Gang-rape of woman during dacoity: Last accused killed in Multan police encounter

MULTAN: A dacoit, who had allegedly raped a married woman two days ago, was killed during a police ‘encounter’ at Sujanpur village on Monday.

Reportedly, Sital Marri police were taking alleged dacoit Iqbal Chawan to recover weapons when his unidentified accomplices attacked the police party. During exchange of firing between the police and the attackers, accused Iqbal was killed on the spot.

However, the police claimed that Iqbal was killed by his own accomplices. It is pertinent to mention here that Iqbal was the last accused in the case. 

Earlier, Iqbal's four accomplices, who had raped the wife of Zulfiqar during a dacoity, were killed during exchange of firing with the police on Saturday.

Housing scheme scam: A local court on Monday granted four-day physical remand of former circle registrar who was arrested by the NAB Multan region on the charges of misuse of powers and illegal allotment of plots in the Government Officials Cooperative House Building Society, Multan.

Earlier, a special team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Multan region had arrested Asmat Mahmood when he returned from Saudi Arabia. The NAB arrested the accused for misuse of powers and allegedly facilitating other co-accused persons for illegally allotment of plots in the Government Officials Cooperative House Building Society, Multan, in 2010.

The accused had allegedly facilitated other co-accused persons for illegal allotment of 1,946 plots by violating the by-laws in both phases of the society. The co-accused persons, Multan ex-cooperatives inspector Iqbal Ahmad, Bahawalpur Division deputy registrar (Multan ex-district officer cooperatives), Muhammad Walayat Khan, Malik Naseer Ahmed Bhatti and other co-accused persons had illegally used the logo of the MDA for giving false impression to general public and thus collected Rs.1.2 billion.

A huge amount was collected but not a single plot was given to the allottees. Earlier, permission allowed by the MDA for phase II was withdrawn by declaring the entire scheme as illegal in 2016. Accused Iqbal Ahmad, Muhammad Walayat Khan and Malik Naseer Ahmad Bhatti are already arrested.

LAUDED: Current and former office-bearers of the Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) lauded the appointment of Dr Miftah Ismail as Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs.

They expressed their confidence in his ability and expertise to uplift the economy.

They urged Dr Miftah to take other stakeholders into confidence to achieve export targets and remove hurdles hindering exports of textile sector.