TOBA TEK SINGH: Two minor children of a brick kiln worker died, and his wife and two other children were injured when a heavy heap of earth collapsed on them during brick-making at a kiln in Faisalabad’s Chak 247-RB in the jurisdiction of Roshanwala police on Monday.

The city police said the deceased were Tayyab, 12, and Ali Husnain, 8. Fellow workers and local residents rescued all of them Worker Ashraf’s injured wife and two daughters, Tehmina, 6, and Asia, 2, were shifted to Allied Hospital.

ROBBERY: Robbers beat a worker to death in a tough tile manufacturing factory in Khanewal late on Sunday. Rescue 1122 said that when the robbers forced entry, Hanif of Chak 6/Kassi resisted, upon which they severely beat him, resulting in critical injuries. He was being shifted to the Khanewal DHQ Hospital but succumbed on the way.

USAID: USAID Mission Director Veerya Kate Somvongsiri visited the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) on Monday and called on UAF VC Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan. She also toured the UAF Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security (CAS-AFS) and various labs and field areas.

She said that the centre was impressive, and USAID was proud to have had the opportunity to establish the CAS-AFS a decade ago. She said that remarkable work is being carried out by faculty and students at the centre to address agricultural challenges.

She said climate change was occurring worldwide, underlining the need to develop food security and modern agriculture in Pakistan to promote economic development. She said USAID’s strategic partnership with the university would help tackle agricultural challenges.

Dr Iqrar said that in 2013-14, the university formulated the UAF Vision 2030, the goals of which have been achieved, and currently, more than 30,000 students are enrolled in the university.

USAID Director Office of Democracy, Rights and Governance Shally Prasad, USAID Lahore Team Lead Arshia Bano, Dr Sultan Habibullah, Director of Research Dr Jafar Jaskani, Dr Jalal Arif, Dr Rizwana Maqbool, and Dr Saqib were also present.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2024