TOBA TEK SINGH: Around 200 Pakistani pilgrims intended to visit Sarhand Sharif to attend the annual Urs of Hazrat Mujaddid Alf-i-Sani (RA) were refused entry into India on Thursday.

Among them were 25 pilgrims of Sarhand Colony and other localities of Toba Tek Singh.

A local newspaper reporter, Afzal Gujjar, said when pilgrims reached the Lahore railway station to board Samjhota Express, they were informed that India had not allowed their entry due to security reasons.

STRIKE: A complete shutter-down strike was observed at Gojra and Kamalia on the second consecutive day on Thursday on the call of the Anjuman Tajiran to mourn the Peshawar incident.

Fruit and vegetable and grain markets also remained closed. Quran khwani was held at Saddar Bazaar Chowk where scores of citizens and traders participated.

Members of the District Bar Association also observed a strike.

Funeral prayers were offered in all government and private schools for Peshawar victims.

DPO Dr Shahzad Asif attended a mourning session of students in Convent and Jesus School.

GUTTED: An electronic shop located at Al-Hilal Chowk on Shorkot Road caught fire due to a short circuit on Thursday.

Reports said goods worth millions of rupees were gutted. Personnel of the Rescue 1122 and the TMA fire brigade extinguished the blaze.

LOOTED: Three armed men looted a tractor-trolley loaded with sugarcane worth Rs6,000 at Kamalia late on Wednesday night.

According to the Saddar police, Abdul Khaliq of Arifwala said the bandits stopped his trolley at Sarfraz Chowk on Kamalia-Pirmahal Road. They took Khaliq away in their car and left him at a deserted place. They also took away his tractor-trolley loaded with sugarcane.

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2014