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Sialkot Latest News & Updates |
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Land acquired for Sialkot-Lahore Motorway
Eighty percent land has been acquired for the establishment of a mega project of Sialkot-Lahore Motorway, while the tendering process will begin in August this year.
Sialkot District Nazim Muhammad Akmal Cheema disclosed this while giving a briefing to Bryan D. Hunt Principal Officer, US Consulate, Lahore, who met him at his residence.
Kashmiri jailed in Kerala for village sounding like Sialkot
SRINAGAR: Despite the chief minister’s efforts to ensure that Kashmiris studying or working in other states of the country were not harassed, a Kashmiri shawl vendor was arrested by the Kerala police for the ludicrous reason that the name of his village, Shalkot, printed on his I-card appeared suspiciously similar to Sialkot, a city in Pakistan. The trader, Basheer Ahmad Chaupan, from Shalkot, Sholipora, a village on the outskirts of Budgam, had traveled all the way to Kerala to sell shawls to help pull his family out of financial difficulties.
But little did he know that leaving home to shoulder some responsibilities of his blind father would bring days of pain and anxiety for him and his family.
Kerala police pounced on him as soon as they saw “Shalkot” written on his identity card. They interpreted it as “Sialkot” and promptly put Chaupan behind bars. His family in the valley said that they had contacted the Kerala police in a bid to get Chaupan shifted to a jail in Kashmir, but the Kerala police flatly refused.
Kerala police had not yet got in touch with their counterparts in Kashmir to verify Chaupan’s identity, KONS quoted sources as saying.
Increasingly, traders, artisans and students from the valley fall an easy prey to the police in other states, who label them falsely as Pakistanis or foreign militants and put them behind bars, earning laurels from their superiors.
During the recent session of the state’s legislature, the chief minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, had to summon an emergency press conference in connection with a similar case.
He had said that he had written letters to chief ministers of other states about the problem, but even today the ground situation tells a different story.
CM announces restoring Sialkot Medical College
SIALKOT: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has announced restoring the project to establish a medical college here and forming a special committee consisting of elected representatives and renowned businessmen to monitor the project.
He was addressing local businessmen and notables at the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Monday during the first leg of his two-day visit to the district after becoming the chief minister.
SCCI President Dr Khurram Anwar Khawaja, secretaries of 18 provincial departments and prominent businessmen and representatives of local trade bodies were also present.
The chief minister announced a number of development schemes for the area, particularly for the uplift of the city. On the pressing demand of the local business community, the chief minister announced restoring the otherwise shelved Sialkot Medical College project.
He also announced ensuring early release of a special matching grant of Rs408.6 million under the Sialkot City Development Package, which was to be carried out in collaboration with local business community, but was frozen or abandoned subsequently.
During his first stint as chief minister nine years ago, Sharif had announced this grant during his visit to the SCCI on June 1, 1999.
He also announced immediate establishment of intensive care units (ICUs) and orthopaedic units each at Allama Iqbal Memorial DHQ Hospital and Sardar Begum Memorial Hospital.
He also announced construction of two bridges over Nullah Aik in the city, one near Nekapura and the other near Douburji Malhiyaan, besides constructing another flyover or underpass to streamline traffic throughout the city. He also announced laying new sewerage pipelines in the city.
The chief minister said the provincial government would soon sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the business community of Sialkot under which special monitoring committees would be formed to look after all the (above-mentioned) development projects.
The chief minister also ordered immediate dualisation of Sialkot-Gujranwala and Sialkot-Eimenabad roads besides early completion of under-construction Sialkot-Wazirabad Road.
The chief minister assured the business community that effective and positive economic and trade policies would continue to strengthen national economy and to promote sustainable trade activities.
He said the local business community had set a golden example of completing several mega projects on self-help basis, persuading others to follow it.
He also hailed the local export culture and marvellous socio-economic and human resources development, again chiefly on self-help basis.
He said the government was making all out efforts to bring a revolution of industrial development by revamping the SMEs sector.
Sharif said the government was fully aware of the problems being faced by the businessmen and was trying to remove all bottlenecks hindering trade activities.
Earlier, DCO Capt Atta Muhammad Khan (retired) gave a detailed briefing about ongoing development schemes in the district.
The chief minister directed the officials concerned to expedite these projects besides ensuring consumption of quality materials and their timely completion.
Later, addressing an open court in Pasrur, Sharif pledged to weed out corruption from all government departments to ensure cheap and speedy justice to the people.
