GUJRANWALA, March 31: Taking cognizance of a minor’s death due to furnace smoke, the district administration has sought a list of all the furnaces being run in the populous areas to shift these outside Gujranwala.

Conducting a meeting on Monday, the administration expressed grief over the death of two-year-old Saira, daughter of Babar Butt. Her parents claimed that she had died after inhaling furnace smoke while playing at her house on the Muslim Road a few days ago. Saira’s heirs and residents of the locality protested for two to three days.

The administration has directed the departments concerned to submit the list within a week.

According to reports, at least 50 furnaces are being run in various congested areas in the district for the last many years. Intermittent protests could not move the local administration to shift the furnaces.

Funeral prayers: Funeral prayers for the four policemen killed in encounter with proclaimed offenders in Kot Asaish were offered at the Jinnah Stadium here on Monday.

The funeral prayers were attended, among others, by IGP Masood Ahmad, DIG Malik Mohammed Iqbal, DPO Saud Aziz, provincial minister for transport Chaudhry Shamshad, chief minister’s adviser Dr Sohail Zafar and district Nazim Fiaz Ahmad Chattha. MNA Maulana Qazi Hamidullah led the prayers.

Speaking at a condolence meeting, the IG said the operation against criminals would continue without any discrimination.

Meanwhile, Rs15,000 were given to heirs of each deceased for funeral expenditures by the police department.

Later, the bodies were sent to their native villages for burial.

MURDER CASES: The decision of murder cases will be announced within two months, while the police have been directed to submit chargesheets of such cases within two weeks.