RAHIM YAR KHAN: A salesman of a private company was murdered during a street robbery while two persons were kidnapped for ransom in the area on Monday.

The salesman of a private company, Abdul Jabbar (28), a resident of Jinnah Park, was going to deliver goods to retailers. When he reached near Chak 78, some robbers signaled him to stop his vehicle. Jabbar did not stop and the robbers opened fire on him. As a result, Jabbar died on the spot.

Ashiq Hussain, the complainant in the kidnap case, said his brother Liaqat Ali along with one Abdul Qadir, both residents of Sadiqabad, was returning home from a wedding ceremony late at night. When they reached Rahimabad in tehsil Sadiqabad, some robbers kidnapped them. On Monday, the relatives of Abdul Qadir received a call and the caller said both the abducted persons were in captivity of robbers in the Kacha area. He asked the family to make arrangements for release of their relatives from robbers. However, he did not tell any ransom amount. Ashiq said that the DSP Bhong circle reached the spot of kidnapping 12 hours after of the occurrence of the crime.

Some sources in police say that after the bifurcation of Sadiqabad police circle into two circles, Sadiqabad and Bhong, the criminals have changed their strategy.

They use women who strike friendship with different persons and call them for a meeting. When the victims go for a meeting, they are kidnapped.

The incidents of snatching of motorcycles and tractors have also increased in the area.

Police spokesperson Saif Ali Wains told Dawn that the FIR had been registered against the unidentified robbers and police were investigating the kidnap case.

CONSULTATION: A consultation on solar irrigation was conducted on Monday at Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology (KFUEIT) with the collaboration of IWMI-Pakistan under a project funded by the World Bank.

A press release said, the representatives from the SCARP, Nespak, Fatima Fertiliser, solar industry, farmers associations participated in the consultation.

The session was addressed by Dr Azeem Ali Shah, Senior Regional Researcher at IWMI-Pakistan Col Jamal Rauf (SCARP), Syed Mazharul Haq Bukhari, the president Kissan Bachao Tehreek, Tariq Shahzad, the assistant agriculture engineer, M Mustafa Ali, the president of solar association, Ateequr Rehman and Hafiz A. Qahir (Fatima Fertilizer Company), Engr Yousaf, the field engineer Nespak and the farmers.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2022