He said the government was trying to control ‘skyrocketing’ price-hike caused by the wrong policies of the previous regime.
Sharif said all promises made to the people, including the restoration of superior courts judges, supremacy of the Constitution, stability of democracy and solution of national issues, would be honoured and working relationship with allied parties would be maintained at the federal as well as provincial levels without compromising on principles.
Later, addressing a meeting of party workers at Anwar Club Auditorium here, Sharif, who is also the president of the PML-N, said his party would take solid steps to resolve political, economic and administrative problems being faced by the country and would not disappoint the masses.
Earlier, talking to reporters, the chief minister said the party's stand on the restoration of judges reflected the aspirations of 160 million people of the country and the PML-N would stick to its stance.
He said that all possible cooperation would be extended to allied parties to solve national issues and viable proposals would be given to ensure civilian’s rule instead of any dictator’s.
He said that party leaders, office-bearers and elected representatives should maintain a close liaison with the people to resolve their problems.
Expressing concern over a lack of coordination among the government and its coalition partners, the PML-N president urged the government to take on board all component parties of the alliance prior to taking key decisions on national issues otherwise it could grow weaker and weaker.
Sharif said that inordinate delay in announcing the impeachment of President Pervez Musharraf and reinstatement of the deposed judges was enhancing the gravity of political crisis.
The chief minister will visit Daska on Tuesday (today). He will inspect Daska’s THQ Hospital besides holding an open court at Civil Rest House.
Sialkot tops the list of superstitious districts
SIALKOT: Sialkot has topped the list of superstitious districts as compared to the remaining others lining Punjab following its penchant to believe in the power of fortune tellers, who in turn taking advantage of the local's gullibility continue soaking them.
In his speech at a seminar on Rising Atrocities of Fortune-tellers and Palm-readers, held at the Police Line under the auspices of Sialkot Police Saturday, Sialkot District and Sessions Court Judge Suhaib Ahmad Roomi termed the practice as evil and in negation of one's religious beliefs. Attended by Sialkot DCO Capt (R) Atta Muhammad Khan, Sialkot DPO Capt (R) Muhammad Ameen, SP (Investigation) Sialkot Rao Muneer Zia, President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Dr Khurram Anwar Khawaja, Chairman Sialkot CPLC Mirza Nasir Baig, religious scholars, journalists and others, the judge urged the public to stick to the teachings of the Holy Prophet and follow truly the Sunnah to help find out answers to their social, economical, and spiritual problems instead of relying on the 'ones who promise falsity.'
"This belief has often resulted in several social and immoral problems," he added, continuing that Islam is a complete religion and the Uswa-e-Hussna a complete code of life. "These so-called fortune-tellers mislead the innocent, who pay them heavily to hear what they want to hear.
Condemning the acts, Sialkot DCO Atta Muhammad Khan warned all fortune-tellers to mend their ways or else be prepared for a strict legal action otherwise, a statement seconded by DPO Muhammad Ameen who assured the support of Sialkot Police to rid the district from the menace of such people.
155 watercourses schemes in Sialkot
SIALKOT: The Sialkot Agricultural Department would soon launch a grand project of establishing new water courses in Sialkot to ensure smooth provision of irrigation water to all fields, especially the tail enders, enabling farmers and growers to enhance their per acre yield.
Sialkot EDO Agriculture Ehsan Ahmad Leghari while talking to reporters Wednesday said the concerned department would soon start more than 155 development schemes of constructing new water courses in the fields of Sialkot at a total cost of Rs 160.5 million, with active public participation, to develop the local farming sector through provision of advanced agro-technology and farm machinery.
Renewal of Dry Port Trust lying pending
SIALKOT: The case of renewal of the land lease contract of Sialkot Dry Port Trust has become a victim of red-tapism and bureaucratic hurdles, lying pending in the cold storage of the provincial government since the past two and a half years.
Talking to reporters at his office here, Chairman Sialkot Dry Port Trust Khawaja Zakaud Din said the Sialkot business community had established the Trust on 132 Kanal leased land near Sambrial-Sialkot on a self-help basis to speed up the pace of local trade activities in 1985. The then president of Pakistan General Muhammad Ziaul Haq had inaugurated the port.
He said the lease deed expired about two and a half year back and a renewal case was sent to the provincial government, but to no effect.
The management has urged the federal, provincial and district governments to take serious notice of the delay, besides, mapping out effective measures for early renewal of the deed in the larger interest of the Sialkot business community.
Traffic jams at rail crossings a nuisance: Locals Tuesday protested against the 'unending mishandling of rail crossings system in Sialkot City, resulting in traffic jams and disorderliness overall.'
