GUJRANWALA, May 19: Farmers, having land holdings up to 12.5 acres, protested on Monday against the revenue department for sending them notices for agricultural tax recovery.
Though the chief minister announced about a month ago exemption to the farmers having 12.5 acres or less land from agricultural tax. But, the revenue department also sent them notices for tax recovery.
Speaking at meetings held at Naushera Virkan and Ghakkhar, Kissan Board president Chaudhry Ashraf and Kissan Bachao Tehrik president Javed Manj expressed their resentment against the revenue department move.
The revenue officials, on the other hand, said they have not yet received any notification regarding exemption of 12.5 acres of land from tax by the provincial government.
Bid to escape: The Civil Lines police foiled an escape attempt by an official of the banned outfit, Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and two others from their custody here on Monday.
Constables Asif and Amir Ali were escorting district SSP former president Rana Ghulam Sarwar, involved in a murder, and two other accused, former head constable Zulqarnain and Muhammad Tariq, for hearing of their cases from district courts lock-up. When they reached near the court, they freed themselves from police custody with the help of their accomplices who were hiding nearby.
However, both the constables chased and rearrested them when they were fleeing by a rickshaw. A pistol and several rounds were recovered from their possession.
CHECKING: The National Highway and Motorway Police (NH&MP) have started checking of vehicles on the GT Road from Kharian to Shahdara-Lahore section.
Patrolling officers issued challan tickets to drivers of dozens of vehicles on the charge of violation of traffic rules on Monday.
The NH&MP authority has arranged a mobile bank which is providing facility to vehicles owners for depositing fine on the spot. It is learnt that Rs200 to Rs500 are being fined to vehicle owners for overloading, wrong parking, reckless driving and other traffic violations.
However, due to the non-availability of speed detectors at Kharian to Lahore section, the NH&MP is unable to check the overspeeding of vehicles. Consequently, the ratio of road accidents has been increased and dozens of people have lost their lives during the last few days.
The NH&MP have fixed 70 kilometre per hour speed of vehicles in city and town areas. Residents of Rahwali, Gakkhar, Dhaunkel, Lala Musa, Eminabad, Kamoki and Muridke asked the NH&MP authority to reduce the speed limit to 50 kilometre per hours in city areas so as to avoid fatal accidents.