BAHAWALPUR: A man of district Lodhran who was reportedly killed by Katcha dacoits returned home 25 days after his family had offered his funeral prayers in absentia for him.

According to police sources, Hakim Shoaib Qureshi, belonging to Jalalpur Peerwala of district Lodhran, was allegedly abducted for ransom by the Katcha gangs in October 2024. When the robbers did not receive ransom from his family for months, they sent them a photo last month, showing Shoaib’s body covered in a chaddar.

They told Shoaib’s family that they had killed him and threw his body into the river. After seeing the photo and getting information of his murder from the robbers, the family mourned his death and offered funeral prayers for him about 25 days back.

When Hakim Shoaib returned home on Friday, celebrations were held at his house and his relatives visited him to congratulate him in large numbers.

He was reportedly killed by Katcha gangs after his family didn’t pay ransom

JEEP RALLY: Divisional Commissioner Musarrat Jabeen announced the detailed programme of the six-day 20th International Cholistan Desert Jeep Rally and directed the officials to make elaborate arrangements for the participants as well as spectators of the rally.

She was presiding over a meeting here on Saturday.

According to the programme, the inaugural ceremony of the rally would be held on Feb 11 in Bahawalpur city after which vehicles’ registration, technical inspection and drivers’ conference would held on Feb 12 at tourism development corporation of Punjab (TDCP) resort in Cholistan desert near Derawar Fort, about 70km from here. On Feb 13, the qualifying round of all the categories would be held at Dilwash Stadium, Cholistan.

The rally’s flag-off ceremony and regular competition of the participants of the first round of prepared men and women cat race would be held on Feb 14 while on Feb 15, the race of stock category participants and women cat race would be held followed by a cultural function and fireworks in the desert.

The second and final round of the prepared men’s category and women cat race along with dirt bike race and truck race would be held on the last day, Feb 16 with the holding of prize-distribution ceremony late at night on the concluding day.

The commissioner issued directions for a security plan for the event.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Dr Farhan Farooque, DPO Bahawalpur Asad Sarfraz Khan, Cholistan Development Authority (CDA) MD Syed Tariq Mahmood Bokhari and officials of other related departments, including the TDCP and highways.

MEPCO: The Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) arrested a defaulter of Rs4.5m after his bail plea was dismissed by the Lahore High Court Multan bench.

According to a Mepco press release, a team had caught Tasawar Husain, owner of an ice factory, allegedly stealing electricity the other day. Earlier, the defaulter’s bail plea was also dismissed from the lower courts.

ACQUITTED: The additional district and sessions judge, Burewala acquitted former MPA and PTI leader Chaudhry Ijaz Sultan Bandesha of Vehari for lack of evidence in the electricity pilferage case registered against him by Mepco last year.

Due to this theft case, Mr Bandesha was disqualified from contesting the February 2024 election.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2025