Railway stations without power

RAWALPINDI, Oct 18: Eight railway stations in Rawalpindi Division are working without electricity for the last two days as Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) suspended the electricity for non-payment of dues worth Rs27 million.

These railway stations are: Jhelum, Sohawa, Sihala, Kala Gujra, Deena, Ranial, Domeli and Chua Kariala. Pakistan Railways Rawalpindi Division failed to deposit the dues for three months: June, July and August.

An Iesco official said that the company had given time to the Pakistan Railways to submit its outstanding dues worth Rs27 million but it failed to do so. A senior railway official told Dawn that the Pakistan Railways was suffering from financial crises and it had no money to pay electricity bills for the last three months. —A Reporter

Distillery unearthed

ISLAMABAD, Oct 18: The crime investigation agency of the city police claimed to have unearthed a distillery in the capital’s rural area.

Five persons, including the owner of the distillery, were arrested during a raid at a house in Dhoke Abbasi area of Sara-i-Karboza, the police said on Thursday. The distillery had been operating for the last one year.

Preliminary investigation showed that the accused smuggled liquor from Lahore and filled it in bottles of liquor from different foreign and local brands and sold it in the market.

The police said the owner of the distillery had been arrested several time in the past for his involvement in the same act. He owned several distilleries in the twin cities and its adjacent areas. During the raid, 650 bottles of liquor and four cans were also recovered from the distillery. —Staff Reporter

Pims doctor manhandled

ISLAMABAD Oct 18: Guards of Superintendent Customs manhandled a doctor of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), over objection of parking in front of VIP Wards, here on Thursday, police said.

Duty officer of Margalla police Sub-Inspector Zulfiqar told Dawn that a complaint was lodged with the Margalla police by the doctor – Ali from Orthopedics Department – for the registration of a criminal case against the guards.

The doctors association also threatened to go on strike till the registration of the case and legal action.

Senior Vice President of YDA Dr Taqi said that the guards intercepted the way of Dr Ali while coming inside the hospital. Over the act, the doctor raised objection, but the guards started abusing him and manhandled him.

Over the scuffle the YDA called a strike and demanded action against the guards. —Staff Reporter

Karsaz victims paid tribute

RAWALPINDI, Oct 18: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)’s Rawalpindi chapter on Thursday paid tribute to its workers killed in an attack on the homecoming procession of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Karachi on October 18, 2007.

The party also vowed to struggle for promotion of tolerance which it said has been hijacked by a handful of extremists in the country.

The party activists gathered near Liaquat Bagh where Ms Bhutto was assassinated on December 27, 2007, and offered prayer for the 175 workers killed in Karachi’s Karsaz locality where the procession was attacked.

“Today we have gathered here to pay tribute to our workers and learn a lesson from the Karsaz tragedy. —Our Reporter