BAHAWALPUR   - On the directive of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Bazdar, crackdown on occupation of government lands in Bahawalpur district is underway. Under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner Muzaffar Khan Sial, Assistant Commissioner Khairpur Tamiwali Muhammad Kamran Bukhari alongwith Revenue Field Staff vacated 72 kanals of government land worth more than Rs 13.5 million from the mafia in Chak 24 Sharaf Shah, rural area of Khairpur Tamiwali Tehsil.

The occupation mafia was cultivating crops on government land. Government lands were retrieved by driving a tractor.

Similarly, Assistant Commissioner Khairpur Tamiwali Muhammad Kamran Bukhari, while conducting a grand operation against the occupation mafia on government lands, vacated 96 kanals of government land in Mouza Sifatullah Khairport Tamiwali from the occupation mafia worth Rs 18 million. 

Occupying government lands, the mafia had planted crops on which tractors were driven away. 

Assistant Commissioner Kamran Bukhari said that occupation of government lands is a zero tolerance policy against the mafia. He said that indiscriminate operations were being carried out across the tehsil against encroachments, illegal housing societies and occupation of government lands by the mafia.

Commissioner directs for early completion of ring road of Bahawalpur

Commissioner Bahawalpur Division Captain Muhammad Zafar Iqbal inspected the construction work of Additional Ring Road from Bandra Bridge to Diwanwali Bridge. On the occasion, the Commissioner directed that all measures should be taken for early completion of Additional Ring Road Bahawalpur and all construction projects should be completed in time and in accordance with high standards. 

He said that this year Additional Ring Road Rs 180 million has been allocated for the road and Rs 102 million has been spent.

Assistant Commissioner City Azman Chaudhry, SE Highways Farrukh Mumtaz, Deputy Director Planning Waqas Muhammad Din, Deputy Director Development Malik Mehboob Elahi Khar and other officers were also present on the occasion. Commissioner Bahawalpur said that speedy construction of Additional Ring Road is our top priority and its construction will solve traffic problems in Bahawalpur city. 

Cultural festival preparations at Bahawalpur Islamia university

Preparations for the second annual Literary and Cultural Festival BLCF-2021 have started at Islamia University of Bahawalpur. 

In this regard, a meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Syed Tabish Alwari, former Parliamentarian, writer and poet and Chairman of Bahawalpur Literary and Cultural Festival Committee. 

The meeting was attended by Ms. Shehla Ehsan Malik, Chairperson Parks and Horticulture Authority, Muneeb Malik, Vice President, Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ms. Mehak Malik, Deputy Manager Marketing DHA Bahawalpur, Prof. Dr. Shahid Hassan Rizvi, senior teachers and officers. 

Syed Tabish Alwari in his address said that Islamia University of Bahawalpur under the leadership of Vice Chancellor Engineer Prof. Dr. Athar Mahboob has established a new tradition by organizing literary and cultural festivals in Pakistani universities. The event is now an annual event.

“Literature and culture have a deep connection with education,” he said. 

“Universities around the world are launching a new educational revolution by combining modern science with literature and culture.  Jamia Islamia Bahawalpur is also moving fast towards the same destination where the number of students has increased from 13,000 to 40,000 in a short span of time due to recent measures. The number of teaching departments has doubled and Islamia University Bahawalpur has also joined the world rankings,” he added.

He said that the opening and closing ceremonies of the literary and cultural festival would be held in a splendid manner and the media alumni of Jamia Islamia would be included to make the field of publicity more effective. 

This time a separate event will also be organized for female students and women. A large industrial and commercial exhibition and flower show will be held on the occasion with the participation of local authorities. 

According to the Vice Chancellor’s vision, all the important sections of the society besides the universities and educational institutions of the region, government and business institutions and literary organizations will be fully involved in this Literary and Cultural Festival.

Prof. Dr. Rubina Rafique, Prof. Dr. Rubina Bhatti, Prof. Dr. Aftab Hussain Gilani, Prof. Dr. Sajjad Ahmed Paracha, Prof. Dr. Abdul Wajid Khan, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ayub Jajja, Prof. Dr. Irshad Hussain, Prof. Dr. Asadullah Madani, Dr. Muhammad Shehzad were present on the occasion. Dr. Asif Naveed Ranjha, Dr. Naveed Aslam Malghani, Dr. Saeed Ahmed, Shahzad Ahmed Khalid, Farjad Ahmed Faiz and Agha Sadaf Mehdi gave briefings on various events and arrangements.