GUJRANWALA: Crimes Investigation Agency (CIA) police on Tuesday rejected the forensic laboratory report of a ‘toxic’ cough syrup and decided to get it tested from the UK.

Dozens of people across the country, including 37 in Gujranwala, died in 2012 when they consumed Tyno syrup. Police had registered a case against the pharmaceutical company and its dealers and 16 cases were registered in Gujranwala. The Punjab government had ordered a probe and police took the owners of M/S Ethical Laboratory Pvt Limited into custody.

Also Read: Toxic cough syrup kills 16 in Gujranwala: officials

A sample of the syrup was sent to a forensic science agency for analysis that cleared it, adding people who died were addicts who had overdosed on the medicine without a prescription. Medical store owners who were booked in the deaths approached the city police officer to quash the cases against them.

CPO Waqas Nazir ordered an inquiry and appointed CIA Staff Superintendent of Police Tahir Maqsood Cheema as inquiry officer. The officer rejected the forensic laboratory report and said the syrup would be sent to a UK laboratory now. He also summoned the medical store owners concerned in his office on Wednesday (today).

RE-ELECTION: The Election Commission withdrew notification of success of PML-N MPA Chaudhry Ashraf Warraich and ordered re-election in 35 polling stations.

Warraich was declared successful in the last general elections, while his rival, former PML-Q MPA Nasir Cheema, challenged the decision in an election tribunal of the Lahore High Court claiming the polls were rigged.

The tribunal’s inquiry proved rigging and ordered re-election in 35 polling stations. On the other hand, Warraich said he would win again.

BURIAL: The body of a man was thrown in floodwater by his sons when they were unable to bury him in an inundated graveyard in Hafizabad.

Lalla Malah of Burj village died after a protracted illness. His family, which had shifted to the roof of their house after the floods, could not manage his burial in a graveyard as it was completely inundated. The family offered funeral prayers on the roof of the house and threw the body in the water.

CHAMBER: All candidates of Associate Class of the Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (GCCI) ruling One Unity group were elected on Tuesday. Their rival Founder Unity group boycotted the election.

The elected members Khawaja Khalid Hassan, Iqbal Shaheen, Yasin Mughal, Lalla Arshad, Sheikh Bilal, Fiaz Butt and Saim Ahmad expressed confidence in the leadership of Sheikh Nasim, Akhlaq Butt, Sheikh Murad Ali, Malik Zaheerul Haque, Rana Shehzad Hafeez and Mian Muhammad Saleem and assured the business community they would play an active role in resolving their issues.

Chamber President Sheikh Nauman Salahuddin and other office-bearers felicitated the elected members.

Published in Dawn, September 17th , 2014