BAHAWALPUR: Bahawalpur Bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday changed the election symbols of three Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) candidates, accepting their writ petitions in this regard.

According to PTI sources, the LHC bench changed the election symbols of Samiullah Chaudhry who is a PTI-affiliated candidate from NA-168, Malik Asghar Joya from PP-253 and Ms Shafqat Shaheen from PP-254 (Bahawalpur city).

The petitioners are contesting the upcoming election as independent candidates as the PTI has been denied its ‘bat’ symbol by the Supreme Court, upholding a decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

On their petitions for change of symbols, the LHC bench allotted them ‘water cooler’ as election symbol.

Earlier, the returning offices (ROs) concerned had allotted ‘shower’ and ‘harmonium’ to Samiullah and Asghar Joya, respectively.

Ms Shafqat Shaheen is contesting election after the nomination papers of her son Malik Ahmed Usman Channar, a PTI activist, were rejected by the RO.

KILLED: Police claim that a suspect was killed, while another suffered serious injuries in two separate “encounters” in Bahawalpur and Vehari districts on Monday night.

According to Bahawalpur district police, a suspect, Shahid Shoaib Sial, allegedly involved in 29 cases of heinous crimes, including dacoity, murder and robbery, registered in different police station, was being escorted by a team of Head Rajkan police station in Yazman tehsil.

The police team was allegedly attacked by six armed accomplices of Sial, riding two motorcycles. The attackers opened fire on the police to free the suspect.

However, the bullets fired by the attackers hit Sial, who died on the spot. The attackers managed to flee, the police.

Head Rajkan police have registered a case against the fleeing attackers, and shifted the suspect’s body to rural health centre concerned.

In the other incident taking place in the limits of Mailsi city police station in Vehari district, a suspect, Usman, who was allegedly involved in nine criminal cases, was being taken by police for recovery of some looted items.

The police team was attacked by three armed accomplices of the suspect. The police also returned the fire.

The police claimed that the bullets fires by Usman’s accomplices hit the suspect, leaving him injured. He was shifted to hospital for treatment. The police are looking for fleeing attackers.

MURDER CASE SOLVED: The Hasilpur city police claimed to have solved a blind murder case in which a man was allegedly strangled by his wife, her male fried and their accomplice.

As per the police, the investigations revealed that the victim, Imran, was strangled with a piece of cloth by his wife Rafia Bibi, her friend Ali Raza and their accomplice, Imran.

DPO Syed Muhammad Abbas Shah had formed a special investigation team, which used the latest technology and geofencing to trace the suspects.

ACCIDENT: A driver, Jamil (22), died after he got crushed under the wheels of his own tractor while trying to cross a sand dune at Dahawali Bari Bund village in Ahmedpur East tehsil.

His body was shifted to Uch rural health centre (RHC).

Meanwhile, a minor girl, Rumesa (7), was injured when she was attacked by a stray dog at Tahirwali village near Channigoth, about 70kms from here.

She was shifted to Uch RHC for treatment.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2024