September 28, 2006	Thursday	Ramazan 4, 1427

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GUJRANWALA, Sept 27: The Pakistan Telecommunication (PTCL) Employees Union central leaders have expressed resentment against the issuance of dismissal notices to 25,000 low-paid employees and warned that the entire system would be jammed across the country if the notices were not taken back.

Speaking at a protest meeting held here on Wednesday, union leaders Rana Tahir, Rahat Butt and Ziauddin had promised that no worker would be sacked.

They hinted that the next protest meeting would be held in Faisalabad where a future course of action would be announced.

The dismissal notices were issued to telephone operators, clerks and technicians.

Case ordered: The Gujranwala district and sessions judge on Wednesday ordered registration of a case against a factory owner and his men for keeping a worker in illegal confinement and torturing him.

The court summoned owner and his men when a bailiff recovered worker Khalid from factory premises in the presence of police. The court ordered medical examination of the victim which confirmed that he was tortured.

The other staff also confessed that the victim was beaten up.

Owner Khalid Mahmood could not turn up in court while the judge took serious notice of his absence and ordered registration of a case against him and his men.

INJURED: Four workers, including the son of owner, suffered injuries in an explosion in scrap in a factory on Sheikhupura Road on Wednesday.

The workers were busy in sifting scrap when it exploded as a result of which Shahab, the son of factory owner Abdul Hamid, and workers Azmat Ali, Arshad and Akmal sustained injuries.

They were taken to DHQ hospital.