June 14, 2008	Saturday	Jamadi-us-Sani 09, 1429

NAWABSHAH, June 13: The authorities put a two-and-half-year-old girl in Sakrand under observation after her parents reported problems symptomatic of polio.

Rahila, daughter of Abdul Aleem Unnar, a resident of Mehrabpur village, was given polio vaccine drops on May 11.

The child, later on the same day, complained of severe pain in her right leg after which her family members took her to doctors.

The case was reported to the executive district officer of health who sent a team of doctors to the village.

The World Health Organisation’s surveillance officer in Nawabshah, Dr Javed Bhutto, told Dawn that a medical check-up of the patient had been carried out. He said the child was complaining of pain which never happens in case of polio.

He said the child was suffering from acute flaccid paralysis and not polio, however, samples of her stool would be sent to the WHO laboratory for virology classification. He said that one child in every five million administered with oral polio vaccine may suffer from polio but the case had no such signs.

He said that two other children of the same village had complained of vomiting after taking oral polio vaccine, however, they were found normal during the medical check-up.

Shop Closure: Shopkeepers and restaurant owners of the city have complained that police are forcing them to shutdown their businesses by midnight.

They say that the police have been forcing restaurants, shops and cabins in the city to close down their businesses by midnight since last couple of days.

The move has not only causing losses to business community but also spreading harassment among public.

Shopkeepers of Phatak Road, Shahdadpur Road, Sakrand road and other businesses centres told Dawn that their business had already been hit by severe heat and loadshedding and when people came out in the evening police ask them to closing down their shops.

They said that they were suffering from heavy losses due to the aggressive attitude of police.

When contacted, City SPO Aslam Langah said that he was unaware of any such move.

However, he said that if it was happening, it was the responsibility of police and they may be doing so in order to stop criminals who usually stay out till late night.

When told that police were displaying weapons, turning on hooters and threatening people, he said that police would not ‘request’ people to close businesses but obviously use its force.

SENTENCED: The district and sessions Judge of Nawabshah, Syed Irshad Hussain Shah, awarded three-year imprisonment and fine of Rs20,000 to a convict in a narcotics case here on Friday.

Anwar Ali Rind was arrested by excise police on Dec 18, 2006, and 1500 grams of hashish was recovered from his possession.

He was found guilty by the court and would have to pass another six months in prison in case of failure of submission of fine.