TOBA TEK SINGH: A fire burnt four shops in the mobile phone market of Mehdi Shah Bazaar of Gojra on Tuesday.

Witnesses said tea stall owner Muhammad Zia was making tea on a cylinder inside in the mobile market when the cylinder caught fire, which engulfed two shops in no time. The fire spread to other shops, including a shoe store. As a result, the goods of four shops were reduced to ashes. The Rescue 1122 team managed to control the fire.

Rescue 1122 official Irfan, risking his life, picked up the cylinder from inside the shop and brought it out. The estimated loss of the shops is Rs4m.

It is worth mentioning that there is only one fire engine for a city with a population of one million.

FOOD AND ART FEST: The University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) arranged a food & art festival.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zulfiqar Ali said food and art were powerful mediums of cultural expression and innovation. He encouraged students to explore their creative potential and emphasised that platforms like this festival helped bridge academic learning with real-world applications.

Agriculture Dean Dr Ghulam Murtaza said the festivals not only provided entertainment but also promoted cultural awareness and unity.

Dr Waseem Akam remarked that the festival reflected the dynamic capabilities of students in both culinary arts and creative expression.

Meanwhile, the Government College Women University Faisalabad organised a seminar for faculty on the Offices of Research, Innovation, and Commercialisation.

The keynote speaker, Prof Dr Ahmed Raza Bilal, Director ORIC, University of Sargodha, highlighted the role of ORICs in facilitating research grants and improving performance indicators. Emphasising the importance of patents, research funding, and effective proposal writing, he also shared strategies for documenting research outputs across various platforms.

Addressing the faculty, Vice Chancellor Dr Kanwal Amin reiterated that progress in research and rankings depends on the faculty’s professional commitment and ownership of the university.

RAILWAYS: The Pakistan Railways conducted an operation against illegal land grabbing and occupation of railways quarters on the railway land within the limits of the Nishatabad Railway Station.

Railway Police SHO Rao Umair Sajid led a contingent of railway police that retrieved the land.

An FIR was registered against seven persons involved in land grabbing and they were arrested. They were identified as Mansoor Ahmad, Ali Akram, Muhammad Ali, Akhtar, Shaukat, Mohsin Aftab and Naveed.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2026