TOBA TEK SINGH: An under-trial man who was in custody on charge of attempted murder has been shot dead and his mother was critically injured in firing by his rivals at District Courts Complex in Faisalabad on Thursday.

Shahbaz Ahmad (27) was arrested in the case by Sargodha Road police and he was brought to the court from jail for hearing of his case before the judicial magistrate. When he and five other prisoners were being taken to Bakhshi Khana (temporary judicial lock-up), two masked men opened fire on him and his mother Salma Bibi (47) who was walking alongside him. As a result, both of them were seriously wounded.

Shahbaz died instantly while his mother was shifted to the Allied Hospital. The attackers escaped although a constable retaliated after their attack but they remained unhurt.

Police spokesperson told Regional Police Officer Dr Muhammad Abid Khan has directed the acting CPO Rana Abdul Wahab to form police teams to arrest the killers.

It is worth noting that this is the third murder of prisoners at District Courts Complex in Faisalabad in a month.

SHOT DEAD: A man shot dead his four-year-old nephew after quarrelling with his elder brother in Chak 47-JB Mansooran, Faisalabad on Thursday.

Nishatabad police said Mureed Hussain, the father of child Subhan Ahmad, exchanged harsh words with his brother Shan Hussain over a domestic issue and the latter opened indiscriminate fire on him. A bullet hit his minor nephew who died on the spot.

ACCIDENTS: A man died and his mother and sister-in-law were injured critically after his motorcycle fell into a minor canal near Moongi Bangla Adda in Gojra tehsil.

Nasir Mahmood (30), his mother Sakina Bibi (60) and his brother’s wife Samina Bibi (40) received critical injuries. They all were shifted to Gojra THQ hospital where Nasir succumbed to his wounds.

In another incident at Gojra near Chak 363-JB on the Faisalabad Road, the scarf of a woman pillion rider got entangled in the rear wheel of the bike. As a result, all three bike riders fell on the road and received critical injuries. They were identified as Muhammad Imran , his mother Rani Bibi and a relative, Shahmshad Bibi.

They were also shifted to Gojra THQ hospital.

INJURED: Four schoolchildren were injured critically after their motorcycle rickshaw was hit by an speeding van near Chak 392-JB on the Akalwala Road, Toba.

They belonged to Chak 391-JB and were identified as Bilal Nadeem (13), Qadeer Ahmad (10), Laraib Tanweer (16) and her sister Zainab Tanweer (14).

All of them were shifted to the DHQ hospital.

ARRESTED: The FIA Faisalabad raided the office of a currency exchange dealer on the College Road, Pakpattan, and arrested its owner Ghulam Murtaza.

An FIA press release said the suspect was involved in money laundering and Rs85m transactions to him by the people from South Africa were found doubtful.

The FIA arrested him as he failed to give the proof of their valid transfer.

HEARING ADJOURNED: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) adjourned the hearing of two cases against PTI leaders and activists until Feb 8.

In the trial of the case registered on the charge of attacking house of former federal interior minister Rana Sanaullah Khan in the riots on May 9, the court cancelled the non-bailable warrants of arrest of three PTI leaders, Omar Ayub Khan, Senator Shibli Faraz and Kanwal Shouzeb on the application of their counsel Malik Khalid Shafiq who also received charge sheets against all three on their behalf.

ATC judge Javed Iqbal Sheikh recorded two pieces of evidence in this case and summoned further witnesses of the prosecution on the next date. In the hearing of FIR number 835, registered by Civil Lines police regarding the attack on the ISI building, the court recorded cross-examination of the four witnesses and also adjourned this case until Feb 8 for recording statements of more witnesses.

A number of local PTI leaders and activists involved in both cases were present in the court for the hearing.

RAPED: A 15-year-old boy was raped in Samundri tehsil Chak 466-GB on Thursday.

The complainant alleged in his first information report (FIR) registered under Section 376 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) that his son went to a grocery shop where two youths kidnapped him at gunpoint. They took him to a field where one of the suspects raped him.

Samundri City police were conducting raids to arrest the suspects.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2025