December 7, 2001	Friday	Ramazan 21, 1422

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TOBA TEK SINGH, Dec 6: Politicians and farmers’ leaders have condemned the government decision exempting mills from purchasing sugarcane on support price of Rs45 per 40 kilograms.

Former MPA Mian Muhammad Rafiq said here on Thursday that the support price was already much less than the expenditures of growers. Giving the owners free hand to purchase sugarcane at their own rates would enhance exploitation of farmers, he added.

Former MNA M. Hamza stated that the mills have started purchasing sugarcane at Rs35 per 40 kilograms.

He said farmers were already facing financial hardships due to poor government policies on wheat and cotton. The decision on sugarcane would plunge them further into trouble, he added.

He feared that farmers would stop their profession causing food shortage in the country.

Pakistan Kissan Committee president Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad said the government has allowed the mills owners to loot the cultivators with both hands.

Union council Nazims Sardar Mulazim Abbas Gadhi and Chaudhry Naeem Fateh have also expressed concern over the decision and urged the Punjab government to immediately direct the mills to purchase sugarcane at the fixed support of Rs45 per 40 kilograms.

‘KILLERS’ ARRESTED: Two alleged killers were arrested on Thursday when an additional district and sessions judge rejected their bail before arrest application.

Brothers Chaudhry Amjad Ali Javed and Chaudhry Muhammad Afzal, both former councillors, and their brother-in-law Mian Asif Rashid had killed cotton ginning factory owner Mian Saood Ahmad over a land dispute last year. Accused Asif is still at large.

Accused Amjad is Faisalabad division PML(N) youth wing president.

DECLARED WINNER: The additional district and sessions judge, having the powers of election tribunal, declared Abdul Majeed of Chak 334-JB winner as a labour councillors.

Earlier, Muhammad Salim won the labour councillor’s slot from union council No 1, Gojra sub-division. Mr Majeed challenged Mr Salim’s election on the ground that he was not a labourer by profession. He produced documents before the judge proving that Mr Salim owned five acres of agricultural land.

Lawyer injured: A Kamalia lawyer sustained serious injuries when eight people opened fire on him on Thursday on tehsil courts premises.

Advocate Rana Nisar Ahmad was passing through the lawyer’s chambers when accused Ghulam Murtaza and his seven accomplices shot and injured him. He was admitted to the Kamalia Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in critical condition.

The accused were stated to be relatives of the lawyer and they had a dispute over land distribution.