Two brothers held for torturing wives, killing one of them

MULTAN: Police have arrested two brothers on the charges of torturing their wives and killing one of them by administrating poisonous substance over a family dispute here.

Two brothers Amjad and Sohail, residents of Muzaffargarh, had contracted marriage with Abida, 28, and her sister Shehnaz, 26, some months ago. Soon after the marriage, difference developed between the couples. The two brothers used to torture their wives. On Thursday night, Amjad allegedly poisoned his wife Abida to death in Muzaffargarh while her sister Shehnaz left her husband’s house and reached her parents’ house in Multan.

On Friday, both the accused brothers reached Multan to talk to their in-laws. When Muzaffargarh police came to know about it, they contacted Shah Shams police, who arrested the accused brothers and handed them over to Muzaffargarh police.

Over 60 daily wagers sacked: More than 60 daily wagers staged demonstration against their sudden termination from the jobs.

They observed sit-in outside the Shahbaz Sharif Hospital on Friday and demanded their immediate reinstatement. Majority of the sacked daily wagers are Christians and Hindus. They appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar not to deprive them of their jobs as they have been working on the posts for the last four years. Among the terminated daily wagers include sanitary workers, helpers and data operators. They were serving in Multan Shahbaz Sharif Hospital, Fatima Jinnah Hospital and Civil Hospital.

Talking to The News, sacked worker Rofus said the administration of respective hospitals issued them the termination letters when they came on their duties on Friday without any prior notice. The protesting workers said they had been working without salaries for the last three months and demanded the government to release their salaries. They said that previous provincial government had notified establishment of Health Council from the level of Basic Health Units (BHUs) to the District Headquarter Hospitals across Punjab. The former Punjab government released sizeable budgets to the health council for local arrangements and resolution of problems. However, the health councils’ budget had been frozen since the new government took over.

Talking to this scribe, Shahbaz Sharif Hospital MS Dr Nadeem Salim said that no employee had been terminated rather they asked working voluntarily until their salaries were not released. He said he had written letters to Punjab health department twice to inquire the status of daily wagers and release of their salaries but he was still waiting for the health department’s response. He said the hospital would re-hire them once their status and release of their salaries issue was confirmed.