GUJRANWALA: Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officials arrested on Wednesday three activists of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), and one each of the Tehreek-i-Jafria Pakistan (TJP) and Haideria Youth Organisation for their involvement in illegal activities and got a case registered against them under terror acts.

A CTD investigator said they with police officials had arrested former divisional SSP president Qari Qasim, former SSP Pasrur president Qari Muhammad Asghar, former SSP coordinator Hafizur Rehman, former TJP president Ghulam Abbas and former Haidaria Youth Organisation president Azmat Ali Shah.

The arrested people were allegedly active in their social circles and collected funds from people for their activities.

Police produced them in an anti-terrorism court and got judicial remand.

GEPCO: Gujranwala Electric Power Company employees observed on Wednesday strike for scrapping the planned privatisation of distribution companies by the government and staged a sit-in outside the company headquarters on GT Road.

CBA union regional chairman Iqbar Dar, general secretary Waliur Rehman, labour leaders Mian Ataur Rehman, Abdul Razaq Jathol and Akhlaq Ahmad Cheema addressed the gathering. They said Wapda was an important institution of the country while its distribution companies were playing an active role in country’s progress.

The government was privatising the distribution companies at the behest of the International Monetary Fund without learning lessons from the privatisation of PIA, PTCL and Pakistan Steel Mills.

They said they would resist privatisation under the leadership of their central president Abdul Latif Nazamani and Baba Khurshed Ahmad and would cut off power supply across the country. They demanded that the government drop privatisation of the distribution companies in the larger interest of nation and employees.

PROTEST: Ad hoc employees of the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) staged on Wednesday a demonstration followed by a sit-in outside agency headquarters in protest at authorities’ failure to regularise their services despite the passage of many years.

The protesters, led by union leader Mushtaq Ahmad, raised slogans against the Wasa administration and alleged the agency could not regularise them despite assurance by senior officers. They demanded that all contract employees be regularised with back benefits.

Also, employees of four municipal towns protested outside the local press club against their inter department transfers. They said after the government closed down octroi posts 14 years ago, they were sent to union councils’ offices. Recently, they were being transferred to other departments which was unjustified. They demanded that their transfers be withdrawn immediately.

SCHOOL: To provide affordable and quality education to the masses, in general, and soldiers, in particulars, Gujranwala Corps Commander Lieutenant General Ghayur Mahmood on Wednesday inaugurated an offshoot of the APS and CS in Zafarwal.

He also praised Maj Gen Naseer Ali Khan for his efforts to set up the institution in Zafarwal.

SECURITY: Inspector General Mushtaq Ahmad Sukehra and Home Secretary retired Cap Muhammad Azam visited Nandipur and Head Marala and reviewed security measures for Chinese engineers on Wednesday.

They visited the power house after security threats to Chinese engineers by Taliban militants. More than 370 Chinese are working at the two places.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2015

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