TOBA TEK SINGH: The sugarcane growers ended their protest and a sit-in after their successful talks with the Chaudhry Sugar Mills management here on Friday.

The growers had blocked the highway for nine hours on Thursday and continued sit-in outside mills’ gate to protest the shifting of mills machinery from Gojra to Rahim Yar Khan without clearing their outstanding dues.

Gojra Sugarcane Growers Association President Advocate Chaudhry Zafar Iqbal Gujjar told reporters that the mills management had delivered Rs10 million cheques on Friday among those present at the gate.

He said the farmers would again besiege the mills if the remaining dues amounting to millions of rupees were not paid to them within a few days.

DISPOSED OF: The district and sessions judge with powers as district human rights commission chairman, Muhammad Yar Wallana, disposed of on Friday two petitions filed against the SNGPL over the suspension of gas supply from 9pm to 6am each night.

On the petition filed by a citizen, Ijaz Siddique, and some lawyers, the chairman had summoned SNGPL regional GM Muhammad Hanif Ramay in his court.

The GM’s two counsel appeared in his court on Friday and gave a written commitment that the gas supply would not be suspended in future.

Meanwhile, scores of citizens and leaders of political parties staged a sit-in at Shahbaz Chowk to protest the gas supply suspension due to inefficiency of TMA officials.

The protest was arranged by Majlis Mufaad Aama (MMA).

Train kills man: A man was crushed to death by a train here on Friday.

Police said Tariq Mahmood, 46, was crossing the track in Gobindpura locality when Akbar Bugti Express bound for Lahore from Quetta hit and killed him.

KIDNAPPED: A man kidnapped his former wife on Friday.

According to Pirmahal police,Yasmin Akhtar was on way to the rural health centre in Sindhilianwali when Zahoor along with three accomplices bundled her into a car and fled. Police were conducting raids to recover the woman.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2016

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