BAHAWALPUR: A minor boy has been killed by a pack of stray dogs at village 110-M Basti Khopian in Lodhran.

This is the second incident of a child being mauled by stray dogs in south Punjab in the last couple of days. At Rajawala village of Bahawalpur, a seven-year-old child was killed by stray dogs on Wednesday last when he was on way home from school.

Friday’s incident in Lodhran panicked locals when news of attack by stray dogs on Haseeb Ali, aged about two and a half years, got round. Ali reportedly came out of his aunt’s house in the neighbourhood when stray dogs attacked him and inflicted fatal injuries on him.

The parents and relatives went into a state of shock and locals protested over the negligence of the government officials who are supposed to cull stray dogs and save the populace.

Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz sought a report from the deputy commissioner of Lodhran and divisional commissioner of Multan. DC retired Capt Shoaib Ali suspended the district council chief officer from service.

The South Punjab additional chief secretary in his report to the chief minister said the incident took place owing to alleged negligence of the district council officials who failed to launch a drive in the area to cull stray dogs.

Deputy Director, Public Relations, Noman Masood told Dawn that the DC conducted a probe and held district council chief officer Malik Muhammad Saeed responsible for the incident and suspended him from service.

A handout said the DC had ordered a campaign to cull stray dogs in Lodhran for the protection of the public, especially children. He said a control room having telephone No (0608)546571 had been established in the DC office and people advised to contact on this number to inform the officials about stray dogs.

Meanwhile, the residents of Basti Pucca (Bahawalpur) where Ayan Shah, a nursery student, fell a victim to stray dogs’ attack have alleged that the the owners of poultry sheds throw dead chickens in the open where packs of stray dogs attack the passersby. They demanded action against the owners of the sheds.

CHOLISTAN: Divisional Commissioner Raja Jahangir after assuming charge on Saturday paid a visit to Cholistan desert to inspect the arrangements to provide drinking water to the people and their cattle.

Deputy Commissioner Irfan Ali Kathiya briefed him that six medical camps and 12 mobile units were functioning at Channan Pir and Gharkan.

Earlier, the commissioner presided over a meeting in Bahawalpur where the regional and divisional heads briefed him on the projects.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2022