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| November 15, 2001 | Thursday | Shaba’an 28, 1422 |
Anthrax fear reaches agri varsity
FAISALABAD, Nov 14: A BSc student in the local Agriculture University on Wednesday received an envelope having suspected Anthrax powder, it is learnt.
According to details, a boarding student Muhammad Afsar received a prospectus from the Cambridge University, UK, at the address of Tariq Hall.
Sources told this correspondent that Afsar found greenish blue particles mixed with the white powder.
Suspecting it to be the Anthrax powder, he threw the letter away and gathered other students.
He burnt the letter on the advice of some of the students and washed his hands with an after shave.
On receiving information, security adviser to the Vice Chancellor, Prof Dr Laeeq Lodhi, rushed to the spot and inquired into the matter. He was informed that the letter had been burnt.
Following the incident, the administration issued instructions to the authorities concerned for taking extra care while receiving any mail.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that not even the Allied Hospital and DHQ Hospital were equipped to fight the disease despite growing concern.
Sources in the National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering told this correspondent that people should not become panicky as the disease was curable.
Probe demanded: The employees of the Housing and Physical Planning Department have demanded an inquiry against their director-general for transferring hundreds of officials to far-flung areas in contravention of the government policy.
In a memorandum to the H&PPD secretary, the aggrieved officials claimed that the government had laid down rules in the wake of devolution plan for the merger of the various departments and adjustment of the employees according to their domicile and seniority.
The policy also said that the BS 1-15 employees should not be transferred outside the district of their domicile. However, if the adjustment could not be made for want of post, the junior employees should be shifted to other districts.
They claimed that policy was implemented in the Lahore district. In other districts, it was violated with impunity by the H&PPD director-general.
They said that the Punjab government had over a year ago directed all its departments to make arrangements for transfer and posting of their employees for the devolution plan.
They alleged that the H&PPD director-general had not taken any step in this regard and the process of the transfer and posting was under way.
They said that the director-general had been occupying the post for more than a decade and creating problems for the government and employees.
They demanded that the transfer orders issued by the DG in violation of the government policy should be reviewed.
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