BAHAWALPUR: The family of a barber named Mujahid, who was reportedly shot dead by militants in Iran, has appealed to the government to arrange for the repatriation of his body to their ancestral village in Ahmedpur East tehsil.

Dawn has learnt that Mujahid, of Basti Bhattian near Ahmedpur East, had been in Iran for 15 years, working at a barber’s shop in the city of Sarbaz Kafa.

He, along with a Karachi-based worker named Fahim, was allegedly shot dead by militants about a week ago. The militants also sent a video of the murder to the deceased’s family.

The deceased’s brother Farooq said that no government official has so far condoled with the family over Mujahid’s death at the hands of militants nor offered any help to repatriate the body. Mujahid is survived by his widow, two sons and two daughters.

Earlier, eight labourers from the Bahawalpur district were also killed in Iran about two months ago and their bodies were repatriated by the government to Khanqah Sharif and Ahmedpur East.

KILN INDUSTRY PLEA: Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabir of the Lahore High Court, Bahawalpur Bench, admitted a petition seeking to declare brick kilns as industrial zones and to register their labourers under labour laws and the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) Act.

The court has issued notices to the federal and Punjab governments and related departments for their comments.

Petitioner rights activist Shahryar Anjum through his counsel Allah Rakha pleads that thousands of brick kiln workers are denied basic labour law protections and facilities, such as health, education and insurance, due to the non-registration of kilns.

RAPE SENTENCE: Mian Chunnu Additional District and Sessions Court Judge Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali handed down a 10-year sentence and a Rs300,000 fine to Adil Ehsan in a rape case.

According to the prosecution, the convict raped a woman in 2023. On her complaint, an FIR was registered with the Mian Channu police.

WOMEN TRADERS: Buyers at the local sacrificial animal market were surprised to see a woman, Sundas Kamran, among the cattle traders.

Clad in a black burqa, Sundas Kamran actively bargains with visiting customers over her herds of animals. Speaking to Dawn, she said that, as women are active in all segments of society, she had no hesitation in participating in animal trading at the mandi. She added that despite high demand, customers were reluctant to purchase her animals due to high prices, making it challenging to strike deals.

FIA: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Multan deported Bangladeshi nationals Islam Munir and Sheikh Jiwan from Multan Airport on Tuesday.

According to FIA sources, both people arrived on tourist visas. After questioning and verification of documents, FIA officials deported them on the next available flight.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2025