TOBA TEK SINGH: Dozens of clinical laboratories in the district are allegedly being run by non-technical staff.

During a survey by reporters, it was revealed that more than 100 laboratories had been set up in different areas of the district but were not registered with the health department. These labs allegedly fleeced patients and issued unauthentic test reports to them.

Although these labs had advertised and claimed they were run by qualified and experienced staff, their staffers had no diploma or certificate declaring them qualified technicians. They were also charging different rates for tests without displaying rate lists.

When contacted, District Officer (Health) Dr Muhammad Khalid claimed deputy district officers (health) often raided and took legal action against “illegal clinical laboratories”. He added his department had not fixed rates for clinical tests at laboratories.

Locals demanded the Punjab health secretary take prompt action to eliminate illegal and unregistered clinical laboratories in the district.

SECURITY: The district administration has termed 12 jewellery shops of the city sensitive owing to security reasons.

According to an official, there are 136 jewellery shops in the city and most of the owners had not installed CCTV cameras in and outside their shops, while dozens of shops did not even have security guards. Some shops had elderly guards who had no proper weapons on them.

The district administration has asked owners of 12 sensitive shops to immediately arrange proper security guards with licenced arms and install CCTV cameras.

PROTEST DAY: Religious parties, including Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), Aalmi Majlis Tahuffaz Khatm-e-Nabuwat and Majlis-e-Ahrarul Islam, observed a protest day on Friday over failure of Lahore police to arresting killers of Maulana Shamsur Rehman Muawiya and alleged proposal of the government to return nationalised educational institutes to the Ahmadis.

All Deobandi mosques remained closed for Juma prayers that were offered in only Jamia Mosque Bilal in the grain market, attended by a large number of people.

In their speeches the Ulema warned that the people would take to the streets if killers of ASWJ chief Maulana Muawiya were not arrested and educational institutions of the Ahmadis were returned to them. They also demanded immediate release of the arrested Ulema.

ELECTROCUTED: The nephew of a local government candidate was electrocuted while hanging a banner of his uncle on an electricity pole in Kamalia on Friday.

According to Kamalia City police, 18-year-old Muhammad Farooq of Madina Abad was hanging a banner in TT Chowk when he touched the transmission line died on the spot.