BAHAWALPUR, Dec 23: Three gang-rape convicts were hanged at the New Central Jail here on Thursday morning. The convicts executed were: Pervez Akhtar, Muhammad Aslam and Muhammad Sabir of Rahim Yar Khan. Their bodies were handed over to their families, who were waiting outside the jail.

The Bahawalpur Anti-Terrorism Court presiding officer, Bakhtiar Ahmed Sial, had handed down death sentence to the convicts in 1999. Their conviction was upheld by apex courts while their clemency appeals were also dismissed by the highest authority.

According to the prosecution, the three convicts along with their accomplice Waseem had committed an armed dacoity in the house of Ghulam Muhammad at Mouza Thali Matman. Later, the accused tied the house owner with a rope and gang-raped his wife. The ATC had acquitted Waseem for lack of evidence.

Earlier, Muhammad Aqeel and Muhammad Nazim of Uch Sharif, also convicted in a gang-rape case, were hanged on Nov 30 last. ATC presiding officer Bakhtiar Ahmed Sial had handed down death sentences to the convicts in both the gang-rape cases.

CONDEMNED: PPP district president Riaz Ahmed Dahar, city president Shakir Mirza and information secretary Salim Akhtar Bhatti condemned the dismissal of four district Nazims of the PPP in Sindh province on Wednesday.

In their statement, they described the decision of the Sindh chief minister as sheer dishonesty and illegal. They said the Sindh chief minister wanted to appoint administrators for rigging in the forthcoming local government elections. Expressing their full confidence in the leadership of Ms Benazir Bhutto, they pledged to continue struggle for ending the dictatorial rule in the country.

COTTON MARKETS: Cotton markets will be established in 18 districts, including Bahawalpur. This was stated by Punjab Agriculture Marketing Minister Rana Qasim Noon at a press conference here on Wednesday night.

He said it was for the first time that the budget for agriculture research had been enhanced from 16 to 40 per cent and efforts were being made to pay suitable prices of agricultural produces to the farming community.

The government, he said, had decided to introduce a mango goods special train from Multan to Karachi which would also stop at Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan during summer season.