TOBA TEK SINGH: Faisalabad Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) officer and her colleagues were allegedly tortured and made hostage by a sweets shop owner and 55 other persons at Bhatta Stop of Faisalabad for rescuing two minors who were being used as child labourers.

The suspects damaged the CPWB workers’ vehicle too.

A first information report (FIR) was registered with the Millat Town Police Station on complaint of CPWB officer Robina Iqbal. It said when Ms Iqbal and her staff recovered two children between age of eight and nine years from the sweets shop, the shop owner Zafar Iqbal and his 55 accomplices attacked them.

The suspects damaged the vehicle, tortured the officer and her staff members and snatched both the children from them.

The suspects took away mobile phones from the victims and locked them in a room.

Police rescued the CPWB staff and arrested three suspects. They claimed that raids to arrest the fleeing suspects were being conducted.

UAF BUDGET: The University of Agriculture Faisalabad’s Finance and Planning Committee meeting has approved recommendations of Rs11bn budget for the next financial year for sending it to the Syndicate and Senate for the approval.

The meeting, chaired by UAF VC Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, gave a nod to the recommendations, including Rs 6.9bn non-development budget; Rs1.1bn development (federal government-funded) budget, Rs606m development (Punjab government-funded) budget, Rs2.2bn competitive research grant, Rs241m non-development budget Punjab government (Burewala-Vehari), Rs44m for Water Management Research Centre, Rs 26m for Directorate of Financial Assistance and University Advancement and Rs36m for the Office of Research Innovation and Commercialisation.

Speaking on the occasion, the VC said the UAF would set up its own 1.5MW solar power plant in order to reduce the electricity expenses and to promote green energy. He urged the scientists to come up with more valuable research, keeping the agricultural issues and farming community problems in view.

Mr Khan said the university was providing scholarships to 25pc of the students. Treasurer Umer Saeed also spoke.

GUTTED: A running air-conditioned bus was gutted by fire near Tower Chowk on the Faisalabad-Satiana Road in Tandlianwala tehsil. However, all the passengers remained unhurt. Rescue 1122 reported that the fire was caused by an electric short circuit.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2022