SIALKOT, Oct 25: Over 20 houses were badly damaged and 11 animals were killed on Thursday in shelling by Indian troops in villages near the Sialkot working boundary.
Official sources told Dawn that several shells exploded in the fields, killing several cattle and damaging more than 20 houses besides disrupting the paddy crop harvesting.
Indian forces continued heavy shelling on Chhumb, Joriyaan and Bajwat sectors. They fired 40 shells and most of them landed into the River Tavi Munawar. Some of them exploded with a thunder, while the remaining could not blow up.
Sources confirmed that Chenab Rangers had thwarted three more Indian attempts of fencing near Chhumb, Joriyaan and Shakargarh sectors.
The firing between Chenab Rangers and Indian troops was continuing along the working boundary till the filing of this report late in the evening.
JOINT VENTURES: Nigerian High Commissioner Mr A.D. Idris Waziri has said bright chances exist for Nigeria and Pakistan to look for joint ventures in different trade fields.
This he said while addressing the local business community at the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) after visiting various industrial units in Daska, Sambrial and Sialkot city amid tight security on Thursday.
He offered direct trade relations to the Sialkot business community for enhancing mutual trade and exports.
Mr Waziri assured the local traders for the early provision of up-to-date trade information of Nigeria, adding that this would help them explore the Nigerian market.
Earlier, SCCI president Daud Ahmad Chattha and vice-president Muhammad Ather Dar apprised the Nigerian envoy of the export-oriented Sialkot cottage industries, earning US dollars 600 million annually.
The SCCI president welcomed the offer of joint ventures with Nigerian business community, hoping it would be helpful in promoting mutual trade activities.
Later, talking to this correspondent, the Nigerian HC hinted at establishing a bilateral business council to explore the possibility of launching a joint council of trade, investment, industrial and technology ventures.
He underlined the need to developing close ties between the Nigerian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the SCCI to speed up export activities between the two countries.
Lauding the standard of the Sialkot-based industry, he said, “I am impressed to see the international craftsmanship and skills of industrial workers and artisans.”
Expressing his satisfaction over the eradication of child labour from the Sialkot export-oriented soccer ball industry, he termed it a child labour free industry.
“The Sialkot city has assumed a model status for the developing world by attaining higher standard of its cottage industry”, the Nigerian envoy acknowledged.