BAHAWALPUR: At least five women were injured, one of them seriously, in a stampede at a free flour distribution point at Hasilpur, about 90kms from here on Wednesday.

As per Rescue 1122 officials, the stampede took place at the flour distribution point set up at the Government Boys High School on Baldia Road, Hasilpur.

They said the stampede occurred when the flour distribution was in progress, and men and women were jostling to get the free commodity first.

As a result, five women identified as Naziran Bibi (55), Zeenat Bibi (35), Zahoor Bibi (65) Sughran Bibi (35) and Farzana (30), were run over by the crowd and injured.

According to the officials, on receipt of an emergency call, a team of the emergency service rushed to the scene and rendered first aid to the injured women.

They said all the five injured women were immediately shifted to the Hasilpur Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, where they were admitted and being treated.

On being informed of the incident, district administration officials also reached the flour distribution point and ordered measures for the safety of the people standing in long queues to get free flour.

WALK: The district administration organised a walk in connection with the World Water Day to create awareness about saving water.

The participants in the walk, starting from the Bahawalpur deputy commissioner’s office, passed from different roads in the city.

Meanwhile, at a seminar held to highlight the importance of the day, representatives of the people of Cholistan demanded the government departments concerned and international agencies to act to increase the water resources for the inhabitants of the desert area.

PROTEST: Local artists on Wednesday staged a protest demonstration against producers of sub-standard dramas and social media content shot at the historical places, including heritage of the former Bahawalpur state.

The local artists, gathered outside the Bahawalpur Press Club, under the aegis of the All-Pakistan Fankar Federation, Bahawalpur, and alleged that the artists visiting the city from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad damaged the local heritage and monuments during their shoots.

They alleged that the outsiders in their sub-standard productions ridiculed the local culture and traditions, urging the authorities concerned to scrutinise the scripts of such production before granting permission for shoots at historical monuments of Bahawalpur so that healthy entertainment could be provided to the people.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2023