Tag: Bahawalpur

  • Bahawalpur madrassa teacher sentenced to 20 years for attempted rape of minor girl

    Bahawalpur madrassa teacher sentenced to 20 years for attempted rape of minor girl

    A local court in Bahawalpur has handed down a sentence of 20 years rigorous imprisonment and a one million rupees fine to a madrassa teacher for the attempted rape of a 10-year-old girl student.

    The verdict was announced by Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Ashiq on Wednesday, and the incident happened in 2023 at Sohanra Arian village.

    Dawn reports that the prosecution lawyer told the court that the 10-year-old daughter of complainant Malik Usman used to go to Qari Abdul Aziz (60) to learn the Holy Quran. However, on February 26 last year, when she did not return home from the madrassah, Malik Usman, along with some others, set out to search for her and upon entering the teacher’s room (at the madrassah), they found him sexually abusing the girl.

    The victim also told her father that the teacher had been abusing her sexually for some time.

    The father then registered an FIR against the teacher under section 377-B which pertains to offence of sexual abuse in the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC)
    The accused was then arrested.

    The court ordered that in case of default on payment of the fine, the convict will have to under go an additional imprisonment of six months.

  • Sajal Aly explores Bahawalpur through her lens

    Sajal Aly explores Bahawalpur through her lens

    Sajal Aly is known for her amazing performances and as a talented actress. Yesterday, she shared behind-the-scenes pictures from her recent project, Zard Patton Ka Bunn, on Instagram, with the caption: “Sharing some special moments from my ZPKB, where I captured the charm of Bahawalpur through my camera!!!”

    In the drama, Sajal Aly plays the character of Meenu, a strong and determined woman who dreams of becoming a doctor. Zard Patton Ka Bunn is a collaborative production of Momina Duraid Production and Kashf Foundation.

    Written by Mustafa Afridi and directed by Saife Hassan, the show airs every Sunday at 8:00 PM on HUM TV.

    Sajal Aly’s role in Zard Patton Ka Bunn reflects her dedication to telling meaningful stories, and her latest pictures showcase the beauty of Bahawalpur through her camera lens.

  • Gang of five gouge out man’s eyes over theft charge

    Gang of five gouge out man’s eyes over theft charge

    Five people allegedly gouged out the eyes of a man during a brutal assault at a village near Bahawalpur on Monday.

    The man was identified as Sufian.

    The suspects assaulted Sufian on charges of stealing a donkey cart, allegedly gouging out his eyes.

    Sufian has completely lost vision in one eye, while the other eye has also sustained serious damage. The marks of the beating are visible on his body.

    A police team was dispatched to the scene to arrest the culprits, while the victim was admitted to the emergency ward of Bahawalpur Victoria Hospital (BVH).

    A local police spokesman stated that the motive behind the gruesome crime was a land dispute. He also confirmed that one suspect, Iqrar Hussain, has been arrested.

  • Mentally disabled woman raped in Bahawalpur

    Mentally disabled woman raped in Bahawalpur

    A mentally and physically challenged woman was allegedly raped by her relative in Basti Mochiwala near Lodhran district, Bahawalpur, on Tuesday.

    The woman was allegedly assaulted in her house when all her family had gone to nearby fields to cut grass for their cattle, as per the police report.
    On hearing the woman’s screams, local residents rushed to the scene while the suspect managed to flee. The victim’s father, Ramzan, alleges the suspect trespassed his house and raped his daughter, reports Dawn.

    On her father’s complaint, Gailiwal police registered an FIR under section 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) against the suspect and sent the victim for a medical examination.

    The police took swift action and arrested the suspect.

  • Millat Express case: Nephew says policeman took woman with him

    Millat Express case: Nephew says policeman took woman with him

    Update: The preliminary report of the case of the woman identified as Maryam allegedly falling to death after being beaten up by a police officer in the Millat Express train has come to light.

    It was reported that the woman jumped from the moving train on April 8 at 6:30 am at Chanigoth, dying on the spot, reports Geo.

    Rescue staff says that the woman was going from Karachi to Faisalabad along with children. Despite people trying to stop her, she jumped from the window of the moving train.

    Contradiction in the stance of Police

    On the other hand, there is a contradiction in the position of the police regarding the officer involved in the violence against the woman in which the police say that the bail of the police officer Mir Hassan was granted on April 13, the day after his arrest.

