SAHIWAL: A seven-year-old boy allegedly killed his mother in a fit of rage with a pair of scissors after she refused to give him money to buy new clothes for the upcoming Eid here on Friday in Mohallah Gulzarabad, Pakpattan.

Despite efforts by Rescue 1122, the woman, identified as 35-year-old Sobia, succumbed to her injuries after being stabbed in the abdomen.

Sobia, a tailor who worked from home, was supporting her family alongside her husband, Abdul Sattar, a daily wage labourer. The couple had three children - an eldest daughter and two younger sons, including seven-year-old Abdullah, the middle child.

According to Abdul Sattar, Abdullah had been asking his mother for money, but she assured him she would buy clothes once she received payments from her customers. On the day of the incident, when Sobia refused again, Abdullah grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed her. The boy broke down in tears. Neighbours and his sister rushed to help, but Sobia died in the courtyard before further aid.

Pakpattan city police sent the body to DHQ Hospital for autopsy and took Abdullah into custody. However, no case was registered due to his minor status.

District Police Officer (DPO) Javed Chadhar stated that the police received three separate affidavits from father Sattar, grandmother Shamim Akhtar and uncle Maqsood claiming the incident was accidental and requesting no legal action against the child. He assured that all legal requirements would be fulfilled, adding that the boy would be presented before a magistrate along with the affidavits and was expected to be released by the evening.

BOOKED: The Regional Office of the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has booked 11 individuals, including a patwari and an officer from the Land Record Centre (LRC) in Sahiwal, for orchestrating a fraudulent transfer of 11 kanals and seven marlas land in village 89/9-L, tehsil Sahiwal.

The land, valued at Rs10 million, was allegedly transferred through bogus documentation.

ACE has registered a case against Abdul Manaf (patwari), Kamran Ali (LRC officer), and nine allottees -- Amir Masood, Sadia Aslam, Muhammad Yasin, Abid Hussain, Muhammad Sadiq, Abad Ahmed, Muhammad Aslam, and Khalid Hussain -- under Sections 471, 468, 420 pf Pakistan Penal Code and PCA 5/2-47.

The case was filed following a complaint by Sardar Zahid Shuja, a resident of New Garden Town, Lahore, who is the rightful landowner.

According to reports, Shahzad Warriach, one of the hereditary owners of 1,986 kanals, allegedly conducted an oral land transfer under transfer No. 1137, receiving Rs10m with the involvement of two LRC officials.

The ACE completed its investigation under Inquiry No. SLR-(ENQ-133) 2024/1546 and officially filed the case on March 27, 2025.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2025