SIALKOT, June 6: At least seven per cent people in the country have been suffering from Thalassaemia due to lack of awareness among people.

This was stated by Dr Yasmeen Rasheed, Pakistan Medical Association central president, at a meeting here on Friday. PMA District President Dr Imran Idrees Butt was present on the occasion.

Dr Yasmeen said Thalassaemia created shortage of blood in human body and enlarged liver and other organs. The neonates were the worst affected from this disease.

She said eight per cent people in Balochistan, five per cent in the NWFP, four per cent in the Punjab and one per cent people in Sindh had been suffering from this disease.

LABOURERS FREED: On the orders of District and Sessions Judge Chaudhry Zafar Husain, three special bailiffs raided various places and recovered 27 labourers, including five women and 10 children, from illegal detention of brick kiln owners on Thursday.

The court also issued show-cause notices to Motra police station’s sub-inspector Nasir Warraich, ASI Maqsood Ahmad and two police constables Ghulam Mustafa and Muhammad Aslam for not helping the court’s special bailiff in the recovery of labourers.

The court summoned these police officials for June 14, 2003.

APPROVED: Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has approved a special grant of Rs22 million for the construction of 10-kilometre Sambrial-Kathiyala Road and 12-kilometre Kandan Sayyan-Begowala Road in Daska.

This was stated by Sialkot District Development Boards chairman Chaudhry Azeem Noori Ghuman in a press release issued here on Friday.