along with his sons Zakir and Nasir beat them for coming late. Shafiq suffered injuries and fell unconscious.

Rescue 1122 and his colleagues rushed to the spot and shifted him to the District Headquarters Hospital. The Satghara police, on the report of Veterinary Officer Dr Muaaz Khalid, registered a case against Jaffar and his sons.

ENCOUNTER: A gunman was shot dead allegedly by his accomplices late on Monday in an encounter with police near 52/2L underpass, police said.

The Saddar police said cattle trader Munir Ahmed, of village 5/4L, with his son Shabbir and nephew Usman Ali were riding a motorcycle on Okara-Depalpur Road near the 52/2L underpass, when four gunmen intercepted them and snatched Rs50,000, a mobile phone and motorcycle from them.

Meanwhile, a patrolling mobile police van arrived at the scene. Seeing it, the gunmen took cover in nearby fields and gunfire ensued. When guns fell silent, the police found a body in the fields and snatched mobile phone, CNIC of complainant Munir Ahmed and a pistol on him.

The police claimed that the gunman was killed by his own accomplices. The other three gunmen fled. The body was shifted to the mortuary.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2018