MULTAN, Nov 3: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi distributed cash rewards among the police officials who tracked down the alleged culprits involved in the 'Rasheedabad car bomb blast' that took lives of 41 people on Oct 7 last in the city.

Speaking at the prize distribution ceremony at the local Circuit House, the chief minister said the government would always reward the policemen who would show determination and courage in execution of their duty.

A cash reward of Rs1.1 million was handed over to outgoing Multan range DIG Tallat Mehmood Tariq, Rs1 million to DPO Sikander Hayat, Rs0.7 million each to SP Muhammad Inkasar and DSP Habib Ahmed Khan, Rs0.5 million each to the SHOs of Shaujaabad, Delhi Gate and Gulgasht police stations and an inspector of the Punjab Constabulary, and Rs0.1 million each to constables Jang Sher, Mushtaq Ahmed, Naveed Ahmed and Mukhtar Ahmed.

He also announced that the owners of the houses damaged in the vicinity of Rasheedabad car bomb blast would be compensated and estimates in this regard were being carried out.

A powerful car bomb had exploded in Rasheedabad Colony when some 2,000 people were dispersing after attending the first death anniversary of Maulana Azam Tariq. The government had announced a reward of Rs20 million for the arrest of the culprits responsible for the carnage.

The Multan police had arrested one Irfan Tirmizi labelling him as the mastermind behind the carnage. Police claimed that Irfan Tirmizi had rented a house in Shah Ruken-i-Alam Colony just two days before the blast under a fake name of Ghulam Raza. But, he was rounded up when he returned after a week to take back the fake Nadra card and surety deposit of Rs15,000 from the property dealer he had engaged to rent the house.