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GUJRANWALA, Oct 15: A large quantity of relief goods collected by individuals and various private organization could not be sent to the quake-hit areas as transporters are demanding inflated fares.
The truckers are demanding Rs20,000 to Rs25,000 for transporting the goods to the quake-affected Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Balakot, Batal and Batgram areas etc, while the relief items were lying in open along the GT road.
Reports said that before the start of relief work the truckers were charging Rs10,000 to Rs12,000 for the same destinations.
The people expressed their resentment against the truckers and demanded the government should cancel the licenses and route permits of such reckless profiteers, besides impounding their vehicles and using the same for relief work.
Meanwhile, according to reports many intending pilgrims who had bought Umra tickets had got their reservations cancelled and donated the amount for quake victims.
The pilgrims said that Ulema and religious leaders asked them to divert the amount to relief efforts. Travelling agents’ association also confirmed the trend.
LAID TO REST: Three members of a family who had died in Balakot in earthquake were laid to rest at a local graveyard here on Saturday.
Reports said M.Afzal, Khushi Muhammad and Khan Muhammad were present at their cloth shop when its roof collapsed during the earthquake. People of the area and the army took out their bodies from the debris which were brought here by a truck. They were residents of Balewala. However, one of their relatives — Muhammad Husain — remained unhurt.
Bodies of about a dozen people, including two brothers, have already been brought here from Muzaffarabad and Balakot during a week. As many as 200 injured have been admitted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Cantonment and DHQ Hospital. They have been shifted here by helicopters some three days back.
OATH-TAKING: The oath-taking ceremony of union council members, including district and town nazims, will be held on Monday.
The district and sessions judge and respective returning officers will administer oath to them, an election officer said here on Saturday.
RESULTS: The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Gujranwala, announced the results of matric supplementary examination, 2005, here on Saturday.
Board chairman Col Masoodul Haq (retired) said that 36,658 candidates appeared in the examination. Of them 14,937 were declared successful showing a pass percentage of 40.74.
