SAHIWAL, June 5: The district government has renamed the 30-year-old College Road as Dr Abdul Qadir Khan Road “in recognition of the nuclear scientist’s services to the nation”, District Nazim Rai Hasan Nawaz told a press conference.

Nawaz said the district government changed the road’s name on the unanimous demand of district council members. He said the district council also decided at a meeting last week that Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry would be given the protocol of the chief justice of Pakistan on his arrival in Sahiwal on June 11. District council members would show solidarity with lawyers and take part in the long march starting from Multan on June 10.

The nazim said the district government was providing Rs800,000 to the district headquarters hospital for the purchase of medicines for patients. He said the district government was purchasing an x-ray machine, a generator, an ambulance and other equipment at the cost of Rs17 million to provide better health facilities to people. He said 37 posts of medical officers were vacant at the district hospital.