TOBA TEK SINGH: Nine members of a kiln worker’s family had allegedly been kidnapped from Chak 327 JB three days ago by the men of the owner of a kiln located in Chak Gailpur in Ahmadpur Sial tehsil of Jhang district.

Addressing a press conference here, worker Kabir Ahmad along with Punjab Bhatta Mazdoor Union general secretary Muhammad Shabbir alleged that kiln owner Ameer Khan had not been paying his outstanding wages worth more than Rs1.4 million. Kabir said when he demanded the amount the owner asked him (Kabir) to pay Rs285,000 [instead] which he had obtained from him as advance money.

Kabir said he had not obtained any advance money and he and his family left the kiln and started work at a kiln in Chak 327 JB (Toba). He said on Oct 13, Ameer Khan’s manager Abdul Wahid and his accomplices came at the kiln and allegedly bundled his wife, three daughters, two sons and three grandchildren into a van. He said the suspect later phoned him and asked him to pay Rs400,000 to get the family members back otherwise they would sold to some men in Dera Ismail Khan to be used as bonded labour.

He said police did not so far register a case.

When contacted the city police SHO was on duty at a Shia community’s event while naib muharrar Mohsin told this correspondent that he was unaware of the application given by kiln worker Kabir for registering a kidnap case.

CASE ORDERED: A Pirmahal Additional District and Sessions Judge Khalid Bashir ordered on Saturday the district police officer to register a case against Arrouti police SHO Malik Ghulam Rasool, ASI Naveed Shahzad and six constables for allegedly torturing a woman due to which she faced miscarriage.

Petitioner Sumaira, wife of Imtiaz of Mauza Dhaidhi, had alleged in her plea that policemen forcibly entered her house and tortured her as result she was admitted to hospital where her pregnancy ended in miscarriage.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2021