March 8, 2002	Friday	Zilhaj 23, 1422

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SIALKOT, March 7: Seventeen wheat procurement centres of the Food Department in the district have been closed down on the order of the district coordination officer without assigning any reason.

As a result, wheat would now be procured by the department at only five centres in the district one each at Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial, Pasrur and Sirranwali.

Wheat growers of Sialkot and Narowal districts are protesting against the closure and appealed to the Punjab governor for the restoration of the centres. A bumper crop is again expected in both the districts.

Meanwhile, Punjab Farmers’ Rights Commission chairman Mirza Ehsan Baig urged the government on Thursday to enhance the wheat support price and ban procurement below the support price.

Mr Baig asked the authorities concerned to increase the wheat procurement duration and ban export to Afghanistan.

KASHMIRIS PROTEST: The Kashmiris residing in Sialkot and Narowal districts observed a day of protest on Thursday to protest against killing of Muslims in India.

Speaking at protest meetings in Sialkot, Daska, Bhopalwala, Sambrial, Uggoke, Pasrur, Chawinda, Badiana, Shakargarh, Zafarwal, Baddomalhi and Narowal, Kashmiri leaders including Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Forum central chairman Dr Zahid Ghani Dar and Himalaya Harkatul Mujahideen Jammu and Kashmir chief Bashir Asad Bagri condemned the anti-Muslim riots in India. They urged the United Nations to take serious notice of the situation.

The Kashmiri leaders said attacks on Muslims in India were pre-planned. They alleged that these were aimed at sustaining the war hysteria among the Indians to divert their attention from domestic problems.

Dr Dar and Mr Bagri called upon the Organization of Islamic Conference member countries to boycott Indian products.