SAHIWAL, July 16: Up to 500 people for each union council of Sahiwal district will benefit from the newly-launched Food Stamp Scheme, Dawn has learnt.

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Muhammad Khan Khichi told Dawn all members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) had been provided with Food Stamp Scheme forms, but the recipients recommended by them would be scrutinised at two levels: first at the district level and second at the sub-divisional level.

“Right now no scrutiny committee exists in the district,” the DCO said. There are 89 union councils in the district, of which 16 are urban and 73 rural. It means 44,500 people will benefit the Food Stamp Scheme.

EXECUTION DELAYED: The execution of a convicted murderer was delayed for seven days by the president. Sahiwal Central Jail officials received the stay orders from Presidency seven hours before the hanging of Sohail Jabbar, of 595-F, Farid Town.

Jabbar was sentenced to death by the Anti-Terrorism Court No 1, Multan, on Dec 26, 1999 for killing Zakiya Parveen, Ghulam Ahmed, Fazal Bibi, Muhammad Imran, Tariq Mehmood and Fakhar Iqbal. The Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court upheld the sentence and the president rejected his mercy appeal on May 21, 2008. His death warrants were issued and the jail administration had completed all arrangements for his execution. Seven hours before his execution, the jail administration received a fax from Presidency ordering the ‘staying for another seven days’.

Jail Superintendent Chaudhry Naveed Roud said after the fax they would seek fresh death warrants from court.