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FAISALABAD, Jan 14: The Pakistan Postal Department has failed to issue stamps for driving and arms licences for the new year creating problems for the people.
Despite the passage of 14 days, the stamps meant for issuance of driving licences and renewal of arms licences have not been issued by the postal department.
The Punjab traffic police have fixed stamps of Rs60 for each kind of learning driving licence and stamps of Rs600 for computerised driving licences. Similarly, the government has fixed stamps of different denominations for issuance and renewal of arms licences.
Scores of licence-seekers have been running from pillar to post for the last two weeks to get the stamps but to no avail. Hundreds of licences expired on Dec 31. Similarly, scores of applications for fresh driving and arms licences are also pending in local offices for want of prescribed stamps.
Citizens have urged the authorities concerned to provide the stamps and enable them to get licences.
WALL-CHALKING: Various national and multinational companies have disfigured the boundary walls of private, government and educational institutions by extensive wall-chalking despite the ban on it in the province. Even the walls of mosques, hospitals and parks are not spared.
Violations of the ban on chalking and pasting of posters on walls are due to negligence on the part of Tehsil Municipal Administration and other agencies concerned.
Even the government agencies violate the ban and paste huge posters inscribed with welcome slogans for dignitaries visiting the city.
The advertisement of Punjabi, Urdu, and English feature films is also done on government and private buildings. The officials concerned do not object to the pasting of large film posters on walls of their buildings with the exception of a few who have put up signboards threatening people with legal proceedings in case of violation of the wall-chalking ban. All important intersections of the city have been disfigured by film-posters.
Some organizations play their part by painting slogans that incite religious hatred.
The painters engaged to disfigure the city normally carry out their activities at odd hours of the night.
Citizens have urged Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi to take cognizance of the situation and direct the authorities concerned to implement the ban on wall-chalking in letter and spirit.
ROBBERIES: Unidentified outlaws looted thousands of rupees in cash, gold and hijacked a wagon and a two-wheeler in seven separate incidents in the city and its adjoining areas during the last 24 hours, according to the FIRs lodged in the police stations concerned.
Three unknown bandits looted Rs13,000 in cash and other valuables from utility stores of Bilal Ganj, Jhang Road, by taking hostage the in-charge, Azhar Iqbal, and helper Usman Ali.
A gang of unidentified highwaymen looted thousands of rupees in cash, gold ornaments and other valuables from the passengers of a bus on Kanjwani-Tandlianwali Road and escaped.
Armed robbers snatched gold ornaments and other valuables from the inmates of a house of one Shaukat Ali in Dhuddiwala.
Unknown thieves made off with household articles and other valuables by burgling the shop of Shahid Mehmood in a village in the area of Sadar police station.
Three masked bandits took away cotton yarn worth thousands of rupees after tiding the watchman of a godown with a rope in Ghulam Mohammadabad.
Unknown vehicle lifters hijacked the wagon of one Imtiaz Ali from Peoples Colony-II and the motorcycle of Mohammad Imran from the Faisalabad-Sargodha Road.
