TOBA TEK SINGH: The National Minorities Alliance (NMA) held a protest demonstration on Sunday at Faisalabad’s district council Chowk to condemn the Sargodha incident, in which violence, arson, and looting occurred under the guise of accusations against Nazir Masih a few days ago.

NMA Central Chairman Lala Daniel Robin and other speakers demanded that state institutions and the government introduce serious measures for the protection of minorities.

They urged the establishment of an empowered commission to investigate violent acts against minorities.

They also called for a law to be passed as soon as possible to prevent forced marriages and forced conversion of minority girls and demanded that 10-year-old Christian girl Laiba Sohail be handed over to her parents.

GIRL RAPED: A 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped in Jhang’s Chak Mahram Sialwala on Sunday.

According to the FIR registered under section 376 of PPC by Waryamwala police, the survivor has been shifted to Shorkot THQ hospital for medical examination, and police are conducting raids to arrest the suspect.

EPI CENTRE: Faisalabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh inaugurated a new and modern EPI training centre on Sunday in Faisalabad.

It is one of the nine training halls built in Punjab recently in collaboration with the World Health Organisation.

The DC stated that quality training of staff at the district, tehsil, and union council levels is essential for the staff of Punjab’s Extended Programme on Immunization, and this new center will fulfill this requirement.

CEO (Health) Dr Asfand Yar and Divisional Officer of WHO Dr Mudassar Saleem were also present.

KILLED: A truck driver died, and another was critically injured when two trucks collided on Chichawatni Road near Chak 351 JB Nagra.

According to Rescue 1122, a truck going to Chichawatni from Sargodha was parked on the roadside due to an engine fault when another truck hit it from behind, injuring both drivers.

The deceased driver was identified as Muhammad Akram of Chichawatni, while the other driver, Muhammad Ashfaq of Vehari, is in a serious condition at DHQ hospital.

ACCIDENT: Three people, including a couple, died in a car accident on motorway M-4 at Faisalabad on Saturday night.

The deceased, Muhammad Javed, his wife Asia Bibi, and driver Muhammad Qasim, were traveling from Sargodha to Faisalabad with their four-year-old son Ali when their car hit a trailer and overturned near Paharang waterlogging drain.

The child remained unhurt.

OBITUARY: Comrade Asghar Ali Kurriana, left-wing socialist politician and district president of Pakistan Kissan Committee, passed away on Sunday in Jhang after a protracted illness.

His funeral prayers were attended by scores of people, including political activists, in his village, Chak 454-JB.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2024