TOBA TEK SINGH: Kotwali police on Wednesday booked their own reconciliation committee chairman for allegedly patronising criminals and extorting money acting as a tout.

As per the first information report (FIR) registered under sections 401 and 413 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on the complaint of Constable Mustafa Shah, the suspect, Hafiz Khalid Mahmood, was not only involved in misappropriation of recovered booty, but also backs criminals for money to get them off the hook in investigation.

The FIR said if the suspect was arrested, a number of criminals involved in different cases could be traced, while valuable items allegedly misappropriated from the booty could also be recovered from his possession.

The police have yet to arrest the suspect, whose name is also in the Fourth Schedule among religious extremists for being a former district president of a banned outfit.

INJURED IN FIRING: A youth opened indiscriminate fire after a minor quarrel with his friend, injuring four persons, three of them passersby, at Chak 393-JB, Khanpur.

Police said the suspect, Zohaib Akram, had a quarrel with his friend Nabeel Sabir when they went for swimming in the Jhang Branch Canal. Both exchanged words and returned home.

After an hour Zohaib went to Nabeel’s house and called him. As Nabeel came out of his house, the suspect opened indiscriminate fire, injuring Nabeel and three passersby -- Aslam, Ghulam Sarwar and Abdul Rehman.

The injured were rushed to the district headquarters hospital where doctors referred them to Faisalabad’s Allied Hospital, given their serious condition.

The police have arrested the suspect.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2021