November 6, 2025
By Iqra Manzoor
LAHORE
An FIR was registered at the Shehar Farid Police Station in Chishtian, District Bahawalnagar, on November 5, under Sections 322, 285, 286, 336, 427, 279, and 337-H(1) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) after three were arrested including Muhammad Habib (owner of the paddy fields), Muhammad Abid, and Abdul Sattar, one of their employees.
According to the FIR, Abdul Sattar allegedly set fire to the crop residue on the orders of the field owner. The complainant stated that his mother, approximately 45 to 50 years old, a resident of Shehar Farid, was returning home to Chishtian in a rickshaw along with another unidentified woman and the rickshaw driver.
The FIR further notes that the driver was speeding despite being repeatedly cautioned to drive carefully. As the rickshaw entered the area engulfed in thick smoke from the burning crop residue, the driver lost control of the vehicle due to poor visibility, causing it to overturn into the fields.
The complainant’s mother, identified as Sidra Bibi, was trapped beneath the overturned rickshaw, her legs crushed under its weight. The other woman and the driver sustained injuries but were unable to rescue her because several sacks of rice were loaded on top of the vehicle. Sidra Bibi was burned alive, while the driver fled the scene after witnessing her agonizing death.
Shehar Farid SHO Sajjad Ahmed Baloch told Voicepk that the FIR was registered under the relevant legal provisions and that all three accused have been arrested.
“They will be presented before the court tomorrow,” he said, adding that the deceased woman originally belonged to Shehar Farid but had been living on rent in Chishtian. “The family is extremely poor, the police even had to arrange for her funeral as they were unable to do so themselves,” Baloch added.
He emphasized that crop residue burning is strictly prohibited under government regulations. “Such incidents are rare; the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is the competent authority to take action against violators,” he said.
However, according to reports by the Consortium for Development Policy Research (CDPR), despite government restrictions and environmental hazards, burning of crop residue remains a common and socially acceptable practice in Pakistan, particularly across the rice–wheat belt of Punjab. Agriculture contributes nearly one-fifth of Pakistan’s GDP, and each year between October and January, out of 8.5 million tonnes of rice residue produced, an estimated 3.6 to 5 million tonnes are burned to clear fields for the next wheat crop. Farmers continue the practice because it remains the fastest and most cost-effective method for preparing land for the next planting season.
Denying allegations that police or doctors had assaulted members of the deceased’s family, Baloch stated, “The family did not want a post-mortem or further investigation, but the post-mortem was legally required and has been completed. The body has since been handed over to the family.”
Police investigations also revealed that the rickshaw driver was operating the vehicle without a valid license, and efforts are underway to arrest the absconding driver.
The tragedy has once again highlighted two persistent issues, illegal crop burning and negligence in traffic enforcement, both contributing to the loss of innocent lives.
Commenting on traffic regulation, Traffic Police spokesperson Azam Watto said that a campaign had recently been launched against underage and unlicensed drivers, during which fines totaling Rs 0.16 million were imposed for overloading and unlicensed driving. “We also issued challans to 530 rickshaws and impounded six vehicles last month as part of the campaign,” Watto added.