JHANG, June 15: The movement for conversion of Chiniot tehsil into district has picked up steam here, as rallies to press the authorities concerned for fulfilling the demand entered eighth day on Wednesday. People of the tehsil have been staging rallies and setting up hunger-strike camps for upgradation of Chiniot.
One such camp was set up at Chenabnagar town by its nazim, naib nazim, councillors and common people the other day.
Speaking on the occasion, Town Nazim Sibtain Ali Shah urged the government to immediately announce elevation of Chiniot to a district because it was far bigger in population than Nankana Sahib which had recently been made a district.
He said the 1.4 million people of Chiniot were unanimous in their demand for giving the district status to Chiniot, and pledged to continue the movement till a decision was made in their favour.
Meanwhile, the nazim criticized a federal minister of state, whose constituency was divided between Jhang and Chiniot tehsils, for creating hurdles in the plan. He warned the minister against employing such tactics.
FAISAL SALEH: Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat has alleged that his political rivals in the district are thwarting construction of a bridge over the Chenab near Chund Bharwana on the Jhang Sargodha Road.
He was speaking after unveiling the plaque of a hospital at Mandi Shah Jewna, about 40 kilometres from here.
He claimed that he had twice got the project sanctioned, but his rivals did not want to see it accomplished. He said he first took up the project in 1990 when he was a commerce minister in the first government of Benazir Bhutto.
At that time, he said, even the date for ground breaking to be performed by the then prime minister was set by the National Highway Board when all of a sudden the PPP government was dismissed. Subsequently, the all-important project was shelved.
In 2004, the minister claimed, he got the project approved by the government when he was the interior minister. The project was to be completed in two years at an enhanced cost of Rs600 million. He said the funds were transferred to the NHA for an initial work and heavy machinery reached Chund Bharwana and construction was about to begin when some political bigwig from Lahore intervened and got the process stopped.
However, he said, he was determined to get the work started this year and the project would be completed in 2007. Earlier, the minister inaugurated the hospital, constructed at a cost of Rs45 million on a railways land acquired on lease.
The minister also promised sanctioning of a degree college for the students of Shah Jewna, Mandi Shah Jewna and surrounding areas.
Later, he inaugurated electricity supply to Chela, Saliana, Rajana, Hassan and Pir Kot Sadhna villages.
CLASH<./b>: Four people were injured in a clash between two groups of under-trial prisoners at the Jhang district jail on Tuesday.
The captives climbed on the roof of the barrack and pelted stones as a result of which Nazir Ahmad, Muhammad Husain, Zafar and Aslam suffered minor injuries.
However, police and the Elite Force were called in to restore peace.