HYDERABAD, March 18: Jehangir Marfani who had been working at the Combined Military Hospitals in Rawalpindi as a nursing assistant had been missing since April 17, 2005 after he applied for early retirement, his father Nawab Ali Marfani said at a news conference at the press club on Sunday.

Mr Ali who is from the Andal Khan Marfani village of Shikarpur district said that his son had applied for early retirement on grounds of illness on April 16, 2005 and since then he had been missing.

He said that he had submitted several applications to different government organisations but had received no response. He appealed to people to inform him on his telephone No.0346-2132072 if they had any knowledge about the whereabouts of his son.

Cattle rally: Perhaps for the first time in the history of the country a cattle rally, titled “Save Forests, Save Livestock” was brought out from Khebar to Seekat in Matiari district on Sunday. The rally was sponsored by United Nations Development Programme.

Scores of buffalos, cows, goats and sheep were brought out on the road by cattle owners. Normal flow of traffic remained disturbed on the National Highway as a result of the rally.

The cattle owners carried banners and tree branches in their hands while banners were also tied on cattle on which slogans of “Save environment, save forest, save cattle, save lives and plants are the beauty of earth” were inscribed.

Executive Director, Indus Development Society, Zain Daudpoto, Project Manager, Rafiq Junejo, Irfan Ali Vighio and others led the rally.

Speaking on the occasion, they said that the livelihood of thousands of people depended on forests but trees were being cut without any rhyme or reason.

They said forests also provided fodder for animals but due to deforestation, the cattle owners had no place to graze their cattle.

They demanded of the Sindh and district governments to stop deforestation and also leasing out forest land. They demanded more tree plantation in the forests.

MUSHAIRA: Second international mushaira would be held in Latifabad-6 at the end of March or beginning of April, according to an announcement by the district nazim.