SAHIWAL: The district environment protection department on Wednesday sealed five brick kilns that did not shift to the zigzag technology for violating the 80-day ban imposed on their functioning by the Punjab government on the Supreme Court’s orders.

According to EPD Assistant Director Ali Ijaz, four out of the five sealed brick kilns are located in Chichawatni tehsil, while only one was in Sahiwal tehsil.

The EPD also got cases registered against the owners of these units at different police stations under sections 269, 280, 270, 291 of the Pakistan Penal Code and for violation of section 11 & 12 of the Punjab Environment Protection Act -- 2012 (amended).

The cases were registered against Rana Hadayat Ullah, Ismail Khan, Raja Qammar, Haji Usman and Sikandar Khan, who own Hameed Bricks and Industry (42/12-L village), Nazar Brick Kiln Industry (150/9-L), Asif Bricks and Company (109/12-L), Usman Bricks Industry, Rao Brick Kiln Industry (109/12-L), respectively.

Officials said the department had issued warnings to the owners of these units before taking action.

Mr Ali said that as per the government directions only those brick kilns would be allowed to run which had shifted to the Zigzag technology.

ARRESTED: Chichawatni Saddar police have arrested a man for cutting hair of his wife on the advice of a so-called faith healer, who was also arrested later.

According to police, Jan Maseeh alias Baba Jani, an employee of the Tehsil Municipal Committee, Chichawatni, who claims to be a faith healer, was approached by one Ali Nawaz (30).

Nawaz told Maseeh that his wife Maria quarreled with him frequently, asking the faith healer to give him an amulet to “cure” her.

Police said the so-called faith healer charged Rs6,000 and gave an amulet to Nawaz, asking him to dissolve it in water and drink it. Nawaz did accordingly.

Later, on Tuesday night Nawaz overpowered Maria with the help of his two brothers and cut her hair.

Maria reported the matter to the police which booked Nawaz under sections 337 V and 354 of the PPC, also registering a case against Maseeh under section 420 of the penal code.

In his statement to police, Nawaz claimed that he cut his wife’s hair under a “spell”.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2018