All the five crossings located in the city still remain closed about 15 times daily as a result of which traffic congestion has become a major problem.
While talking to reporters, former president Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Tahir Majid Kapur suggested construction of a mini rail station at Adalat Garha, where all trains from Wazirabad and Narowal be stopped to avoid several closings and opening of the rail gates.
CM announces number of uplift projects for Sialkot
SIALKOT: Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif Monday announced restoration of the shelved project of establishing "Sialkot Medical College" the longstanding demand of the local business community, saying that a special monitoring committee comprising local MNAs, MPAs and veteran businessmen will be set up to look after the project.
He was addressing an important meeting of the Sialkot business community held at Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) here.
The CM also announced to ensure early release the 9-year delayed special grant of Rs 408.6 million to the business community for the uplift of Sialkot City under the Sialkot City Development Package. He urged the Sialkot exporters to ensure their enhanced contribution o.28 percent against their total export invoices for this purpose.
On June 1, 1999, during his visit to the SCCI Shahbaz Sharif announced this grant when was the Punjab CM. Shahbaz Sharif also announced establishment of well-equipped ICUs and orthopaedic units one each in both Govt Allama Iqbal Memorial DHQ Hospital Sialkot and Govt Sardar Begum Memorial DHQ Hospital. The chief minister pledged construction of two bridges over Nuallah Aik in Sialkot City near Naikapura and Doburji Malhiyaan, besides, ordered the construction of overhead bridge or underpass in Sialkot City, (which needed) to avert the hours-long traffic jams.
The CM said that the provincial government would soon sign a MoU with the Sialkot business community under which a special monitoring committees would be formed to look after all these development works in the City including the new sewerage and water supply systems to be laid in the City.
On the occasion, he also ordered dualization of 46 km-long Sialkot-Daska-Gujranwala Road (to be called as Bloody Road following the rising number of fatal road accidents) and Sialkot-Eimanabad Road, besides, directing the officials concerned to ensure the early completion of Sialkot-Sambrial-Wazirabad Road dualization project.
Call to check rising road accidents
DASKA: Locals Wednesday flayed the ineptitude of traffic wardens in failing to control the rising road accidents which continue to claim over a thousand lives every year on the main Daska-Gujranwala-Sialkot Road. "Travelling on this road has become risky," they cried.
They said the relevant department must map out a proper mechanism to check and monitor the large-scale reckless driving of public transport vehicles, violation of which must result in a heavy penalty.
They also blasted the hours-long traffic jams at almost all the main roads, suspending daily routine.
When asked, Sialkot Traffic Police insisted on an absolute shortage of traffic personnel as the reason behind the rising road accidents and lack of awareness of traffic rules among the people.
However, the people have urged the provincial and district governments to act in the matter and provide maximum relief to the masses.
Rs 38m worth 115 water filtration plants installed: The district government has installed as many as 115 water filtration plants in Sialkot district's various urban and rural areas under the CCB Development Schemes for providing potable drinking water facilities to the local people, at a total cost of Rs 37.5 million.
Sialkot DCO Capt (R) Atta Muhammad Khan told reporters that the step in question aimed at easing the lives of the people, improving their livelihood and health mortality rate.
Reckless driving goes unchecked on Daska road
DASKA: The unchecked reckless driving on Thursday claimed 12 precious lives while political and business circles have been strongly criticizing Sialkot traffic police for its alleged failure in checking the traffic rules violations on this main Sialkot-Daska-Gujranwala Road.
Travelling on the 46-kilometre Sialkot-Motra-Daska-Gujranwala Road, especially in public transports, has become positively dangerous because of its dilapidated condition and allegedly "unchecked" reckless driving.
Travelling on this main road has now also become risky. There was a dire need of conversion of this road into the dual carriageway. Former provincial government had announced a plan to make dual this road but later due to some political reasons this project was included into the Rs.40 billion-mega project of Sialkot- Lahore Motorway project.
The social circles said that most of the public transport vehicles plying on this Sialkot-Daska-Gujranwala Road were unfit and should be grounded immediately in the larger public interest. But the transporters were still plying these unfit vehicles with malpractice of Sialkot traffic police officials. No ever has allegedly bothered to check the over speeding and over loading on these public transport vehicles, amazingly.
The number of accidents here has significantly increased, also exposing limitations and negligence of the traffic police. According to official statistics, more than 18 people were killed in different fatal accidents occurred on this main road during June 2008.
