LAHORE: The Provincial Government has ordered a thorough checking of ration cards in the Province with a view to checking the misuse of ration cards [Sept 21].

Ration card holders in Lahore town have been directed to surrender their cards to the Food Department by Sept 30.

The holders of ration cards having inflated number of members of a family have also been advised to have their ration cards amended from the concerned ward rationing officer.

The defaulters have been warned that they would be liable for prosecution under the West Pakistan Wheat, Maize, Rice and Sugar Distribution Order, 1967, which provides punishment of up to three years imprisonment or fine or both for this offence. — Agencies

[Meanwhile, as reported by agencies in Dacca,] the banking system in Pakistan has not only recovered fully from the setback received in the wake of partition but broadened its scope of operations capable of keeping pace with the developing economy of the country during the last 20 years.

This was stated in a paper on “Twenty years of banking in Pakistan” presented by Mr M.A. Jalil, Deputy Controller of Commerce Bank, Dacca, at a symposium held at the Pakistan Council auditorium here last evening [Sept 20].

Organised by the Dacca Centre of Pakistan Council for National Integration in its “twenty years of Pakistan” series, the symposium was presided over by Khwaja Zakiuddin, Officer on Special Duty, State Bank of Pakistan at Dacca.

Giving a graphic account of the development of banks in Pakistan after partition, Mr Jalil said that out of the 3,496 offices of Indian scheduled bank in March 1947, the area constituting Pakistan had only 631 offices. He said out of this 487 were located in West Pakistan and 144 in East Pakistan. The Deputy Controller remarked that immediately after independence, there was strain in political relations and the Indian banks started closing their offices quickly.

Mr Jalil said that during the seven years between 1960 and 1967, the credit structure made rapid progress.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2017