BAHAWALPUR: The spread of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) among the livestock has been reported in Vehari district, where several animals have been affected by this ailment.

According to an official handout issued by deputy director, public relations, Vehari, on Wednesday, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC-finance and planning) Muzzafar Khan said, taking notice of the FMD outbreak, Deputy Commissioner Ms Imrana Tauqeer has directed all assistant commissioners (ACs) in the district to visit the affected villages, along with the concerned officials of the livestock department, and take immediate steps to curb the disease and treatment of the animals.

The DC also ordered measures to save the healthy livestock from the disease in all tehsils of the district.

Meanwhile, some complaints regarding FMD cases in Bahawalpur district have also been received.

The spread of livestock ailment also ‘feared’ in Bahawalpur

As per sources, a cattle owner, Asharf Ali, of 13-BC village, claimed his two cattle heads died of the disease but the veterinary staff concerned failed to take notice.

However, officials seeking anonymity denied any outbreak of the disease in the district. However, an official said some affected cattle heads might have been brought into Bahawalpur from the neighbouring Vehari district, transmitting the disease to some animals in the rural areas. He claimed that Bahawalpur district had an ample stock of the F&M vaccine and under FAO programme, a Russian vaccine was also under trial in the district.

According to him, a team of Russian vets and experts was presently conducting trials of this vaccine in the five tehsils of Bahawalpur district. After the trial period, a decision would be taken for large-scale use of the vaccine, he added.

POs INJURED: Two proclaimed offenders (POs) wanted in a number of dacoity, murder and other criminal cases by Machiwal and Vehari police were arrested after they were seriously injured, allegedly in the firing by their own accomplices during a police “encounter” in the limits of Daniwal police station in Vehari district on Wednesday.

According to police PRO Adnan Tariq, a police patrol party signaled four men riding on two motorcycles to stop near a police picket at Shabeerabad.

He claimed that the motorcyclists, instead, opened fire on the police party, which was retaliated.

He said that during the crossfire, two POs, later identified as as Ali Raza, a resident of Chichawatni, and Zahid Hussain, a resident of 16-WB village, were injured “in the firing of their own fleeing accomplices.”

The police arrested the injured POs and shifted them to hospital.

The police impounded their motorcycles and claimed to have recovered two pistols from their possession.

Later, their two fleeing accomplices were booked in separate cases, he added.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2025