November 1, 2001	Thursday	Shaba’an 14, 1422

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GUJRANWALA, Oct 31: The opposition members on Wednesday rejected the proposal to levy new taxes in the district council budget.

Speaking at a meeting of the district council here on Wednesday, they said that the levy of Rs50 per annum education tax would be another burden on students and their parents.

The meeting was presided over by district Naib Nazim Haji Gohar Zaman. Nazim Chaudhry Fiaz Ahmad Chattha also attended.

Opposition members Sheikh Ghulam Sarwar Hashmi, Zia Noor, Mian Haq Irshad and Aziz Younas Khokhar said that the government was facilitating the education sector while the district council was imposing tax.

They suggested that books and copies should be provided free to all deserving students.

Treasury members Chaudhry Zahid Pervaiz, Master Inayat and Haji Shahbaz Khokhar said that the tax was being imposed on private schools which were receiving heavy fee from students and not providing better facilities.

Another treasury member Adil Farooq Khan said that at least 2,500 vacancies of teachers were lying vacant in various educational institutions of district while 15 per cent schools have been closed.

He proposed that teachers should be recruited on contract basis.

The meeting referred the matter to impose eight taxes to the committees of the district council.

DEATH FOR THREE: Three people involved in murder cases were awarded death sentence with a collective fine of Rs350,000 in separate cases here on Wednesday.

An additional district and sessions judge awarded death sentence to Imran with a fine of Rs200,000.

The court acquitted four co-accused — Amir Musa, Suleman, Shahbaz and Adnan — giving them the benefit of the doubt.

According to the prosecution, the convict had killed one Ijaz Ahmad over a minor issue in Satellite Town on March 3, 2000.

An additional district and sessions judge awarded death sentence and fine of Rs50,000 to Saifullah.

The court acquitted four co-accused — Abdul Haq, Shahbaz Ahmad, Muhammad Sadiq and Adeel — on doubt.

The convict had killed a constable, Gulzar Ahmad, in People’s Colony on Dec 2, 2000.

In another case, an additional district and sessions judge awarded death sentence to Muhammad Nasir. He will have to pay a fine of Rs100,000.

The convict had killed his friend, Tariq, over a petty issue in Satellite Town a year ago.

ARRESTED: The CIA police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested a 20-member inter-district gang of highwaymen and recovered looted goods and illicit weapons in huge quantity from them.

A police official told newsmen on Wednesday that a four-wheeler, 34 motorcycles, six cycles, TV sets, electronic gadgets and illegal weapons were recovered from the culprits on their identification.

He said the police also caught a number of drug-traffickers with a huge quantity of narcotics.

BOOKED: Two police assistant sub-inspectors and their accomplices were booked by the Satellite Town police on Wednesday for registering a fake case against a man and looting valuables worth Rs1.2 million from his house at the behest of his rivals in Bhekopur village.

Afzal Butt and Abdul Razzaq Dogar reportedly booked Amjad Ali in a fabricated case and deprived him of valuables.

ASP Dr Salman Sultan conducted an inquiry against them and booked them on finding them guilty.