December 14, 2007	Friday	Zilhaj 3, 1428

SAHIWAL, Dec 13: Thirty-year-old Fatima Jinnah Road was renamed as ‘Shaikh Nisar Ahmed Road’ on the instructions of the district government on the occasion of visit of Caretaker Chief Minister Ijaz Nisar to his hometown on Thursday.

The road that runs from Jinnah Hall to College Chowk, was named as Fatima Jinnah Road 30 years ago by then deputy commissioner Muzaffar Qadir.

On Wednesday, district government officials replaced all signboards reading Fatima Jinnah Road with signboards that call it ‘Shaikh Nisar Ahmed Road’. Shaikh Nisar is the father of the caretaker chief minister.

Civil society organisations called the move a political favouritism on the part of the district government. Mr Zaki Chaudhry, Pakistan People’s Party ticket holder from PP-221, condemned the act and demanded that the caretaker chief minister visit his hometown not in official capacity as it could influence the electioneering process here. District Nazim Rai Hasan Nawaz’s cousin Rai Azizullah Khan is contesting election from NA-163 on the Pakistan Muslim League-Q ticket.

The chief minister attended the convocation at Government College, Sahiwal, wherein 400 students were awarded degrees.