April 09, 2007	Monday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 20, 1428

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KASUR, April 8: Hiv/Aids is taking its toll in the district as dozens of the carriers of the disease are reluctant to declare themselves as Hiv carriers while no medical facility exits in the district to treat the victims, according to a Kasur-based non-government organisation.

Addressing a conference on Club Road on Sunday, Waqas Abid, secretary-general of the Kasur NGOs Coordination Council, said that over a dozen carriers of Hiv were found in 30 union councils and other urban areas of the district during a survey. These carriers had not disclosed their disease to others and were reportedly visiting barber shops and other places thus passing on the disease to others. He said the government had failed to launch any awareness campaign among the public about the disease and it was feared that the victims would infect others in their surroundings.

The survey also revealed that in the urban areas of Kasur about 100 brothels were running and sex workers were not using any safe-sex measures.

Above all, homosexuals in various parts of the district were also reported to be one of the contributors to the spread of Hiv. He said a significant number of teenagers working at truck stands, tea stalls, mini cinemas, brick kilns, auto workshops and other places, were reportedly being harassed and fell a prey to sexual assaults.

The council has arranged an awareness drive about the precautionary measures regarding the disease in 10 union councils of the district.

FIRING: Four girls were injured on Sunday due to aerial firing on the participants of a wedding ceremony in Thatti Bakhshi Wala. Some friends of the groom allegedly opened fire to celebrate the occasion leaving Muqaddas, Sumrunissa, Kausar and Sharif Bibi injured who were rushed to hospital. The family did not approach police for action.

CASE: Saddar police registered a case of kidnapping on Sunday after the laps of eight days. Kausar Bibi of Bhassarpura had refused the proposal of Imran for her daughter Saima.

On March 31, Kausar was going to bazaar with her daughter Saima, when accused Imran with his six unidentified accomplices tried to kidnap them. Some shopkeepers in the bazaar rescued the women from their custody.

A few hours after the kidnap bid, the accused allegedly kidnapped Faheem, the younger brother of Saima. Imran allegedly urinated on his face and thrashed him. Faheem was, however, later released.

Councillor Muhammad Liaqat tried to pressure the family not to get the case registered and offered a Rs100,000 compensation to the victims. When the family refused, the accused allegedly greased the palm of Sadar police, who delayed on the matter for more than one week but registered the case at the intervention of senior officials, Yasir Lodhi, the uncle of Saima, said.