MULTAN

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has allotted electoral signs to 11 candidates for by-election to NA-153 Multan-Vl Jalalpur on Friday. Two candidates - Malik Muhammad Bakhsh Laang and Muhammad Saleem Channar withdrew their nomination papers on the last day while one had done it earlier.
The ECP sources disclosed that the PML-N candidate Rana Qasim Noon was allotted the electoral sign of Lion, PPP’s Malik Akram Kanhu Arrow and PTI’s Malik Ghulam Abbas Khakhi Bat. The N rebel Dewan Abbas Bokhari, son of disqualified MNA from the same constituency Dewan Ashiq Bokhari, did not withdraw his papers and therefore he was issued the sign Bucket. He had told the journalists during a press conference that he would contest election in independent capacity whatsoever. The ECP also issued signs to some other candidates as Ashfaq Khakhi was given the sign Goat, Prof Latif Ansar Lajpal Toothbrush, Ibrahim Khawaja Diamond, Dewan Muhammad Ali Bokhari Bullock, Malik Aslam Kanhu Bear, Malik Ramzan Deer and Nawab Muhammad Iqbal Elephant. The constituency had got vacated due to disqualification of PML-N MNA Dewan AShiq Bokhari and the by election will take place on March 17.
POISONED KIDS RECOVER: The children, who were poisoned by their father, have recovered from the poisoning and discharged from the hospital. Sources said that Shahmeer and Noor were brought to the hospital in critical condition but timely treatment saved their lives. A man namely Asif had poisoned his three children and then committed suicide on Thursday. Asif and his 11 year old daughter Zainab died of poisoning while the lives of Shahmeer and Noor were saved. Police said that the apparent cause of the tragic incident was sheer poverty and debt.
Police sources said that Asif was a goldsmith and he had borrowed gold from eight people which he could not return. The children who survived the poisoning told police that they asked their father to bring food for them but he had no money. “He asked us to drink the water. It was very sour but our father asked us to drink it as it would eliminate our hunger forever,” a cop quoted the children as saying. Meanwhile, investigation was underway into the tragic incident as police registered a case against the deceased Asif on complaint of his wife Rubina.