QUETTA, May 2: The Jamiat Ittehad-i-Akhbar Faroshan, Quetta, has appealed to the chief minister to approve 60 names suggested by the union for grant of loans from hawkers’ welfare fund. Speaking at a press conference at the press club here the other day, association’s president Mir Ahmad alleged that an official of the Balochistan information department was creating hurdles in finalising the list recommended by the Ittehad.

He said the official was not implementing the chief minister’s directives about the welfare fund. He said Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousuf, during an oath taking ceremony on July 19, 2005, had established the welfare fund for hawkers and allocated Rs1.5 million for it. Mr Ahmad announced that hawkers would not distribute newspapers in the civil secretariat to lodge their protest.