    The police have said that Mir Hasan has been suspended and a case has been registered against him.

    Stance of Maryam’s brother

    The woman’s brother Afzal said that the deceased woman Maryam belonged to Chak 648 GB of Jaranwala. She left Karachi on April 7 via Millat Express. She was buried in the village on April 9, after it was said that she died in a train accident, but after the video went viral, the violence on the sister and the facts behind the incident came to be known.

    The woman’s brother alleged that the police officer raped Maryam and killed her and threw the body on the track.

    In addition, Ghalib Hamad, the nephew of the woman, said in his statement that he was with his aunt. “The policeman objected to loud noise of her recitation and started assaulting her. He took Aunt Maryam with him and then dropped us at the next station.”

    Previously, a body of a woman who was tortured by railway police officer Mir Hasan on the Millat Express train, was found near Chani Goth Railway Station in Bahawalpur.

    Background

    The policeman was arrested last week after the video went viral in which he could be seen pulling the woman’s hair and hitting her multiple times while other passengers watched silently.

    A local court in Hyderabad approved the cop’s bail on the same day against a surety bond of Rs35,000. The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Railways Abdullah Sheikh confirmed that the incident took place on April 7 on the Karachi to Lala Musa-bound Millat Express.

    However, just a day after the the cop was released on bail, the woman’s body was found in Bahawalpur.

    The railway police officer took the woman — who belonged to Jaranwala’s Chak 40 Mor, Faisalabad — with him after violently beating her on April 7.
    The victim’s brother, Afzal, said that his sister used to work at a beauty parlour in Karachi and she was coming to Jaranwala to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr.

    The brother demanded that the death of his sister should be investigated.

    Previously it was reported that the constable came to check the ticket of the woman after he was told that she was travelling without a pass. The woman refused that she was travelling without a ticket after which the policeman tortured her in front of her children.

    Later, the cop claimed that the woman had kidnapped the kids. Despite this allegation, he confessed to have beaten up the woman after she misbehaved with him.

  • Pakistan zoo shut down after mystery tiger attack

    Pakistan zoo shut down after mystery tiger attack

    AFP – Lahore: A zoo in Pakistan has been shut down after a man was mauled to death by tigers in an attack discovered during routine cleaning, officials said Thursday.

    The body was found on Wednesday morning in Bahawalpur’s Sherbagh Zoo in the eastern province of Punjab after staff spotted one of the three tigers with a shoe in its mouth.

    “The zoo is closed right now as we determine how the man got in,” Ali Usman Bukhari, a senior officer of the province’s wildlife department, which operates the zoo, told AFP.

    The condition of the body suggests the attack happened late Tuesday night.

    “The autopsy report has not been released, however evidence gathered from the enclosure points towards him being alive when he was attacked by the tigers,” Bukhari said.

    “The tigers did not go out of the den to attack the man, he jumped into their enclosure,” he said.

    “If we find a security lapse, we will address it. If need be, we will hire private security guards.”

    The victim has not been identified and no family member has come forward to claim the body.

    Speaking to media outside the zoo after the body was discovered on Wednesday, senior local government official Zaheer Anwar said all staff had been accounted for.

    “Our assessment so far is that this appears to be a lunatic, because a sensible person would not jump into the den,” he said.

    “You can see the den is secured. There are stairs behind the den, maybe he jumped from there.”

    The three tigers present in the den when the body was discovered have been restricted to a smaller space while evidence is collected.

    The zoo was built in 1942 by the ruling royal family of the former princely state of Bahawalpur and costs adults 50 rupees (18 cents) to enter.

    Pakistan’s zoos are generally in a poor condition and frequently accused of disregarding animal welfare.

  • Female officer reportedly harassed by senior faculty members in Bahawalpur University

    Female officer reportedly harassed by senior faculty members in Bahawalpur University

    Incidents detailing the harassment of a female officer in the administration of Islamia University in Bahawalpur have been reported, following on the heels of earlier reports about female students facing the same.

    An application has been submitted to The Woman Ombudsman, Government of Punjab, by the female administrative staff stating clearly that the allegations of harassment against senior faculty members including the Dean of Faculty of Law, Dean of Faculty of Engineering, In-charge faculty of Management Sciences and SLO South Punjab Civil Secretariat.

