BAHAWALPUR: Rahim Yar Khan police have booked two health departmentemployees and three quacks, arresting one of them, on the charges of wrong treatment, allegedly resulting in the death of eight children suffering from a skin disease at Basti Hakim Abdullah, Mauza Muradpur, recently.

As per the police sources, the quacks had been active in the area due to the alleged negligence of the employees of district health departmentand the PunjabHealthcare Commission.

They said that the quacks deliberately misguided and restrained the parents of at least eight children of Basti Hakim Abdullah from visiting qualified doctors for the treatment of a skin disease (may be measles), resulting in the patients’ death.

According to RY Khan health department officials, on knowing about the deaths the deputy district officer (DDO), along with his team, rushed to the Hajipur Rural Health Centrein the area of Sardargarh, and visited Basti Hakim Abdullah.

Police arrest one of the suspects

The team found that the quacks kept treating the sick children wrongly, resulting in their deaths.

There were also reports that two health officials – Ashfaq and Jahangir – deployed at HajipurRHC, through social media posts, claimed the death of eight children due to measles, without any confirmation of the nature of the disease.

Police on the written complaint of DDHO Dr Usman registered a case againstthree quacks and two RHC employees, arresting an alleged quack, Amjad. They say that the remaining suspects went underground for fear of arrest.

INJURED SUSPECT HELD: Rahim Yar Khan Crime Control Department claimed to have arrested a suspect in an injured condition afteran “encounter”in the area of Goth Mahi on Sunday.

According to CCD sources, at a picket in Goth Mahi area, the police signalled two motorcyclists to stop, but the suspects allegedly opened fire.

After a chase and exchange of fire, the police found one of the suspects lying injured and arrested him. He was identified asImran of Ghausabad, while his accomplice fled the scene.

The injured man was admitted to the hospital for treatment, while police are looking for his criminal record, if any. A case against the fleeing suspect was also registered .

PFUJ RALLY: On the call of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), the Bahawalpur Union of Journalists (BhUJ) on Sunday held a meeting and a rally outside Bahawalpur Press Club to observe International Press Freedom Day.

Speakers, including FEC members Majeed Gill, Nazar Muhammad Ghalloo, BhUJ President Amen Abbasi, Secretary General Amjad Awan and others pledged to uphold press freedom.

They condemned the use of government advertisements to control the media.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2026