SHEIKHUPURA, Nov 13: Special Secretary (irrigation) Javed Akhtar says the government has earmarked Rs250 billion for agriculture industries in the country while Rs190 billion have been reserved for Punjab.

He was speaking at the concluding ceremony of Kissan Mela on Thursday which was held in Company Bagh with the collaboration of the State Bank of Pakistan.

A number of cultivators and bank officials were present on the occasion. He said farmers would be provided with small loans through easiest procedure.

CASE: Human Rights Forum (HRF) senior president Ilyas Gujjar has filed a civil suit against five prominent `Naat Khwans’ as they did not participate in the 7th annual All Pakistan Mehfal-i-Naat held in Yadgar Park on Nov 8.

The petitioner submitted that Marghoob Hamdani, Qari Shahid Mehmud, Shahbaz Zaidi, Sarwar Naqshbandi and Iftikhar Rizvi had been paid in advance, but they did not participate in the event.—Correspondent