GUJRANWALA, Jan 19: Punjab Health Department Deputy Secretary (Administration) Dr Shoaib Anwar, appointed as an inquiry officer into the Gujranwala DHQ incident, started the probe after reaching here on Saturday.

He reached the central jail and recorded statements of the arrested young and senior doctors in the office of the jail superintendent.

Senior doctors, including Medical Superintendent Dr Anwer Aman, Dr Asif Javed, Dr Ashfaq, Dr Sarfraz Khokher, Dr Mubashar Rathore and Dr Sohail Anjum, and witness paramedic and sanitary staff, including Nadim Cheema, Irfan Siddiqui, Muhammad Boota, Waseem, Zakaullah and Musawwar, recorded their statements.

They alleged the young doctors beat up MS Dr Anwar and humiliated other senior doctors. On the other hand, young doctors Dr Kashif Bilal, Dr Farasat Ali, Dr Muhammad Tahir and others denied the allegations and claimed it was all pre-planned and the cases registered against them were fake.

They said they had been arrested without being heard. They requested they be given an opportunity to defend themselves and produce witnesses in accordance with law.

The inquiry officer gave them until Jan 23 to bring witnesses at the Health Secretariat Lahore to record statements, and said the remaining inquiry would also be conducted in Lahore.

BAN: The Education Department on Saturday banned the use of mobile phones at all educational institutions and warned school/college principals, students and the teachers concerned would be punished in case of violation.

EDO Shaukat Sapra said the ban had been imposed by the Punjab government on a complaint that the use of mobile phones by both students and teachers was affecting academic activities and the young generation indulging in “immoral activities” rather than studying.

He said all heads of educational institutions had been informed about it and warned of action in case of any violation. He said special teams had been constituted to monitor the banned activities.

ILLEGAL: The district administration gave one and a half months to owners of all illegal housing societies to get them registered and halted action against them on their request.

Owners of the societies met District Coordination Officer Najam Ahmad Shah and protested their societies had been sealed and declared illegal without being issued notices.

They alleged the Aroop Town Administration assistant commissioner (city) did not issue them any notice and started taking action.

Assistant Commissioner Syed Salahuddin was also present in the meeting and insisted notices were served on all illegal housing societies.

The DCO advised him to complete the proceedings until Jan 31 and submit a report to him. He also gave until Feb 28 to the owners to get their societies registered.—Correspondent