TOBA TEK SINGH: Differences have surfaced between ruling party groups led by elected members of parliament on the issue of election of councillors on 10 reserved seats and chairman and vice chairman slots.

Out of 34 members of Kamalia Municipal Committee, 17 gathered at the residence of PML-N MPA Begum Nazia Raheel Gujjar where her husband, Sardar Raheel Anwar Gujjar, and councillor Rai Ziaullah Khan were also present.

In his speech, Rai Ziaullah claimed their group had the support of 17 councillors and they needed just one more councillor to get a lead in the upcoming election for reserved seats and chairman and vice chairman slots.

The group is supporting Malik Muhammad Sharif for the election of chairman.

On the other hand, MNA Chaudhry Asadaur Rehman had told reporters two days back that he had recommended the name of a councillor for the chairman slot’s ticket to the party high command.

Sources in the PML-N said the MNA had recommended Rai Attiqur Rehman Pappoo’s name to the provincial party ticketing board.

Meanwhile, the PML-N’s board made for giving tickets on Friday interviewed in Lahore three councillors -- Rai Attiqur Rehman Pappoo, Malik Muhammad Sharif and Makhdoom Tariq Mahmoodul Hasan -- for chairman’s slot and Muhammad Ali Kharal and Hafiz Rizwan Anjum for vice chairman of Kamalia MC.

It is to be mentioned here that the PTI has also 10 councillors in the house and sources say that PTI leader Riaz Fatyana is also demanding chairman or vice chairman’s slot for his group for extending his support to any one of the two groups of the ruling party.

Meanwhile, 85 candidates have filed their nomination papers for 28 reserved seats of Toba district council.

Returning Officer ADC Zeshan Shabbir Rana said there were 30 candidates for 15 women seats, 21 for four seats of peasants, 16 for four seats of technocrats and 11 for four seats of minorities. Polling will be held on Feb 8.

PROTEST: Brick kiln workers staged a protest demonstration at Kalma Chowk, Kamalia, on Friday.

Addressing the protesters, Bhatta Mazdoor Union leader Baba Muhammad Latif said the kiln owners were not paying to the workers the minimum wages, Rs962 per 1,000 bricks, fixed by the government.

He said the administration was not serious about the issue and demanded implementation of government incentives of paying Rs1,000 to every child of school-going age and Rs2,000 to their parents to discourage the child labour at kilns.

He announced if kiln workers’ demands were not met, they would stage a sit-in outside Faisalabad commissioner’s office on Jan 24.

BURNT ALIVE: An old woman was burnt alive in the fire at her house in Basti Oddan Wali locality of Kamalia in early hours on Friday.

According to locals, 70-year-old Mureed Fatima was sleeping in her room when the electric heater caught fire which engulfed the entire room. She had already died when her family went to rescue her.

BEEF SEIZED: The livestock department seized 200kg beef of sick animals in a raid on Gojra Road and arrested a butcher.

TMA slaughterhouse superintendent Dr Faqeer Husain said the city police had registered a case against butcher Rehmatullah.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2016