FAISALABAD, June 4: The farmers of Samundri, Tandlianwala and Mamukanjan have threatened to stage a demonstration and observe hunger strike in front of the Chief Minister House if the canal water is not released in Killianwala, Tandlianwala and Bhoja canals.

Talking to newsmen here on Friday, a delegation of growers alleged the irrigation department chief had suspended the water supply to the three canals just to please a Kamalia tehsil MNA and an MPA of the same family.

They claimed that the water of the three canals had been diverted to Kabeerwala canal without any justification. They further said that the irrigation officials had not only violated the prescribed rules but also played havoc with lives and crops of the villagers.

Kabeerwala canal, they said, was designed for 185 cusecs of water, but the Irrigation officials released more water by closing the three canals. Owing to extraordinary water pressure in the Kabeerwala Canal, they said breaches had been occurred at various points particularly at Sultanpur Bangla, causing great loss of canal water and destroying standing crops on hundreds of acres of land.

On the other hand, they alleged that standing crops were damaged for want of canal water and discriminatory attitude of the Irrigation, inflicting heavy losses to the farmers.

They demanded an inquiry into the closing of water in Killianwala, Tandlianwala and Bhoja canals and diverting their share of water to Kabeerwala Canal. Meanwhile, MPAs Chaudhry Shahid Nabir and Shahid Khalil Noor also demanded a probe into the matter.

ABDUCTORS HELD: Ghulam Muhammadabad police arrested three culprits involved in kidnapping children and recovered a minor boy who was abducted for camel race here on Thursday night.

A police team on a tip-off raided the hideout of kidnappers and arrested Ashraf, Anwar and Ali Akbar of Ghulam Muhammadabad. During preliminary interrogation, the arrested accused made a clean breast of having their links with the gangs of abductors of Gulf states.

They also admitted that they had kidnapped some children from Pakistan and sent them to Dubai for camel race. On their direction, the police team raided a house in Qudartabad and recovered Muhammad Farhan (6) who was abducted by the outlaws about three years ago. The boy was smuggled to Dubai for camel race, but he was sent back to Pakistan.

The police said that efforts were being made to arrest their remaining accomplices from other parts of the province. The police have registered a case against the accused under Section 364-A of the PPC and started investigation. The recovered boy has been handed over to his parents who are living in Muneerabad.

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