Sahiwal | Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday announced a ban on the post­ing and transfer of govern­ment officers in Faisalabad and Sahiwal districts, aiming to ensure free, fair, and trans­parent by-elections in the re­spective constituencies.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday inaugurated the electric bus service in Sahiwal, expanding the modern public transport initiative after its recent launch in Sargodha.

SAHIWAL: A member of the local Ahmadiyya community narrowly escaped an alleged gun attack late on Saturday night outside his residence in village 6/11-L in Sahiwal tehsil. According to eyewitness accounts, victim Z took cover behind an iron gate as two unidentified motorcyclists allegedly opened fire on him. The victim, however, escaped unharmed and the attackers managed to escape from the scene. The Harappa police registered a case under sections 506 and 34 of the PPC against two unknown suspects, based on Z’s complaint. Speaking to Dawn, Z said that he was standing near the gate of his house when two young men — estimated to be between 20 and 25 years old — approached on a motorcycle and fired directly at him. “It was dark, and I managed to hide. That’s what saved me,” he said. He claimed that he would be able to identify the attackers if he saw them again. Local villagers, who witnessed the incident, confirmed hearing multiple gunshots. The area has a documented history of communal tensions, particularly f...

Sahiwal police said on Tuesday they arrested three men in separate cases over the last 24 hours for allegedly sharing hate speech, blasphemous content and sectarian material on social media. The Punjab government had ordered a crackdown on hateful content on social media alongside stringent security measures, such as army deployment, as the country gears up to observe Ashura (Muharram 10) on July 6. “All suspects were arrested following the registration of three FIRs (first information reports),” Sahiwal District Police Officer (DPO) Rana Tahir said, referring to the three men booked in the past two days. “The police are maintaining zero tolerance to such incidents,” DPO Tahir asserted. “Our message to the youth is clear: they must exercise caution while using social media, especially in ways that could hurt sectarian beliefs or sacred symbols.” The police officer stressed the urgent need to educate young people about the responsible use of social media platforms. The arrests were made under sections 295-A (d...

SAHIWAL: Additional District and Sessions Judge Farrukh Hameed acquitted all seven accused in the murder cases of three members of the Ahmadiyya community, which occurred in 2019 and 2021. The accused included former Union Council chairman Husnain Ali and district office-bearers of the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat organization: Naseeb Ali, Naseer Ali, Muhammad Manasif, Shujaat Ali, and Amjad Asger. Another accused Muhammad Hasan Ramay died of natural causes during court proceedings. According to the report, on Dec 8, 2019, Basharat Ahmed, a village lumberdar, and his brother Mubarik Ahmed were shot dead in broad daylight by nine unidentified assailants on motorcycles in village 99A/6-R, Sahiwal. The incident was suspected to be a sectarian killing. The attackers, whose faces were covered, managed to flee the scene. Farid Town Police registered an FIR against Husnain Ali, Abdul Ghaffar, Naseeb Ali, Naseer Ali, Manasib Ali, Mukhtar Ali, Amjad Ali, Shujat Ali, and two unknown suspects based on a complaint filed by Mubarik’s...

LAHORE: A man dies after being struck by lightning in Sahiwal on Sunday, says the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), while advising people to take precautions given the heavy rainfall and thunderstorm hitting different districts. As per the PDMA, a 36-year-old man, Ramzan, died in Sahiwal when lightning struck him. Punjab witnessed intense weather activity on Sunday, with storms, heavy rainfall and hailstorms reported in the districts, including Lahore, Faisalabad, Murree, Rawalpindi, and Narowal. The PDMA issued a province-wide alert, urging authorities and citizens to take precautionary measures, the forecast of inclement weather till May 12 (tomorrow). According to reports from the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), Madina Town water works recorded the highest rainfall of 25mm, followed by Dogar Basti and Gulistan Colony, 12mm each, in Faisalabad region. In Lahore region, Jail Road received 3.8mm rain, while Lakshmi Chowk and Wasa’s Gulberg Head Office recorded 4mm and 3mm, respectively. The...