GUJRANWALA, March 31: A man who was deported from Spain escaped from Model Town FIA lock-up with the help of a police official on Saturday.

Amjad Ali of Mandi Bahauddin was arrested by the FIA along with 102 other deportees and was in lock-up under the custody of FIA Sub-Inspector Shafiq Goraya. A police official approached the SI and told him that Amjad was his brother. He requested him to allow him to go with him for bath and promised that he would be handed over to him later. But Amjad reportedly escaped from custody.

Meanwhile, a local court remanded remaining 102 deportees in FIA custody for two days.

DEATH SENTENCE: A local court convicted three people of murder of a Shia leader on Saturday.

The court sentenced Adeel Butt to death and Raza Kazmi and Shahzad Raza Kazmi to life term along with Rs150,000 fine. They will have to undergo six months hard jail in case of default of payment of fine.

The court acquitted Syed Ashfaq Ali Shah, Wazahat Nasim Kazmi and Syed Safoot Husain by giving them the benefit of the doubt.

According to the prosecution, the convicts had killed Syed Ali Raza Asad Abidi on December 23, 2005.

PRISONERS RELEASED: Sixty-five prisoners involved in minor cases were released from the central jail on the orders of a district and sessions judge on Saturday.

Judge Mazhar Husain Minhas prepared a list of prisoners during his visit to the jail and ordered their release. Judicial magistrate Afzal Bhalli and jail superintendent Mian Shaukat Ali accompanied Mr Minhas.

Colony: The Punjab government will construct a housing colony on 500 acres of which half the plots will be allotted to low-income people.

Housing and Planning Minister Raza Ali Gilani stated this at a meeting attended by parliamentarians and city district government officers here on Saturday.

He said the government has planned to provide low-cost houses to low-income people. The government has formed a transparent policy for allotment in these housing colonies and was monitoring the activities of officers and officials.

He made it clear that there was no agreement between the government and any private builder.

Mr Gilani also announced a survey of other areas in the province and said colonies would be built where they were required.

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