At least two people were killed and 14 injured in windstorm-related incidents in the district during the last 24 hours.
Reportedly, two people were killed and 14 injured as a severe wind and thunderstorm hit the district Saturday night. A wall fell on Faiz, his sister Perveen and two children when they were sleeping in their house in Kaleki.
As a result, Faiz and Parveen were killed instantly while the children, Aziz and Asma, injured critically and rushed to a local hospital from where they were referred to Lahore in the wake of their dangerous condition. The 12 other injured included Mubbashar, Muhammad Ali, Touseef, Aasher, Abuzar and Irhad. Hundreds of trees and scores of signboards were also rooted out by the windstorm. Electricity supply remained suspended for more than 12 hours in the city and adjoining villages.
Meanwhile, lightning reduced a house to ashes in village Muttem. The estimated loss was reported to be Rs 500,000. WAPDA suffered a loss of millions of rupees as poles fell down, wires damaged, 12 feeders faced shutdown and electricity remained disrupted for 12 hours in the district.
TWO DROWN IN CANAL: Two boys drowned while taking a bath in a canal near Head Sagar, seven kms from here. According to the Rescue 1122 in charge, two friends, Rashid Ahmad and Ghulam Ghaus, drowned while taking a bath in Rakh Branch Canal near Head Sagar.
SCHOOL ADMIN VIOLATING GOVT POLICY: The administration of District Public School Hafizabad is committing irregularities and violating the government policy and the board of governors is not ready to pay heed to genuine complaints of students or their parents.
An NGO, District Support Committee, had established this School, claiming that it would provide quality education to the students and charge reasonable fees. It constituted a board of governors to supervise the school’s affairs. But the district administration selected 70 per cent members of the board of governors from one family that has maintained its monopoly. The board does not pay attention to the genuine complaints of the parents. It has also increased fees and other charges arbitrarily, violating the government policy of providing education free or on ‘no profit no loss’ basis.
The doors of this school have been closed for poor and middle class students. The parents told this scribe that the principal of the school had introduced a new fee tariff along with delicious dishes which was a new burden on them (parents). “Every student is provided with a list of dishes with the direction to bring them from his home. If a student is unable to bring the dishes, he/she is insulted in the presence of other students,” this scribe has learnt.
The parents of the students have demanded induction of people from different segments of the society in the board of governors for the betterment of the school as well as its students.
SPORT ACTIVITIES STRESSED: Hafizabad Assistant Commissioner Zaheer Abbas Chattha has said the new generation can be saved from social evils by promoting sports activities,
For this purpose; every person should play his role in promoting healthy activities in the society, he said addressing the first DCO snooker tournament prize-distribution ceremony. District Sports Officer Saif-ur- Rehman, Tehsil Sports Officer Majid Hussain and Snooker Association President Umer Hayyat Bhatti were also present on this occasion.
