SARGODHA: Five men gang-raped a 22-year-old woman on the pretext of a job abroad and left her at the DHQ Teaching Hospital in critical condition.

The doctors at the hospital referred her to Lahore due to her serious condition.

According to a doctor, the girl’s bones were also fractured and she had internal injuries of serious nature.

The victim’s father said the main suspect lured his daughter for a job abroad and took her out on the same pretext. The main suspect, along with his four accomplices, raped her and fled the hospital when they came to know about her critical condition. He said the suspect threatened to kill him if he reported the matter to the police.

District Police Officer Sohaib Ashraf took notice of the incident and directed the police to arrest the suspects immediately. He assured the girl’s father that justice would be served at all cost. The father of the girl appealed to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to provide his daughter with justice.

MURDER: A girl was murdered by her father-in-law at Chak No 66 of Kot Momin.

As per police, Nadia (22) was taken outside by her father-in-law, Ahmed Khan Haral, who killed her with a sharp-edged weapon. According to Noor Zaman, the uncle of Nadia, she was stabbed in the head with some object. A case was registered on his complaint.

The reason for the murder is not yet known.

FIRE: A fire broke out in a tent and a room in a church in Sargodha city due to a short circuit. Rescue 1122 instantly brought the fire under control.

According to sources, the fire was reported in a church at Kot Farid Road, Basti Eidgah Sargodha city. Rescue 1122 saved the church building.

ISLAMOPHOBIA: A session of the Model Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (MOIC) on ‘Islamophobia: Prospects, Challenges, and the OIC’s Strategic Response’ was held under the intellectual forum of the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Sargodha (UoS).

The event was aimed at raising awareness about Islamophobia and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in addressing the issue.

The students presented their perspective on Islamophobia, offering a range of suggestions to counter its impact. They emphasised the importance of collective efforts and strategic responses at the international level to mitigate the effects of the global issue.

Associate Professor Dr Adeel Irfan Rao, columnist Afzaal Ahmad and Iqra Zafar served as judges. The president of the Intellectual Forum, Naeem Khpalwak, and former president Mohammad Zubair also attended the session.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Dr Rao stressed that Islamophobia has become a global problem, affecting not only Muslims but also impacting global peace and stability. He emphasized the critical need for the OIC to play an active role in addressing this issue, urging unity at all levels to reduce its effects. He stated that a global coalition was necessary to address Islamophobia, encouraging collaboration among nations to tackle the issue effectively.

Afzaal Ahmad and Naeem Khpalwak also spoke.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2025