When contacted, the Sialkot traffic police officials ascribed shortage of personnel and vehicles to improper care. The main road had been constructed and widened about 18 years ago by the Punjab government after which it was declared fit for every kind of traffic. Since then the traffic on this road has risen by four times and caused much damage to it.
Road mishap victims laid to rest:
All the 12 deceased victims of Thursday's colossal road accident, occurred near Motra-Daska on Friday were laid to rest in their native graveyards in Daska, Gojra-Ghartal, Malliyaanwala, Glotiyaan and Bambaanwala in the presence of hundreds of the mourners from all walks of life.
While, the condition of the seven seriously injured out of fifteen was still stated to be critical at Sialkot, Daska and Lahore hospitals, as the arms, legs and ribs of most of these injured were badly fractures in colossal collision between a Toyota passenger van and a bus in front of Motra police station on main Sialkot-Daska Road.
Rs 23 million released to set up hockey stadium
SIALKOT: The Punjab government has approved a special grant of Rs 23 million for the early completion of an international standard hockey stadium at Sialkot, aimed at promoting hockey in Sialkot, globally known as producing the world's best quality hockey sticks and internationally-famed hockey players.
Olympian Asif Bajwa Secretary Pakistan Hockey Federation while talking to reporters Saturday said the DCO Capt (R) Atta Muhammad Khan has also released a grant of Rs 25 million to ensure timely completion of the project before the end of 2008.
Sialkot gets huge funds for road construction
SIALKOT: The provincial and district governments have approved a comprehensive programme for the development of main roads infrastructure. This is in addition to the construction of various new link and main roads in Sialkot district for providing advanced commuting facilities equally to the people of urban and rural areas.
According to official sources, the Punjab government has allocated a grant of Rs 172.800 million for the mega project of construction and conversion of link road from Sambrial Bypass to Sialkot International Airport Terminal and released Rs 186.699 million for a timely completion of a bridge over River Tavi near Saidpur-Bajwat Pattan.
The main Sialkot-Sambrial-Wazirabad Road would soon be converted into a dual carriage way at a total cost of Rs 826.740 million while, Sialkot-Wazirabad Road would be widened and improved at a cost of Rs 107.871 million. Officials added that working and improvement of Sialkot-Pasrur Road would be completed costing Rs 125.162 million, plus the Sialkot-Kingra Road and Randheer More-Muddokey widened at an estimated Rs 109.969 million and Rs 19.675 million respectively. A road would also be constructed along the bank of Marala Ravi Link Canal at Rs 55.802 million, and another in the bordering rural areas of Sialkot district from village Kingra to Zafarwal, besides, a bridge over the seasonal Naullah Dek at Rs 112.71 million.
14 negligent cops suspended: Sialkot District Police Officer (DPO) Friday suspended 14 police head constables of Sialkot Police deputed at different police stations for their negligence in duties and having criminal links. The DPO has also ordered a strict departmental probe against the suspended police constables.
Efforts to modernize export-oriented sports industry:
The Planning Commission of Pakistan Friday discussed in detail matters of mutual interest during a meeting with representatives of sports and surgical industries held here. They also mapped out measures to help the private sector achieve a maximum growth potential.
Officials said the present government continues to make all out sincere efforts to upgrade and modernize Sialkot's export-oriented sports and surgical industry on a priority basis. They said the government is fully aware of the prolonged perturbing problems of the industries and mapping out effective measures to ease the people concerned.
Later, officials visited several leading sports goods and surgical instruments manufacturing leading industrial units in Sialkot, here. They hailed the unique export culture of Sialkot and witnessed the international standard craftsmanship of Sialkot-based artisans.
Aiwan-e-Iqbal at Sialkot Murray College demanded
SIALKOT: In its special session, Sialkot Tehsil Council Thursday named Sialkot city's congested Kutchery Chowk as Prof Asghar Saudai Chowk to pay tribute to him for his meritorious services for Islam, education, philosophy and poetry.
Sialkot Tehsil Naib Nazim Abdul Latif Cheechi chaired the session.
The House described late Prof Asghar Saudai as an inherent part of Pakistan, flaying the government for ignoring his services, and not bestowing upon him "The Pride of Performance Award".
They said he was a prominent activist of Pakistan Movement and creator of Naara Pakistan "Pakistan Ka Matlab Kia?," which has now become the recognition of 'our identity.'
They said Prof Asghar Saudai had said he wrote the poem Pakistan ka Matlub Kia? during his college days to minimize the anti-Islam and anti-Pakistan propaganda.
