BAHAWALPUR: City police Lodhran booked dozens of men and women for allegedly attacking FIA cyber crime team that had arrived from Islamabad to arrest an accused wanted in a case registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).

According to the Lodhran police spokesperson, the FIA team was attacked by men and women who attempted to free the accused, Hamza Nazir, from the FIA custody and also damaged their vehicle. However, the team, with the help of Lodhran police, foiled the mob’s attempt, and left for Islamabad along with the accused.

The spokesperson told Dawn that police registered an FIR under numerous sections on the complaint of FIA Sub-Inspector Babar Ali.

WHEAT PRICE: The farming community has demanded the government announce wheat support price without delay.

Kissan Board Pakistan chairman Jam Hazoor Bakhsh demanded the fixation of wheat support price at Rs5,000 per maund.

He said the wheat growers were facing a tough time in the current season as all the inputs like seed and fertilizers and water were purchased by the cultivators at higher rates, that’s why the government should fix the support price at Rs5,000 per maund.

He recalled that last year, the Punjab government had caused huge losses to the wheat farmers because the government did not purchase their produce.

ACCIDENT: A 70-year-old woman was killed while a man suffered serious injuries when their motorcycle was hit by a speeding mini-truck near Basti Jhoon in Hasilpur tehsil.

The deceased was identified as Karam Elahi who was the pillion rider on the motorcycle while the injured was identified as Tanveer who was riding the two-wheeler.

Police registered a case against the unidentified truck driver who had fled after the accident.

TREES: Tree planting campaigns on the International Forest Day were launched in Bahawalpur, Lodhran and Vehari.

In Bahawalpur, Punjab Minister for Irrigation Mian Kazim Hussain Peerzada and Bahawalpur Deputy Commissioner Dr Farhan Farooq launched it at Lal Sohanra National Park, Deputy Commissioner Lodhran Dr Lubna Nazir did the same at Children Park in Lodhran and MPA Saqib Khursheed opened it in Vehari.

Conservator Forests, Bahawalpur Division, Imran Sattar said that over 200,000 saplings would be planted in Bahawalpur district during the current campaign.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2025