SIALKOT   -  In the wake of the tragic death of a la­bourer during a police investigation, a case has been filed against six officials, including SHO Akram Shahbaz and oth­ers. The incident, which occurred three months ago in Daska, has sparked out­rage, leading to swift action by Addi­tional Sessions Judge Khalid Bashir. Ac­cording to the FIR filed by Muhammad Hameed, father of the victim, the police raid the house of Hameed resident of Chongi No 8 Daska three months ago, that resulted in the arrest of Usman, who was later found dead during the investigation. The police started inves­tigation of the incident by lodging a case No 915/24 under section 302,147,148 PPC against SHO Akram Shahbaz, IO Waris, Irfan Cheema, Senior Constable Babar Aziz and an unknown person. Sialkot DPO Hassan Iqbal has assured a thorough investigation, emphasising adherence to due process and account­ability for any wrongdoing.

53 TANNERIES SEALED FORDISCHARGING CHEMICALLYCONTAMINATED WATER

Under the directive of Deputy Com­missioner (DC) Sialkot Muhammad Zul­qarnain, the district administration has taken decisive action by sealing 53 tan­neries found to be releasing hazardous chemically contaminated water. Addi­tional Deputy Commissioner Revenue is overseeing the monitoring of water contamination within the jurisdiction of the District Council and Municipal Corporation, ensuring strict enforce­ment of environmental regulations.

Teams deployed to address the is­sue have sealed tanneries across vari­ous clusters, including Bogra, Malke Kalan, and Nikapura Zafar Wall Road. They have emphasized that tanneries failing to initiate construction within the Sialkot Tannery Zone (STZ) will face consequences, including plot can­cellations, to enforce compliance.

CEO of Yousuf Mir Leather Wear, Sohail Khawar Mir, and Chairman of Tanner Zone Sialkot, Tahir Shafiq Mughal, have advocated for reallocat­ing plots to genuine tannery owners to minimize environmental pollution and uphold international standards in leather production, thereby prevent­ing market dominance by competitors like India and Bangladesh.

The Sialkot Tannery Zone project, supported by the Punjab govern­ment and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has seen significant progress, with civil work completed and plans to finalize the wastewater treatment plant by year-end. Deputy Director Environment Maqsood Rab­bani, alongwith inspectors Shahid Ali and Ahmed Yar, have been in­strumental in sealing non-compliant factories to protect public health and the environment. Project Director Tannery Zone Sialkot Atif Ahmed has confirmed the initiation of work on the Tannery Zone, signaling a com­mitment to sustainable practices and environmental stewardship.