MULTAN City News

22 years on, Wyne’s killer to be hanged tomorrow
From Nadeem Shah
MULTAN: The family of slain former Punjab chief minister Ghulam Haider Wyne would get justice, 22 years after his assassination, as Khanewal District and Sessions Court on Tuesday issued black warrants for his killer Zaman Khan alias Zamani for Thursday.
Wyne was killed during an election campaign on September 29, 1993 and Talamba police registered a case against Zaman Khan alias Zamani, Omar Hayat, Muhammad Iqbal, Jehangir and Sultan Ahmad. Three accused Zaman Khan alias Zamani, Omar Hayat, Muhammad Iqbal were awarded death sentence by a speedy trial court in 1996. The court, however, acquitted Jehangir and Sultan Ahmad.
After the speedy trial court decision, the Wyne family moved the LHC Multan Bench against the acquittal of two accused. The division bench comprising Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry and Justice Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmad upheld judgment of Justice (retd) Muhammad Sharif of the speedy trial court. The division bench, however, accepted appeals of Omar Hayat and Muhammad Iqbal and commuted their death sentence into life imprisonment.
Ghulam Haider Wyne was a great personality in the political history of Pakistan. He was born in 1929 in Amritsar in Indian Punjab. He was a high school student when his family migrated to Pakistan. He could not continue his studies after matriculation due to financial crunch and started working as a stenographer. He also worked as a labourer.
Wyne started his career as a political worker after the 1961 elections. Later, he was elected BD member. He was a clean and untraditional politician. He also worked as general secretary of the Pakistan Muslim League Punjab chapter. He experienced almost every slot of the political system. He also worked as leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly. He never tried to plunder national wealth like other politicians.
Sheer hard work made Wyne an integral part of the Pakistan Muslim League. First he became minister and then he was elevated to the chief minister in 1990. Wyne established Nazria-e-Pakistan Trust (NPT) during his chief ministership and donated 40-kanal land to the trust near Johar Town, Lahore, but never built his own house.
Wyne’s political fellows said that he neither built bungalows nor made any bank balance. He lived an ordinary life, they added.

Cotton trainers visit CCRI
From Our Correspondent
MULTAN: The participants of cotton selectors training course on Tuesday visited Central Cotton Research Institute to observe the work and other modern techniques for developing new varieties.
The delegation led by Mian Nasir Ali, officer incharge of Pakistan Standard Cotton Institute, was welcomed by CCRI Director Sajid Shah. Scientific Officer of Agronomy Department Dr Naveed Afzal briefed the visiting delegation about the use of latest machinery and drip irrigation system. Breeding Department incharge Ch Muhammad Afzal provided information regarding breeding material and its impacts.

Rs 5m smuggled goods seized
MULTAN: The Customs Department impounded a truck carrying smuggled goods worth Rs 5 million during a raid at Sakhi Sarwar, DG Khan.
Custom Intelligence Additional Director Nisar Ahmed informed that a team of the Custom Intelligence Department raided and impounded a truck carrying smuggled goods including tyres and blankets. The truck driver showed documents related to scrap but the vehicle was loaded with smuggled articles, he added.