SARGODHA: The Pera force has intensified its operation against encroachments and those resisting and re-establishing the encroachments are being booked.

According to sources, Pera demolished temporary and permanent encroachments in an operation in the Istiqlalabad area of Sargodha city, while some encroachers resisted the operation and challenged the writ of the administration by establishing encroachments again in the Kachhari Bazaar area.

A Pera official said that cases were being filed against repeat encroachments and arrests and heavy fines were being imposed. He said that the aim of the operation was to restore the roads, streets and lanes for the citizens as per the vision of the Punjab chief minister.

ENCOUNTER: An accused involved in various cases of heinous crimes was allegedly killed in an encounter with the Sargodha Crime Control Department (CCD).

According to the police, during a police encounter near Mohalla Rakh Charagah in Bhera town of Sargodha, Hassan Abbas of Kot Momin, accused in serious crimes including murder and robbery, was killed. The accomplices of the accused managed to flee during the encounter, the police said.

The police also claimed to have recovered a pistol and a stolen motorcycle during a robbery from the deceased. The body of the deceased was shifted to the hospital for postmortem, and the police were busy searching for his accomplices.

It is pertinent to mention here that CCD claimed that the accused’s accomplices were involved in various cases, however, none of the accomplices were identified in the FIR.

STUBBLE BURNING: Taking notice of an incident of setting fire to stubble in Chak 56-SB of Sargodha, the deputy commissioner has sought a report from the assistant commissioner and ordered immediate action.

According to sources, one Sarfaraz Kamboh allegedly set fire to his agricultural land in Chak 56-SB of Sargodha to burn the stubble of the paddy crop.

Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Waseem, taking notice of the incident, sought a report from the assistant commissioner and ordered action against the accused farmer.

He also directed the field officers to continuously monitor such incidents and ensure action against violators under a zero-tolerance policy. He said that teams were active in all tehsils to implement the instructions of the Punjab government and no one would be allowed to harm the environment.

CAMPSITE: A campsite has been selected for the distribution of the Punjab chief minister’s relief package and the Bank of Punjab has started receiving ATM cards for the flood affectees.

This was shared during a meeting on Saturday to review the progress on the provision of relief to the flood affectees of the 41 villages in the Kot Momin tehsil of Sargodha.

The meeting, chaired by Commissioner Jahanzeb Awan, was told that the verification process of the survey of damage to houses, animals and crops was underway under the supervision of Kot Momin assistant commissioner and deputy commissioner.

The commissioner directed the officials to complete the verification process in a fast and transparent manner, and security, cleanliness, electricity and water arrangements should be ensured at the campsite.

Mr Awan said that the Punjab government had been utilising all resources for the rehabilitation of the victims. Transparency in the relief process was the government’s top priority, he added.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2025