SAHIWAL: Senior Civil Judge Shakeel Goraya has recorded the statements of the six Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officials allegedly involved in the Sahiwal shooting incident.

This is the second time the civil judge in his capacity as the judicial inquiry officer (JIO) has summoned the suspects in court and recorded their statements in a case (FIR No 33/19) registered by the Yousafwala police station.

The judicial inquiry into the incident is under way and Shakeel Goraya has been given one month to submit findings.

It is learnt that Muhammad Jalil, the complainant in the murder case of his brother and others against 16 CTD officials, and Umair Khalil, son of deceased Muhammad Khalil, recorded their statements on Monday.

Umair, who suffered a bullet injury on his leg during the CTD operation, came to Sahiwal from Lahore for the first time to record his statement. Umair spoke to the media and demanded exemplary punishment for the killers of his father, mother and sister. He requested the prime minister to help his family get justice.

Majeed Amjad Award: The Sahiwal Arts Council has launched ‘Majeed Amjad Literary Award’ in the memory of renown Urdu poet Majeed Amjad.

A literary society named ‘Majeed Amjad Academy’ is also working in Sahiwal and presently Prof Muhammad Akbar Shah is its president. Mr Shah told Dawn on Wednesday the arts council started the award to pay tribute to the late poet who spent 30 years in Sahiwal. The first Majeed Amjad award will be given to poet Bismal Sabri.

Mr Sabri is the author of six poetry and literary books.

Majeed Amjad, also called ‘philosophical poet of deapth and sensitivity’ by literary critics, was born in Jhang on June 29, 1914 and died in Sahiwal on May 11, 1974.

His first collection of poetry - Shab-e-Rafta - was published in 1958 for which he wrote a preface in verses.

This was the only collection published in his life even though he left voluminous work. After his death, the manuscripts of his unpublished poetry were preserved by Javaid Qureshi, then deputy commissioner of Sahiwal, in 1976.

Later on, in 1989 ace Urdu critic Khawaja Muhammad Zakariya edited and published the complete collection of his works called ‘Kuliyat-i-Majeed Amjad’.

Poultry units: The livestock department has kicked off distribution of poultry units among the needy people of Sahiwal district in line with the prime minister’s chicken and eggs vision.

Around 300 poultry units – each with a cockerel and five hens that cost Rs1,200 -- will be distributed in Chichawatni tehsil and Sahiwal; Sahiwal will get 200 units and Chichawatni 100.

Livestock Director Dr Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry launched the distribution of chicken at a ceremony at the veterinary hospital on Jogi Chowk. Around 20 families were provided a poultry unit each during the ceremony on Wednesday.

Additional Director (Livestock) Dr Samreen Kausar told Dawn that each poultry unit weighed 700 to 800 grammes and was 80 to 90 days old.

As per the livestock officials, each unit will lay 180 to 200 eggs per year after gaining maturity. These chickens and cockerels had been vaccinated. They further said that under the prime minister’s vision the chicken business will promote poultry industry besides providing high quality food to the people.

Needy families can procure these chicken units by filling out a form that they can get from the local veterinary hospitals.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2019