GUJRANWALA, May 9: The complainant in a murder case was kidnapped on Monday by the relatives of a prisoner on death row, when he refused to pardon the killer who has been issued death warrants for May 17.
Reports said the prisoner, Ahsanullah, had killed his rival Muhammad Arshad Gujjar over old enmity in Kot Ladha village in 1994, and was awarded death sentence by the district and sessions court. The higher courts upheld the sentence.
Later, President Gen Pervez Musharraf also rejected the clemency plea filed by Ahsan.
In the meantime, the heirs pressed the complainant in the case, Rafiq Gujjar, for reconciliation but he refused to pardon the killer.
After issuance of death warrants for May 17, the heirs allegedly kidnapped the complainant when he was in his factory on Hafizabad road and took him to unknown place.
Police have registered a case against the accused and are investigating.
pRoTesT: The heirs of a missing accused and residents of Talwandi Musa Khan village staged a sit-in outside the DPO office, accusing the police of killing the youth in custody.
Reports said that about 150 protesters, including women and children, on Monday gathered outside the DPO office at 10am, carrying banners and placards inscribed with demands of immediate recovery of the accused, who was allegedly rounded up by the police in connection with some theft and robbery cases about two weeks back.
The protesters, who remained outside the DPO office for four hours, alleged that the accused, Anser Mehmood, was in custody of Jandiala Baghwala police, which allegedly killed the youth during interrogation and was now claiming that he had escaped. They demanded that the accused be produced before a court of law immediately or the police officials concerned be arrested for killing Anser.
However, DPO Dr Arif Mushtaq ordered an inquiry into the matter, appointing a DSP as IO, and assured the protesters that the police officials concerned, if found guilty, would be brought to book. The DPO sought inquiry report within three days. After the assurance the protesters dispersed peacefully.
TREE CUTTING: The pace of tree cutting from Gujranwala to Lahore side on the GT Road has been accelerated on government’s directive to complete the task by June end so that work on a three-lane road could be started.
This was stated by divisional forest officer Chaudhry Wahid Sarwer here on Sunday.
The DFO said the Forest department had disposed of these trees to two contractors at Rs175 million from Gujranwala to Sadhoki and Sadhoki to Shahdara, Lahore.
He gave out that the tree plantation would be started along the GT Road after the completion of its construction work. He said the department had also auctioned some 50 acres of its forest in the district at Rs8 million.
The DFO said that a dozen accused were caught red-handed while cutting trees illegally along the road during the last one month. He said criminal cases were also registered against them.
DSJ: The newly-appointed District and Sessions Judge Mazhar Hussain Minhas assumed his charge. His predecessor Javed Iqbal Siddiqi has been made an officer on special duty by the government.