GUJRANWALA: An attempt by the railway authorities to demolish the dysfunctional Gujranwala City railway station provoked an angry response from Citizens’ Council activists, lawyers and traders.

Council leaders former MPA SA Hameed, Sheranwala Bagh mosque prayer leader Zahidul Rashadi, Anjuman Tajran office bearers Khalid Ahrar, Muhammad Navid and Shamshad Ali and lawyers Ehsanul Haque, Sardar Naeem, Abdul Hakim Awan and Azher Husain Bukhari opposed the plan.

They said the railway administration had earlier promised to make the the city railway station functional, but it had been marked to be pulled down along with a mosque.

The railway administration demolished a pre-Partition era water tank amid heavy contingent of police force fearing reaction of people.

Citizens, lawyers, traders and clerics demanded that the city railway station be restored and plans to demolish the mosque shelved. They threatened to shut the city if their demands were not realised. Local railway officers said the matter had been informed to higher authorities.

ACE: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) got registered corruption cases against nine local government and revenue officials on Thursday.

The Punjab government had approved the construction of 350 filth depots to dump waste and allocated Rs20 million for purpose. The local government officials reportedly got constructed 200 depots and embezzled the remaining amount.

The ACE conducted an inquiry into the issue and later registered corruption cases against Tehsil Officer Yawer Ali, Sub-Engineer Mustanser Mehmood, Assistant Sub-Engineer Muhammad Saeed and Draftsman Muhammad Iqbal.

FAMILY BURNT: Five family members, including three children, suffered burn wounds when a gas cylinder exploded in their house in village Jamaki Chattha on Thursday.

House owner Arif was rectifying the gas cylinder when it exploded. His wife Memona and children Amana, Fiza and Sher Zaman suffered burn wounds.

They were admitted to the Lahore General Hospital where the condition of Sher Zaman and Fiza was stated to be serious.

FINED: District Consumer Court Judge Safdar Ali Jisra fined Dr Muhammad Akhtar Chaudhry Rs300,000 for his negligence during an eye operation on Thursday.

Complainant Muhammad Shabir Husain said that Dr Chaudhry was to operate his left eye but the doctor’s paramedic staff performed the operation, and due to their negligence, he lost his eye.

The judge ordered the doctor to pay the fine to the applicant.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2016