BAHAWALPUR, May 5: Over one million wheat bags have been purchased and hoarded by the private sector in the Bahawalpur district. This was disclosed at a meeting held here on Wednesday to review the government's ongoing wheat procurement drive.

The meeting was chaired by District Nazim Tariq Cheema and attended by DCO Imran Ahmad, Bahawalpur division deputy director (food) Abdul Qayyum Lashari and other food officials. The meeting revealed that out of the total aggregate, around 738,221 wheat bags were purchased by 20 flour mills while the remaining 289,669 by 17 licence holders.

It was also given out that at least 16 cases were registered by the police for procuring wheat illegally and hoarding it without valid documents. As of now, the food department had procured 63,063 tons of wheat, the meeting further informed.

Meanwhile, the District Nazim warned that profiteers and hoarders would not be allowed to stock the wheat illegally and a strict action would be taken against the violators.

NOTICES: The Election Commission of Pakistan has served notices on four MNAs and an MPA for allegedly concealing facts about their properties in their returns.

It was learnt that the ECP had served notices on MNAs Mian Mumtaz Ahmed Matyana, Makhdoom Ahmed Alam Anwar, Maj Tanveer Ahmed (retired), Khalid Mahmood Warren and MPA Dr Muhammad Afzal of Yazman, who has already submitted his resignation to the Punjab Assembly speaker.

In their returns to the ECP, they all reportedly did not provide correct information about their plots, jewellery, vehicles, furniture and other costly articles. The ECP has now asked them to submit their replies within a fortnight.

POSTPONED: The execution of a convict was postponed at the New Central Jail here on Wednesday. Faiz Muhammad of Kahrore Pucca was to be hanged on Wednesday, but the Lodhran district and sessions judge, who had handed him down death sentence, ordered its postponement.

He informed the jail superintendent that a compromise between the complainants and the accused party was going on. The convict had shot dead his four relatives in 1996 when they were on their way to a court for recording their evidence.

CASE: The Bahawalpur police on Wednesday registered a case under 16 MPO against six ulema for delivering objectionable speeches at Mouza Hateji near here on Tuesday.

Those booked were: Ali Sher Hyderi, Dr Khadim Hussain Dhilon, Maulana Khalil Ahmed, Maulana Yar Muhammad, Muhammad Abid and Muhammad Qasim. However, no arrest has so far been made in this respect.