Protest against ‘police torture’ killing

BAHAWALPUR: A large number of people on Tuesday demonstrated against police and blocked a road in Uch Sharif, about 70km from here, to protest the killing of a man allegedly due to police torture.

According to police sources, a team raided the house of Fida Muhammad, 45, to arrest his nephew on charges of theft of a goat. Fida’s family claimed police tortured him to death during the raid and held a demonstration to condemn the killing.

Uch Sharif police denied that Fida was tortured and claimed he had died of a heart attack.

The protest was going on till the filing of this report.

LAND: Under chief minister’s Cholistan uplift package, over 22,000 applications were approved for allotment of land to the deserving and eligible residents of the desert living along the boundaries of Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan districts.

This was announced at a meeting held here on Tuesday. Punjab Board of Revenue Member Muzzafar Mehmood presided over the meeting.

Cholistan Development Authority (CDA) Managing Director Naeem Bokhari said in the meeting that the CDA had received 54,000 applications. Out of these, objections were raised on over 31,000.

Mehmood directed that land should be allotted on merit and in a transparent manner and the process should be completed within 40 days.

Commissioner Saqib Zafar asked assistant commissioners to verify applicants’ credentials, including their identities, names in voters lists and proof of being owners of less than six acres.

TRADE: Australian High Commissioner Peter Heyward said his country wanted to promote bilateral trade relations with Pakistan.

He was addressing a meeting of local traders, industrialists and businessmen here.

The high commissioner said Australia wanted to extend its cooperation with Pakistan in the agriculture and energy sectors.

Published in Dawn February 18th , 2015

Category: Custodial killing, Custodial torture