TOBA TEK SINGH: A suspected drug dealer was killed and two robbery suspects were injured in separate alleged encounters in Toba and Faisalabad districts, respectively.
In the first incident, a suspected drug dealer was killed in an alleged encounter with the Crime Control Department (CCD) near Chak 724-GB of tehsil Kamalia of district Toba.
According to official claims, three suspects opened fire on seeing the CCD team on patrol. During the exchange of fire, one suspect was shot dead while two managed to escape.
The CCD alleged that the deceased, identified as Amanat Ali, son of Aslam, was killed by their firing of his own accomplices and he was involved in robberies and drug smuggling in Toba and Chiniot districts.
Meanwhile, two robbery suspects were arrested in injured condition after an alleged encounter in Faisalabad.
Police claimed that the sub-inspector of Bachiana police in Jaranwala police, Sardar Ali, was taking the detained suspects, Aftab and Saleem alias Saleemi, for recovery near Chak 9-GB. In the meantime, four suspects on two motorcycles opened fire on police and freed the detained suspects.
Bachiana police started pursuing the suspects and near Battery Mor, the suspects opened fire on the police party, starting the encounter.
After sometime, when the firing stopped, Aftab and Saleem were found injured. Just like many other cases, the police claimed that the suspects were injured by the firing of their own fleeing accomplices. The injured suspects were shifted to the hospital for treatment.
DROWNS: A four-year-old child drowned in an underground water tank of an under-construction house near the railway crossing in Shorkot Cantonment.
The child, identified as Abdul Hadi, son of Muhammad Bilal Naseer, a resident of Chak 327-GB, had fallen into the tank accidentally. Rescue 1122 pulled the child out of the tank but by then he had already died due to drowning.
LIFE-TERM: Gojra Additional District and Sessions Judge Abbas Rasool Warraich handed down life imprisonment to a murder convict.
The convict was identified as Husnain of Chak 260-RB, Faisalabad. The court ordered him to pay Rs500,000 as compensation to the legal heirs of the deceased.
The convict had shot dead one Rana Rizwan of Chak 93-JB over an old enmity when he was on way to Adda Dawakhri on his motorcycle on Feb 18, 2025.
ACCIDENT: In head-on collision between two motorcycles near Feroz Wattoan, Chak 525 Makki, in Sheikhupura district, two persons died and as many were injured critically.
The deceased were identified as Maqbool (70) and Allah Rakha (60) and injured as Usama (22) and Abu Talha (18). The injured were shifted to hospital.
UAF: The University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF), in response to the students’ protest against increase in fees some days ago, says that the hike was not a new decision.
A spokesperson claimed that the academic council had approved this increase in its meeting held on Dec 8, 2025, under which an extra 5-credit hours course of co-curricular activities, life skill development and sports and fitness was inducted for the students who were granted admission on the sports and co-curricular basis.
He added that the UAF had also decided that the students shall pay an additional fee of Rs15,000; however, if students admitted on sports or co-curricular basis would get distinction, their additional fee would be waived off.
The spokesperson said 197 students were admitted on sport and co-curriculum quota last year.
Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2026