FAISALABAD: A case has been registered against former senator Farooq Ahmed Khan, a close associate of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, after dengue larvae were found in a famous beverage brand store owned by him.

The report for registration of the case was submitted on July 11 but the first information report was registered on Sunday.

Submitting an application, Deputy District Health Officer Dr Atul Monim said that he, along with others, checked the store of a famous beverage company at Chak 75-GB on the Sattiana Road. During inspection, dengue larvae and mosquitoes were detected at the spot.

The same spot was inspected in the presence of the assistant commissioner on Oct 21 last year and a warning was issued to the owner for violation of the standard operating procedures. He said detection of the dengue larvae was clear violation of the SOPs.

Farooq Khan, the store owner, Muhammad Saleem, the security in-charge and Muhammad Munir, the depot in-charge, were named in the FIR.

In October 2018, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) had registered a case against Khan and two others on charge of fraud and inflicting million of rupees loss on the national kitty by taking Rs2.6bn loan on fake documents of the Kamalia Sugar Mills.

The PML-N leaders termed registration of a case political victimisation and a bid to disgrace Farooq Khan.

A police officer, requesting anonymity, said the case had been registered following the application by the district administration official. He said the police was moving according to the rules.

PROTEST: Doctors and nurses of the Samundari Tehsil Headquarters Hospital staged a protest demonstration on Monday against the hospital administration and police for avoiding to take action against the suspects who had beaten up a nurse and abused her.

The nurses and doctors suspended their services at the hospital and turned up on Rajana-Gojra Road while chanting slogans against the administration and the police.

Ayesha Kanwal, a nurse of the THQ Hospital, complained to the police that a man, identified as Saddam, came to the hospital. He was provided with treatment and was asked to proceed to the ward for further procedure. At this, she alleged, Saddam got infuriated and started using abusive language against her. He called some other persons, including a woman who slapped Ms Kanwal and abused her.

The police registered a case but made no arrest.

Talking to the reporters, the protesting nurses said the suspects had thrashed a nurse on duty but the hospital administration was not pushing the police for their arrest while the policemen did not seem ready to dispense justice. They alleged that the administration had forced the victim for reconciliation and demanded justice.

The protesters kept the road blocked for about three hours and dispersed peacefully when the administration assured them of justice.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2020