GUJRANWALA, April 20: A fire in the fields of the PML-J chief, Chaudhry Hamid Nasir Chattha, at Ahmadnagar village burnt wheat spreading over 400 acres on Tuesday.

According to reports, the fire broke out when someone threw a burnt cigarette in the fields, which engulfed the crop over hundreds of acres. The fire also engulfed fields at neighbouring Ladheywala village.

Fire fighting teams from Gujranwala and other cities were extinguishing flames till last reports came in. Mr Chattha and his son Fayyaz Ahmad Chattha, the district Nazim, were supervising the operation.

ROBBERIES: Highwaymen plundered cash and valuables from the passenger of a coaster and took away on oil-tanker in different strikes on the Sheikhupura Road on Tuesday.

Reports said a coaster (LRJ-3939) was on its way to Naushera Virkan from Sheikhupura. Near Karyal Kalan, four highwaymen boarded it in guise of passengers and looted cash, jewellery and other valuables from the occupants. They manhandled some of the passengers on resistance.

Three armed men stopped an oil tanker (Peshawar-E 1669) at the same road, overpowered driver and conductor and snatched Rs28,000 in cash. They drove away with the oil-tanker.

IMPOUNDED: Over 50 public transport vehicles and loaders were impounded here on Tuesday by a team of the excise and taxation department for not paying token tax. According to reports, the team led by Excise Taxation Officer Syed Ozair Shah and Inspector Abdul Qudus set up a picket at various by-pass intersections and on the GT Road and impounded more than 50 vehicles running without token tax.