GUJRANWALA, July 23: An education joint action committee has convened a meeting at the Government Higher Secondary School here on Thursday to adopt a future line of action against denationalization of educational institutions.

At a meeting held here on Tuesday, the participants rejected the denationalization policy and demanded that it should be reversed instantly.

They said the doors of education were being closed for the poor students by allowing the owners of denationalized schools to enhance fees and other expenditures.

STUDENTS: Students and activists of the Anjuman-i-Tulaba Islam staged a protest rally here on Tuesday against the denationalization policy.

The protesters, carrying banners and placards, chanted slogans against denationalization and demanded that the decision should be taken back otherwise they would observe a country-wide strike.

DEATH SENTENCE: The Anti-Terrorism Court No 1 handed down death sentence to five convicts in a kidnap for ransom case here on Tuesday.

According to the prosecution, convicts Javed Iqbal, Zulfiqar Masih, Samuel Masih, Ghaffar Masih and Ishaq Masih kidnapped an infant, Musa Shahid, during a dacoity bid in a house on Qasim Road, Sialkot, on Feb 27. Later, they demanded Rs500,000 as ransom for his release.

However, the Sialkot Cantonment police arrested the accused and recovered the child from them.