GUJRAT, May 8: As many as 20 people have been murdered in the first week of the current month in the district, the hometown of a provincial and two federal ministers, but it seems that those at the helm of affairs are least bothered about the gravity of lawlessness.

Even under the prevailing adverse law and order situation, the Punjab government is reluctant to appoint a fulltime district police officer (DPO) in the district for the reasons best known to it.

Reports said that three people were murdered on May 1 in different incidents, six people lost their lives in an ambush near Gujrat University on May 2, four members of a family, including three women, were bumped off in Gill village (Saddar), Lala Musa, and two others were killed in different incidents on May 4.

Similarly, three people were shot dead in Moinul

Dinpur village, one person

was murdered in Gondal Kot village and a man shot dead his wife in Mohri Sharif village on May 5.

Besides, miscreants had set ablaze four buses at the general bus stand on Monday which resulted in serious burn injuries to 12 people, including two firefighters and the crew of buses.

The rising incidents of murder have created a sense of fear among the people.

Sources say that PML-N President Mian Shahbaz Sharif is looking for such an officer for the DPO slot having a potential to tide over the political might of the Chaudhrys of Gujrat.While sources in the police say that difference of choice regarding the appointment of the suitable DPO among the coalition partners may be the main cause of delay.

Rejecting all such rumours, PML-N district president Malik Hanif Awan claimed that the new DPO would be appointed within next couple of days.

Federal ministers Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar and Qamar Zaman Kaira and Punjab Finance Minister Tanveer

Ashraf Kaira belong to Gujrat, but their disinterest in the DPO appointment reflects the apathy towards their hometown.

It may be mentioned that nine out of 21 police stations in the district have been working without station house officers since their suspension by the Gujranwala range DIG a few days ago.