SIALKOT, Sept 24: Punjab Governor Lt-Gen Khalid Maqbool (retired) inaugurated the Rs750 million “Sialkot Medical College” project near the Government Allama Iqbal Memorial (DHQ) Hospital here on Tuesday.

Speaking at a public meeting later in the day, he also announced a 50-seat quota for Sialkot-based students in first-year classes in all medical colleges of the Punjab. These students would be shifted to the Sialkot Medical College after they complete the first-year studies, where they would form the second-year class.

Dozens of dismissed PTC teachers interrupted the Punjab governor’s speech to lodge a protest against the local EDO (education), who had allegedly misbehaved with them. The governor ordered a probe in this regard.

All the PML-QA candidates from Sialkot district were present on the occasion, including those for PP-125 and 127, Variyo family’s Chaudhry Khush Akhtar Subhani and Chaudhry Armughan Subhani. The PML-QA candidates were given full protocol by the Sialkot district government.

Besides taking part in the college project, local businessmen are also providing funds for some other projects launched by the governor on Tuesday. These include the Sialkot Dry Port, Export Processing Zone (EPZ), SOS Children Village, Universal Education Programme and an international airport.

The governor declared Sailkot as the first “Information Technology (IT) model district” of the province and announced a special grant of Rs8.5 million as first instalment for the project.

Earlier, the governor inaugurated the Sui Gas facility in Sambrial (Daska Tehsil) and Chawinda (Pasrur Tehsil). In Sambrial, the people protested against dual imposition of toll tax on Sambrial-Daska and Sambrial-Sialkot roads. In Pasrur, the governor directed the authorities concerned to prepare a feasibility report for construction of dykes at Nullah Dek to save the city from floods.

The governor visited the Sialkot police lines and watched a collection of illicit arms seized by the police. He ordered the authorities concerned to prepare a feasibility report for giving the arms to Punjab police, which is suffering from a shortage of firearms.

In the afternoon, the governor visited the Pasrur Sugar Mills and inquired about its prolonged closure. The mill was privatized recently.

He was told that the mill, renamed by its new owners, would start functioning in the first week of November after a five-year closure.