FAISALABAD: Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah says the militant Islamic State group does not exist in Pakistan and some proscribed organisations are using its name, but the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) is chasing militants.

This he said while talking to reporters after inaugurating a 60-bed pediatric nursery and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) completed at a cost of Rs50 million with the financial assistance of local philanthropists at the Allied Hospital.

The law minister said a policy had been adopted to establish new hospitals at the four corners of Faisalabad to share the burden of the Allied Hospital.

He said a 250-bed Government General Hospital had been established in Ghulam Muhammadabad while a 50-bed Government General Hospital in Samanabad was being expanded up to 250 beds in line with the policy. While a 250-bed General Hospital was also being established at Haseeb Shaheed Colony, he said.

Mr Sana said the Punjab government had established four new medical colleges and vacancies of doctors would be filled shortly and new posts of doctors and para-medical staff would be provided for which necessary approval had been made.

During a briefing on the nursery, Punjab Medical College Principal Prof Muhammad Alfareed Zafar said the NICU had been completed in one year.

He said the NICU comprised a children nursery, a ventilator section, an emergency reception and treatment portion, a feeding portion, waiting areas for mothers, a kitchen and wash rooms.

Earlier, he said the 18-bed ICU in pediatric ward was insufficient. However, he said the NICU would provide best medical facilities to the newly-born babies.

RICKSHAW DRIVERS: Motorcycle-rickshaw drivers turned up on roads against traffic wardens for imposing heavy fines on them on minor violations.

Carrying banners inscribed with slogans against traffic police and tickets issued to them, the demonstration of the drivers started from Lorry Adda and culminated at the District Council Chowk.

The protesters block traffic for more than two hours, creating problems for the motorists.

Talking to reporters, they said wardens, instead of focusing on the traffic regulations, preferred issuing them tickets. They quoted wardens as saying their bosses gave them targets of the number of tickets they had to issue and in case of failure to achieve the targets, notices on charges of misconduct were being issued to them.

The protesters said the wardens often used abusive language against them and also resorted to torture publically.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2015