MUZAFFARGARH: The Layyah police registered a case against unidentified people who stole an artificial gun hoisted at the commemorative statue of an army official in Layyah’s town of Karor Lal Esan. The fibre-made statue was installed at the Railway crossing on Fatehpur Road, Karor Lal Esan.

The thief placed a sugarcane stick at the statue in the place of the gun. The police registered a case against unidentified people under section 379 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Some locals alerted the police about the incident. The army had placed the statue many years ago. Locals expressed anger at the incident.

Earlier, such an incident occurred in Bahawalpur where hockey was stolen from the statue of legend hockey player Samiullah.

In that case, the police had traced and arrested the accused. Also, the Vehari police has yet to find the monocle of Quaid-i-Azam’s statue stolen in December last.

The Multan Commissioner’s Office ordered for buying new monocles for the statue. The Layyah police said that a special team had been made to trace the accused.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for National Food Security Syed Fakhr Imam said the Ministry of National Food Security was fully committed to the protection of the employees of the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) and its financial and administrative affairs,

He was speaking at the Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) Multan, on Sunday.

In a meeting with the CCRI delegation, the federal minister congratulated CCRI Director Dr Zahid Mahmood on receiving the Quaid-i-Azam gold medal award and for the approval of six varieties of cotton by the institute.

Tanveer Abbas, CCRI president of Apca unit, conveyed to the federal minister the reports of the privatization of PCCC under the federal government’s agriculture transfer mission plan.

The federal minister said that there was no truth in these reports as the PTI government stood with PCCC employees and no such action will be taken. In addition, the federal minister assured the PCCC employees that he would play his full role in releasing the arrears of the employees.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2022