BAHAWALPUR: Local organisations and people from all walks of life on Wednesday paid tribute to the late Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V on his 51st death anniversary.

At the main event at press club, speakers including MNA Tariq Cheema, general secretary of the PML-Q, ex-MPA Syed Tabish Alwari and Habibullah Malik and activists of other political parties paid rich tributes to Nawab Sadiq for his contributions, especially to the cause of education and other public-welfare works. They also recalled the Bahawalpur State’s accession to Pakistan.

The participants and the audience through a unanimous resolution demanded that the government observe Nawab Sadiq’s death anniversary as a national holiday and include in curriculum a chapter on his life and contributions.

Meanwhile, the government offices in Bahawalpur remained closed after the deputy commissioner announced local holiday on Wednesday. The Bahawalpur Bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) and the subordinate courts across the district also had a day off as a mark of respect for the erstwhile emir of the State. LHC Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah had declared May 24 a holiday for the bench.

However, according to reports, the subordinate courts in Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan remained open though the lawyers boycotted working as a protest against being denied holiday.

An exhibition of books on the life of Nawab Sadiq is scheduled to be held at Bahawalpur’s Central Library today (Thursday), says chief librarian Rana Javed Iqbal.

GUARD INJURED: Two motorcyclists allegedly shot at and injured a security guard at a general store on Tuesday night.

Shahzad Amin suffered serious injuries and was shifted to the Bahawal Victoria Hospital in a serious condition.

Police sources said Abdul Hamid and Shahzad targeted the guard over enmity.

The Civil Lines police registered a case (FIR No 159/17) under section 324/35 against the absconders.

INFANT’S CASE: The body of an infant could not be retrieved from Ahmedpur Canal branch near Khanqah Sharif about 15 kilometres from here.

According to Rescue 1122 sources, Samina, 30, wife of Ghulam Murtaza of Dera Izzat area, along with their three

children -- Saqfan (three months), Imran (three years) and Arshman (four and a half years) -- jumped into the canal on Tuesday night.

The Rescue 1122 divers saved Samina and her two sons while the infant was feared drowned and the body could not be retrieved.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2017