RAHIM YAR KHAN: The customs and police officials confiscated a huge quantity of smuggled goods worth Rs20m from a Sadiqabad-bound bus on Sunday.

ASP Sadiqabad Dr Hafeezur Rehman Bugti and Customs Officer Akmal Hashmi told journalists in a press conference that they had received reports that a bus, coming from Quetta, was loaded with a huge quantity of smuggled goods. The customs and police personnel stopped the bus at police check post near Ahmedpur Lama and confiscated 126 tyres, four bundles of cloth, 48 blankets and dozens of Iranian bed sheets, 3,000 packs of cigarettes of UK brand, 39 bags of betel nut, 20 sacks of gutka and 700 litres Iranian diesel.

Mr Bugti said the total value of all smuggled goods was almost Rs20m which were being transported to Sadiqabad daily after smuggling from Chaman and Taftan border. He said the company whose bus was used for smuggling was notorious for transporting smuggled items and Iranian diesel.

Mr Bugti added that the majority of confiscated goods were made in India.

DIES: A factory worker who was burnt during a boiler blast at the Hamza Sugar Mills (HSM), Jetha Butha, some 59km from here, died at Burn Unit of Nishtar Hospital, Multan.

Two other labourers had also received burns in the incident that occurred on March 11, 2019.

The deceased was identified as Suleman Shah, a resident of Kamlia.

Reports said the mills administration had initially hid the incident but the matter got disclosed when the burnt labourers were shifted to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital (THQ), Khanpur. Some labourers alleged that the incident had occurred because the boiler at the HSM was old and installed before 1999 and the administration of mills did not update the machinery.

Deputy Commissioner Jamil Ahmed Jamil has ordered an inquiry into the matter. He formed a committee, comprising the Khanpur Assistant Commissioner, inspector of boiler IPW&M department Bahawalpur, district emergency officer, civil defence officer, district officer environment and the medical superintendent of the THQ Hospital Khanpur.

The committee has been asked to complete its report within seven days after visiting the affected place. It would also observe the implementation on laws regarding boilers, collect information from working labourers at boiler section and availability of medical facilities for labourers at sugar mills. When HSM General Manager retired Col Sikandar was contacted for his version, he said he was busy in a litigation matter and will contact later.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2019