GUJRANWALA, Oct 5: Traders of at least eight bazaars went on a shutter-down strike and took out a rally on Thursday in protest against the Wasa for its failure to pump out the sewerage water for the last three months.

The procession, led by Markazi Anjuman Tajran president Dr Mehmood Ahmad, started from these bazaars and reached the district administration offices after marching through GT Road and Sialkot Road.

Protesting traders also shouted slogans against the city district government and the district administration for not resolving the issue.

Later, DCO Manzer Hayat called on the leaders of trade organisations and assured them that the Wasa staff would soon clear the choked gutters.

The traders apprised the DCO that they were facing financial losses as no customer could reach their shops due to stagnant sewerage water. They dispersed peacefully after the assurance given to them by the Wasa managing director and the DCO.

WITHDRAWN: Three aspirants for the seat of the district bar association president withdrew their nomination papers in support of Anwer Narro while Rana Ghulam Mustafa and sitting president Ilyas Rehan are still in the race.

Ashiq Assi, Malik Shauket and Mukhtar Goraya withdrew their nomination papers.

It was learnt that a group of lawyers was also persuading Rana Ghulam Mustafa to withdraw his nomination papers in favour of Mr Narro.

HEARING: The local Anti-Terrorism Court No 1 summoned three senior police officers to record their statement in the Sialkot jail case during the next hearing on Oct 13 and 14.

The judge had exempted Additional IG and regional police officer, Gujranwala, Malik Iqbal, former Gujrat DPO Raja Munawer Hassan and Jhang DPO Amjad Javed Saleemi for attending the court due to their professional duties some one year ago.

While complainant and additional sessions judge Muhammad Yousaf Aujala moved the court to cancel their bails and exemption from the attendance when police officers showed reluctance to record their statements.

The court directed them to attend the court in person on next hearing for recording of their statements.

The court also rejected the bail applications of former superintendent jail Sikandar Hayat and assistant superintendents Ghulam Sarwar, Raja Mushtaq and Akhtar Iqbal.