SHEIKHUPURA, Jan 17: Residents of Kot Noor Shah, Rana Bhatti, Attari, Bhaghre and other villages held a protest rally and blocked Lahore-Jaranwala road on Wednesday.

The villagers took out the rally to protest against the auqaf department that had given a piece of land on a 99-year lease to an industrialist to construct a CNG station near the shrine of Baba Noor Shah Wali in Kot Noor Shah on Jaranwala Road.

They told journalists that the land belonged to the shrine Noor Shah Wali. They said by taking this step the department had hurt the feelings of thousands of devotees of the saint. They said they would continue their protest till the acceptance of their demands.

They urged the auqaf minister to order cancellation of the lease otherwise they would have no choice but to stop the construction of the CNG station by force.