TOBA TEK SINGH: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Bench No 1, in its order issued on Monday, halted the returning officer (RO) of Toba NA-106 from taking any action regarding the consolidation of results for this constituency until Feb 15.

The ECP directed him to present the record of the election results on the said date before the bench.

PTI-backed candidate Khalid Nawaz Sadhraij filed a petition before the ECP, claiming that under the forms 45 issued by presiding officers, he was declared the winner by a lead of 5,736 votes. However, 24 hours after his victory, the RO altered all forms 45, declaring PML-N candidate Junaid Anwar Chaudhry as the winner with a fake lead of 705 votes.

RAID: The houses of two PTI local leaders were raided for their arrest on Sunday night in Toba and Rajana.

Both former union council nazims -- Mian Suhail Tippu and Rana Ghulam Sarwar Babar -- of Rajana said scores of policemen in several vehicles raided their houses, but they were fortunately not available.

The reason behind the raids for their arrest could not be determined.

RAPE: Faisalabad Civil Lines police arrested a police constable and his accomplice on Monday for gang-raping a boy, creating a video, and snatching cash and a mobile phone from him.

The complainant from Islam Nagar locality claimed in his FIR, registered under sections 375A and 386 of PPC, that the cop stopped him on Jail Road and requested a ride to Chak 215-RB on his motorcycle. On the way, another man joined them and they both took him to an outhouse where they raped him at gunpoint.

They also recorded a video and snatched Rs18,500 and his mobile phone, demanding an additional Rs100,000 as extortion money with the threat to upload his video on social media.

A press release issued by the police spokesperson said the cop has been suspended, and he will be ousted from the police department if the charges against him are proven correct in the inquiry.

ACCIDENT: After a collision between an oil tanker and a bus in Khanewal on Monday, hundreds of litres of petrol leaked onto the road from the tanker on Khalilabad overhead bridge on Multan Road.

Rescue 1122 personnel stopped traffic on the road and cordoned off the area. Later, the remaining petrol was transferred to another oil tanker, and traffic was restored.

Bus passengers, as well as the driver and his helper in the oil tanker, remained safe.

The oil tanker was bound for Lahore from Parco oil refinery Kot Addu, carrying 40,000 litres of high-quality petrol used in airplanes.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2024