Vendors, hawkers banned near schools
From Our Correspondent
MULTAN: The Punjab Education Department has banned vendors and hawkers near schools due to security reasons.
In a circular issued here on Wednesday, Punjab Secretary Schools Abdul Jabbar Shaheen directed the district and division education departments to remove vendors from around the schools due to current security concerns. It was directed that no vendor or hawker would be allowed to stay in front or around the boundary walls of the schools keeping in view of prevailing security concerns across the country. The Education Department has asked the DCOs of all districts in Punjab to remove vendors immediately. All the Education EDOs are directed to provide lists of such vendors to the concerned authorities for necessary action. Meanwhile, CPO Azhar Ikram has ordered deployment of additional Elite Force personnel near the Nishtar Hospital, colleges and sensitive educational institutions to avoid any untoward incident. Security agencies also conducted a search operation in the city. Meanwhile, addressing a meeting here, DCO Zahid Salim Gondal directed the heads of different schools to raise walls to eight feet, appoint security guards and ensure installation of CCTV cameras at the schools. The DCO ordered removal of all types of encroachments established near the schools. He told that the Civil Defence and Rescue 1122 teams would impart special training to the students and teachers to meet any emergency situation.
Booking offices of PIA remained closed against privatisation
From Our Correspondent
MULTAN: The booking offices of the PIA remained closed on Wednesday against the privatisation of the airline at Multan, Bahawalpur, Rahimyar Khan and Dera Ghazi Khan.
The PIA employees staged a demonstration at the city terminal and staged a sit-in under the leadership of Mehr Kalimullah Klasra, Mehr Qadir Bakhsh of Air League, Syed Asad Bokhari and Ghulam Fareed of Peoples Unity of PIA. They said that the PIA flight operation would be suspended from Feb 2, if their demands were not met. The PIA employees said that the National Bank and the All Pakistan Oil Tankers Association workers had joined their protest and they would halt fuel supply from Feb 2.
Reports indicate that they tried to breach one of gates, harassed staff, and even scaled walls of premises
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A fierce exchange of fire ensued, but culprits managed to escape under cover of darkness
Police said booked leaders and BYC workers gathered at main Turbat Chowk
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Bokhari emphasised that cases have been registered against "Fasadis", and no one will be spared