RAHIM YAR KHAN, Aug 2: Scores of farmers of 'pacca' area on Monday protested against the water shortage. Reports said farmers from Chak 68/P, 69/P, 70/P, 74/P, Mauza Bahisti and Kotla Ayub gathered outside the DCO office and protested against the non-availability of irrigation water.

Three representatives of protesters, Liaqat Ali, Javed Akhter and Muhammad Anwar Bajawa called upon District Coordination Officer Javed Akhter and informed him about the situation.

They told the DCO that the canals of 'pacca' area, Sadiq Feeder, Abe Hayat, Sadiq Branch, Taranda Distributary, Adam Sahaba Distributary, Sher Garh Minor, Bahishti Minor, Noshehra Minor, Lower Hajipur Minor and 1-L had been closed under 'warabandi' (water rotation).

The protesters said cotton and sugarcane on thousands of acres were being destroyed due to water scarcity. Later, the farmers visited the offices of the SE and XEN and protested peacefully.

ABDUCTED: A girl (13) was abducted by six people here on Monday. Nadeem Akhter, a resident of Mastan Shah, told the police that his daughter was playing outside the house when Dost Muhammad, Himat Ali, Muhammad Ali, Shahid Ali, Zahid Ali and Zarbad Shah allegedly abducted her