They expressed concern over the dilapidating Iqbal Manzil, the birthplace of Allama Iqbal in Sialkot and urged the government to honour its years-old commitment regarding the early establishment of an advanced research centre there.
They demanded the government to establish an Aiwan-e-Iqbal at Sialkot and issue PhD research classes on Iqbaliyat for the local, national and foreign research scholars at the Govt Murray College Sialkot.
Rice hoarders arrested: Shakargarh Police Thursday arrested accused Yaqub Ahmad (In-charge Utility Stores Daska), Tariq Mehmood (In-charge Utility Stores Chawinda-Pasrur) and their truck driver Buddha Sher while selling 306 bags of rice stolen from the said utility stores in the markets of Shakargarh.
SHO Shakargarh Saddar Police Station Inspector Malik Muhammad Khalil told reporters that the accused were selling the bags of daily-used commodities in open markets after stealing them from their respective utility stores in connivance with their region manager Ali Muhammad.
Sialkot gets millions of rupees for upgradation of various colleges
SIALKOT: The provincial government has approved a special development package for the upgradation and development of various colleges, promotion of sports and betterment in health sector facilities in Sialkot district under which a Govt Degree College for Women Bhopalwala-Sambrial would be constructed at Rs 34.735 million.
Talking to reporters, Sialkot DCO Capt (R) Atta Muhammad Khan said the up-gradation of Govt Inter Girls College for Women Sambrial to degree level would also be made with a special grant of Rs 31.183 million plus a Govt Girls Degree College Chawinda-Pasrur to be constructed at Rs 35.575 million.
DCO said the government was making all out sincere efforts to provide better sports facilities and equal sporting opportunities to all the citizens of Sialkot district, besides, promoting healthy lifestyles by constructing an international standard sports gymnasium at Sialkot at Rs 50 million, to train as many as 375 players annually.
He said the provincial government has also released a special grant of Rs 10 million for the establishment of a hockey stadium at Sialkot and its advancement. He said Rs 130.492 million was being spent on the reconstruction of Daska THQ Civil Hospital, with 27 percent work completed, the remaining to be finished by 2008-09 at an estimated cost of Rs 123 million.
He said Rs 49.612 million would be spent on the up-gradation of Rural Health Centre Sambrial to THQ Civil Hospital to provide advanced medical and health facilities to the locals.
CSOs demand socio-political empowerment of the poor for a bright Pakistan: Sustaining the process of change from backwardness to development of the people living below the poverty line can never be done overnight. It requires collective, organised and sustained struggle for its accomplishment.
Sialkot gets Rs 1.65b for uplift schemes
SIALKOT: The district government has allocated Rs 1.65 billion for development schemes out of its Rs 5.64 billion tax-free budget for the fiscal year 2008-09 with priority given to the education sector at an allocation of Rs 2.17 billion. Rs 455.7 million has been earmarked for health services, Rs 48.36 million for agriculture, Rs 169. 4m for constructions, communication, Rs 34.8 land revenue, Rs 3m excise, Rs 5.4m forests, Rs 1.2m registration, Rs 383m general administration, Rs 4.88m public health, Rs 1.4m fisheries promotion, Rs 41.4m livestock development, Rs 6m industry, Rs 4m labour, Rs 17.6m social welfare and Rs 4.3m reserved for civil defence.
DCO Atta Muhammad Khan told reporters Thursday that the district government has also allocated Rs 18.6m to repair buildings of 186 high schools, besides, Rs 52m for the betterment of government primary and elementary schools in Sialkot. Rs 1m has been allocated for the betterment of special children with provision of free textbooks, uniforms, wheelchairs, listening equipments and transportation facilities. Special funds of Rs 73.1 million have been allocated for purchasing of medicines for all government hospitals. This budget is 14 percent high than last year's budget.
The district govt has apportioned Rs 1 million for anti-hepatitis B and C vaccination to the people and Rs 8 million to revamp hospitals plus Rs 5 million to be spent on veterinary medicines. Also, another set of Rs 5 million has been set aside to be spent on the promotion of sports in the district, he added.
The DCO said that the district government would spend Rs 27 million on the construction of paved water courses, Rs 13.01 million for livestock development, Rs 1m for parks development and tree plantation, Rs 14m for roads construction, Rs 77.6m on education, Rs 12m on CM's ESR Programme, Rs 17.4m on sports development, Rs 28.5m health schemes, Rs 92.5m for CCB development and Rs 5m would be spent on the provision of electricity and sui gas to remote villages.
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