44 booked in Bahawalpur attack linked to watercourse dispute

BAHAWALPUR: Yazman Saddar Police have registered a case against 44 people, including 19 nominated suspects, over an alleged armed assault stemming from a dispute over a watercourse in Chak 93/DB.

According to PRO Muhammad Naeem, police teams carried out several raids to apprehend the suspects, who were stated to be absconding. He said efforts were continuing to arrest them as early as possible.

Police sources said the first information report was lodged under Sections 341, 427, 506, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of Muhammad Safdar alias Jattoo.

In his complaint, Safdar said he was travelling in cars with several companions when they were attacked near Chak No. 93/DB by a large group. He alleged that the assailants included 19 nominated men and 25 unidentified persons armed with rifles, clubs, iron rods and sticks.

The complainant said the attackers stopped the vehicles, dragged the occupants out, beat them at gunpoint and damaged the cars. He further alleged that the group also issued threats.

Police said four people — Qamar Munir, Iftikhar Ahmed, Rashid Ali and Shahroze Mustafa — were injured in the incident and shifted to Yazman THQ Hospital for treatment.

The complaint stated that the attack was motivated by an ongoing dispute over a watercourse. Police said those named in the case included Muhammad Javed, Qaisar Abbas, Irfan Nazir and Shehbaz, among others. Further investigation is under way, police added.

Bahawalpur province demand reiterated at BUF event

Separately, speakers at a function held on Friday to mark Martyrs’ Day of the Bahawalpur United Front reiterated their demand for separate provincial status for Bahawalpur.

The BUF campaigns for the restoration of Bahawalpur as a separate province. At the event, former MPA Syed Tabish Alwari, Akram Ansari and other speakers reminded the ruling PML-N of what they described as its promises regarding independent provincial status for Bahawalpur.

The speakers also referred to pending resolutions in the Punjab Assembly on the issue and urged the party leadership to fulfil its commitments to the people of the region. They said their struggle would continue until the demand was accepted.

During the gathering, speakers recalled that on April 25, 1970, in the period of former martial law administrator General Yahya Khan, two activists were killed when police opened fire on demonstrators at Farid Gate in Bahawalpur city. The protest had been held in support of a separate Bahawalpur province.