KASUR: Police arrested two alleged gunmen after an encounter on Monday on Pattoki-Chunian Road near village Jumber in Pattoki.

The gunmen who were injured in the encounter were admitted to the Pattoki Tehsil Headquarters Hospital where they were stated to be out of danger.

According to police, two gunmen looted cash from various people, including Asif Naqvi, on Multan Road near Khatarnak Mor. While fleeing, the gunmen were challenged by the police at a picket near village Jamber. Both sides exchanged fire where the gunmen suffered bullet injuries.

According to the Pattoki police, the gunmen were identified as Sajid and Qayyum, of village Rajowal. Police seized booty and illegal weapons from them.

In another incident, two gunmen took away 20 suits, two cell phones and cash from a tailor in his shop on Molapur Road, in the jurisdiction of Allahabad police.

Tailor Manzoor Ahmed was stitching dresses in his shop when the gunmen struck in the guise of customers. The police were looking into the matter.

PROTEST: Hundreds of workers of the Chunian Sugar Mills continued occupying for the fourth consecutive day on Monday the main gate of the mills in protest at the non-payment of their salaries for the last two months.

Led by Muhammad Azam, scores of workers continued their protest against the mills administration.

Workers said that the mills administration had denied them salary even on Eidul Azha. They chanted slogans against the mills administration and demanded that the district administration intervene and ensure the release of their salaries before Eid.

SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS: The high prices of sacrificial animals and the poor conditions of animals’ sale points in Kasur are irking the buyers.

Muhammad Mushtaq said though there was a rush of people at the cattle market but most of them returned without any animal because of their high rates.

The sale point of animals in Kasur is five kilometers from the city, while in Allahabad it is at Allahabad Chowk, creating hindrance in the flow of traffic. Such a sale point in Pattoki is near the railway station, where high speed trains scare the animals.

The administration did not provide water for animals at the Chunian sale point.

Despite instructions from the district administration that animals could not be sold at any other place except for the designated points, sacrificial animals can be seen everywhere on city roads.

Munir Ahmed, a local butcher, said that the prices of animals at official sale points were more expensive from the open market prices in normal days. He said a goat worth Rs20,000 in normal days was being sold at Rs50,000 these days.

He demanded that the district administration devise a mechanism to check vendors from plundering the buyers in the name of sacrificial animals.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2018