    The victim is Farkhanda Tehseen, Director of Development and Planning, whose complaint was ignored, leading to her eventually presenting it in front of the woman ombudsman as she is receiving threats from the suspect.

    Dean Law Department Rao Imran Habib has threatened her on the phone about the dire consequences. She registered a complaint against him on June 10, 2023, but no action was taken. Instead of taking action against workplace harassment, another committee has been established which is not taking any active measures.

    The victim requested the ombudsman that the accused should be stopped from working so that he could not influence the case further. Ironically, the Dean Faculty of Engineering, who is nominated in the complaint, is also part of the established syndicate and Rao Imran is in cohorts with him.

    Dean Law Department Rao Imran Habib is reportedly notorious for his activities during his tenure in Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) and there are reports of him creating hurdles for students here in Islamiya University as well.

    Governor Punjab and the university administration have not taken up the matter yet.

  • SNGPL cracks down on gas theft, imposing Rs3 crore in fines

    SNGPL cracks down on gas theft, imposing Rs3 crore in fines

    In an ongoing endeavour to combat gas theft, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has successfully identified and addressed 55 instances of unauthorised gas connections, resulting in the imposition of fines amounting to Rs30 million.  

    According to APP, these concerted efforts have been executed across various regions of Pakistan. 

    According to a company spokesperson, within the city of Lahore, the local SNGPL team has taken decisive action by discontinuing 15 gas connections due to unlawful gas consumption, in addition to two connections linked to the unauthorised use of compressors.  

    Furthermore, 47 cases of underbilling have been meticulously scrutinised, leading to the initiation of a First Information Report (FIR) against the offenders. 

    In Bahawalpur, the SNGPL team has demonstrated their commitment by disconnecting seven connections attributed to compressor usage and 16 connections associated with unauthorised gas consumption.  

    Additionally, 17 cases of underbilling have been diligently processed. The company has levied a fine of Rs40,000 on those engaged in pilfering gas. 

    In Multan, 11 connections have been severed due to illegal gas consumption, while nine have been disconnected for compressor usage. Six instances of underbilling have undergone rigorous examination, resulting in the imposition of appropriate fines. 

    In Sheikhupura, one connection has been disconnected due to compressor usage, and a comprehensive review of 63 underbilling cases has been undertaken.  

    In both Peshawar and Karak, 44 gas connections have been terminated owing to direct gas consumption and the presence of illicit connections. Additionally, two FIRs have been filed against those involved in gas theft. 

    In Rawalpindi, six gas connections have been discontinued due to direct and unauthorised gas consumption, with one connection linked to the use of compressors. 

  • PTI leaders arrested in Gawadar

    PTI leaders arrested in Gawadar

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) central leader Farrukh Habib, along with eight other people, have been arrested in Gwadar by security forces.

    Balochistan Caretaker Minister for Information Jan Achakzai confirmed the arrests to Dawn.

    Security personnel in plain clothes conducted a raid and arrested Farrukh Habib and eight other people from a local hotel in Gawadar after they got a tip-off. Habib was minister of state for information in the PTI government and president of PTI’s western Punjab wing.

    Those arrested in the raid include Habib’s brother and father-in-law, who were taken to an unknown place after their arrest.

    “The PTI leader reached Gwadar along with his brother, father-in-law and six other people to cross into Iran from Gwadar,” Mr Achakzai told Dawn.

    Habib, his brother and father-in-law have been shifted to an unknown place while six other people were handed over to Gawadar police, who have been released on bail after initial investigation.

    Those released on bail were: Jawad Ehsan Raza, Muhammad Mohsin, Abdul Jabbar, Muhammad Nadeem, Muham¬mad Saqib Nasim and Mudassir. They belong to Lahore, Karachi and Bahawalpur.

  • Court sentences man to jail for marrying without first wife’s consent

    Court sentences man to jail for marrying without first wife’s consent

    A man has been sentenced to jail by a court in Bahawalpur for marrying for a second time without the permission of his first wife, Geo News has reported.

    The Pakistani state observes a punishment of up-to a one year sentence and a fine for men that take up second wives without the written consent of their first wife.

    The first wife filed an application in the court against the second marriage of the husband. The family court of Bahawalpur sentenced him to six months in prison and fined him half a million rupees.

    While pronouncing the verdict, the court said that the accused will have to serve two more years of imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine.