BAHAWALPUR, June 30: Arrangements are being finalized to open the Abbasia link canal of the Panjnad headworks.

It is learnt on Monday that the Punjab government is set to release water in the canal before the monsoon, as its final touches have been given by Wapda and the local irrigation department.

The canal, which was dug out with the World Bank’s Rs5 billion assistance about 15 years ago, was abandoned because of alleged political interference.

The government is set to release water to plough a sizable area of Cholistan touching Rahim Yar Khan.

ARRESTED: The district police claimed on Monday to have held the fifth suspect involved in acid attack on a woman at Horian Basti.

The police claimed that Muhammad Bakhsh was one of those who threw acid on a woman a few days ago.

SET FREE: As many as 70 prisoners involved in petty crimes were released on Monday from the New Central Jail on the directives of the judges of Bahawalpur and Lodhran.