MULTAN: The 20 Pakistanis who returned from Afghanistan and were quarantined at the corona centre, were sent homes after 10 days on Sunday.

A handout said the decision to send them to their homes was taken after the completion of the 10-day quarantine period and all the people tested negative.

Assistant Commissioner City Khwaja Umair Mahmood gave a farewell to all the people at the quarantine centre located at Nawan Shehar.

The repatriation of Pakistanis stranded in Afghanistan started more than one week ago and 20 Pakistanis hailing from Multan division reached here by bus. They were quarantined at the quarantine centre run by the district administration. Some people left for their homes without bringing it to the knowledge of the local administration but they were traced and quarantined.

Those from Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Faisalabad had been sent to the respective divisions while arrangements made to quarantine more Pakistanis coming from Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, 12 prominent business centres of the city were sealed on the direction of Deputy Commissioner Ali Shehzad over the violation of Covid-19 SOPs (standard operating procedures). The sealed centres include restaurants where indoor service was resumed after midnight.

The action was taken by Special Magistrate and DRTA Secretary Rana Mohsin.

PROJECTS: The District Development Committee on Sunday approved 96 development projects worth Rs1.93 billion here on Sunday.

The projects were approved at a meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner Ali Shahzad.

Director Development Irfan Anjum briefed the officials on the PC-1 and working papers of the project, says a handout. The committee had granted approval for six schools, 26 local government, 24 roads, 39 Wasa, four PHA and 19 other schemes.

He said steel bridge would be constructed on Old Shujabad Road at a cost of Rs30 million to facilitate the people crossing the road and Rs11.4 million will be spent on the construction of a road from Sorij Miani to Pul Wasil while Rs30 million will be spent on the rehabilitation of Qila Kohna Qasim Bagh.

He said that in the first phase of the rehabilitation of Qila Kohna Qasim work on the construction of boundary wall, landscaping and rides for children will be done at a cost of Rs5 million.

The DC said the committee approved the establishment of parks in Muzaffarabad and Basti Nau.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2021