May 04, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 27, 1429

OKARA, May 3: An ASI trussed up both legs of a vendor with a chain as punishment for daring to demand from him the market price for sunglasses at the General Bus Stand here.

Reports said that Saddar police post ASI Sarwer had come to mobile vendor Nazir Khan of the NWFP on his official van and selected spectacles on Friday. The ASI found the market price quoted by vendors ‘fancy’ and asked him to sell sunglasses at his (ASI) price, much low even to vendor’s wholesale rate.

The ASI fell into a rage when the vendor refused to sell off his commodity. The ASI bundled the vendor into the official van and brought him to the police post on Faisalabad Road where he was chained in a room.

Nazir’s relatives started searching him when he did not return to his house. The next day, they succeeded in finding the whereabouts of Nazir. They sought the help of local journalists on whose efforts Nazir was recovered from the illegal custody of the ASI.

REMANDED: A local court Saturday granted a four-day physical remand of 21 accused involved in attacking a mosque and thrashing the prayer leader and students of an adjacent seminary on Friday. According to the FIR registered on the complaint of prayer leader Qari Dilshad, it was alleged that the mosque and seminary were attacked over ‘maslak’ differences.

B-Division police had registered a case against 21 attackers, including six nominated accused, under sections 295, 295B, 148, 149, and section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Police had already arrested nominated accused, Muhammad Tariq, Muhammad Habib, Khalid Mehmood, Ali Asad, Muhammad Asif and Rashid.

MEMBERSHIP: The Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI), Okara chapter, launched a membership drive here on Saturday.

PTI district president Dr Shamimul Haq and tehsil president Inamur Rauf Khan advocate started the membership campaign on the directive of party chief Imran Khan.

ARRESTED: B-Division police claimed to have arrested two car-snatchers here on Saturday.

SHO Tariq Awan said the police had arrested accused Tufail Babar and Muhammad Younis besides recovering from them several cars.