TOBA TEK SINGH: The sale of fruit in Faisalabad division was reportedly cut down by at least 50pc as a result of fruit boycott by the citizens.

The campaign was launched on social media by the concerned citizens of Karachi against the hike in fruit prices in Ramazan and it had reached the Punjab cities too.

In Faisalabad division, it remained successful on the second day on Tuesday as the citizens refused to buy expensive fruit in all its cities.

The people took part in this silent protest against the fruit inflation mafia, which had increased the prices manifold because of the month of fasting.

The citizens told Dawn in a survey carried out in various bazaars of Toba Tek Singh that they did not buy fruit on Monday and Tuesday in protest against the fruit sellers.

They claimed that the shopkeepers and vendors kept on waiting for the customers. According to some reports, the vendors had been forced to sell bananas and melons at reduced prices.

FESCO: The Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) disconnected power supply connection to the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) of Faisalabad on default of Rs540m.

A press release issued by Fesco said final notices were served on the defaulting departments for payment of the arrears but the payments could not be made.

Hence the company started the process of severing electricity connection to all the departments. It added that more than 47,000 consumers had been issued new meters in all the five circles of Fesco for installation of new electricity connections and replacement of damaged or burnt meters.

Fesco Chief Executive Officer Engineer Bashir Ahmad has directed all superintending engineers to ensure speedy installation of these meters in their circles.

Fesco said that due to unavailability of meters, the power connections were delayed and now after the issuance of new meters, the process of installation of connections and replacement of faulty meters would be accelerated.

15 INJURED: Fifteen workers were injured seriously when a bus of the Bismillah Textile Mills overturned on Makkuana-Khurrianwala bypass road near Khurrianwala in Faisalabad.

Rescue 1122 said the accident happened when the bus driver tried to overtake a tractor-trolley.

The bus was transporting workers from mills to their homes in the Jaranwala area. They injured were identified as Asad (20), Umar Hayat (59), Awais (22), Ajmal (35), Imran (40), Tanveer (38), Ashiq (33), Wasif (40), Shahzaib (23), Shabbir (40), Qasim (25), Ali Raza (31), Nasir (50), Ali Maqbool (27) and Atif (20).

All the wounded were shifted to the district headquarters (DHQ) hospital by the rescue ambulances.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2023