GUJRANWALA, May 3: Political parties and people from a cross section of society demanded reduction in electricity and transport fares after downward revision of petrol prices.

At a meeting presided over by Punjab PPP vice-president and MNA Imtiaz Safdar Warriach on Saturday, the participants said since the government had reduced the petroleum prices, it should force transporters to reduce fares.

They claimed that the transporters had enhanced the fare arbitrarily and now declined to reduce them. They alleged that the regional transport authority (RTA) and the district administration did not pay attention to the plight of commuters by the transporters.

They criticized the government on its failure to provide relief to the common man. They claimed that the government had no control over bureaucracy.

The participants urged the RTA secretary and district administration to take action against transporters otherwise people would come on road against government policies.

HANDCUFFED: An ASI was handcuffed and fined Rs1,000 by the district and sessions judge on the charge of disobeying court orders here on Saturday.

The judge had summoned ASI Maqbool Hussain for his involvement in a criminal case, but he did not turn up. On Saturday, the judge got handcuffed him and directed the DPO that the ASI should not be posted to any police station for one year. The judge also ordered stern action against the ASI.

DEATH SENTENCE: A local court on Saturday handed down death sentence with a fine of Rs100,000 to an accused while life term with a fine of Rs50,000 to another in a murder case.

They will have to undergo six-month hard jail if they default in the payment of fine.

According to the prosecution, Basharat Ali and Munawar Hussain had killed their father Muhammad Abbas over a domestic issue in Naushera Virkan on Aug 2, 2002.

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