TOBA TEK SINGH: The driver of the bus, which had had an accident on M-4 near Pindi Bhattian on Aug 20, in which 18 passengers were burnt alive, was arrested by Hafizabad Saddar police from Pindi Bhattian on Saturday.

A Hafizabad police spokesperson said it was earlier thought that the driver had also burnt alive after the Karachi-Islamabad bus collided with a pick-up truck containing diesel drums. After the collision, the bus had caught fire and 18 passengers had died in it by burning while 15 were injured.

When the DNA test reports of the bodies were received some days back, all 18 bodies were identified and they were handed over to the families.

However, the body of bus driver, Mujahid Ali, a resident of Faisalabad, was missing.

Police later found that the driver was still alive and had escaped.

Pindi Bhattian Saddar SHO Jahangir Ali said the driver was found through geofencing of his mobile phone and he was arrested when he was waiting for a bus near Pindi Bhattian.

After his arrest, the driver disclosed that he had jumped off the bus a moment before the collision and fled the scene.

PROTEST: Scores of people of Chak 425-GB and adjoining villages in tehsil Tandlianwala blocked traffic for two hours on the Tandlianwala-Satiana Road by placing the body of a man who was shot dead by robbers on Friday night.

According to Tandlianwala City police, eight robbers forced their entry into the house of Allah Ditta who offered them resistance.

The robbers opened fire on him, injuring him seriously. He was rushed to the Tandlianwala Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.

The doctors referred him to the Allied Hospital Faisalabad but he succumbed to his wounds on the way.

After his death, his family and relatives demanded the arrest of the robbers, blaming police for failing to control the rising incidents of robberies and thefts in the area.

The police officers held talks with the protesters and assured them that they would try their best to trace and arrest the suspects. They convinced the protesters to end the demonstration.

BOOKED: Garh police in Tandlianwala registered a case on the order of Faisalabad CPO Usman Akram Gondal against investigating officer ASI Muhammad Rafeh and four constables for allegedly torturing a suspect to death.

They have been arrested and also suspended from service.

According to the first information report, complainant Naseer Ahmad of Thatha Tirhana claimed that his brother, Muhammad Jehangir, was arrested as a suspect in the theft cases and he was tortured to death during interrogation.

Police claimed that he had died of a heart attack.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2023