HAFIZABAD City News

Former driver killed by ex-MPA’s husband, three others

From Our Correspondent

HAFIZABAD: A former driver was allegedly killed by an ex-MPA’s husband and three others for demanding outstanding wages here on Thursday.

According to police sources, Muhammad Usman had worked as a driver of former MPA Laila Muqaddas. However, due to some reasons he left the job and demanded outstanding salaries. Later, Laila’s father-in-law Khizar Hayat got a theft case registered against Usman, which proved fake. On Wednesday, Usman again demanded his arrears but the accused allegedly hurled threats to him. On the day of the incident, Usman was on way home when Laila’s husband Saqib Hayat Mangat, father-in-law Khizar Hayat Mangat, Sarfraz Abbas and Hassan Abbas allegedly shot him dead. Police have registered a case against the four accused and shifted the body to a hospital for autopsy.

DEVELOPMENT OF GUJRANWALA DIVISION: The provincial government is focusing on development of Gujranwala division, said Commissioner Muhammad Asif.

Talking to a delegation of journalists, who met him in his office on Thursday, he said that several mega projects, including Gujranwala-Sialkot Motorway, medical college, teaching hospital and university, would be undertaken during the next financial year. He said that all-out efforts were being made to provide relief and justice to the people at the doorsteps. He said that big landlords were not happy on the computerisation of revenue record. He admitted that there were some drawbacks and weaknesses in the governance and efforts were being made to remove hurdles to the good governance. He said that a pilot project for E-stamp papers for over Rs 1,000 had been started in Gujranwala city, which would also be introduced in the division from August 1 to facilitate the general public and litigants to get non-judicial stamped papers.

Regarding shortage of doctors in the DHQ Hospital and Trauma Centre, the commissioner said that he was happy that the hospital and Trauma Centre had been made functional by the Hafizabad DCO and assured that efforts would be made to appoint more doctors. He said that Alipur Chattha-Hafizabad Road would be constructed during the next fiscal year.

Speaking on the occasion, Regional Police Officer Muhammad Tahir said that all-out efforts were being made to control crime and arrest the criminals. He said that although the crime situation was not ideal but every effort was being made to reduce crime. He stressed the need for self-accountability by everyone to create peaceful and healthy society. The RPO said that he had shown zero tolerance to those policemen who were found facilitating the drug mafia and criminals and added that he had shown the door to 1,500 policemen in the division. He appreciated the appointment of administrative officers at police stations. He said that front desks had been established at 10 police stations in Sialkot district and 15 police stations in Gujranwala district where educated and civilised officers had been appointed to change the Thana culture. The FIRs and all relevant record from 2016 had been computerised, he added. In the safe city project, record of tenants and hotels would also be computerised, the RPO said. The delegation told the commissioner that about two decades ago, it was planned to metal 80km banks of Qadirabad Balloki Link Canal from Qadirabad Barrage to Balloki Head to provide better facilities to the population of thousands of villages, towns and cities but the project had been shelved. The delegation requested him to recommend the provincial government to include the mega project in the next financial year.