RAHIM YAR KHAN, Nov 5: Thousands of maunds of cotton worth millions of rupees were reduced to ashes when a factory caught fire on Thursday. Reports said a fire engulfed cotton stocks at the Khwaja Muzaffar Mehmood factory. A labourer, who was working there at that time, fainted due to suffocation. He was admitted to the Sheikh Zayed Hospital.

Fire fighters reached the scene and extinguished flames after several hours. The cause of fire is not known yet. Factory owner Khwaja Muhammad Ilyas told journalists that he was at his office when cotton worth millions of rupees was burnt.

QASIM ZIA: The announcement of the local government election would not affect the anti-government campaign, according to PPP provincial president Qasim Zia. Talking to newsmen at the residence of party district president Javed Akbar Dhiloon, he said the country was passing through the darkest period of its history.