Affected overseas Pakistanis handed over keys of houses

LAHORE

As a result of the efforts made by Overseas Pakistanis Commission (OPC) Punjab, as many as 30 houses in housing scheme Eden Abad have been handed over to the long awaited overseas Pakistanis. 

OPC Commissioner Afzaal Bhatti and vice chairperson Khalid Shaheen Butt handed over the documents and keys of the houses to their owners during a ceremony held at Eden Abad on Wednesday. 

Afzaal Bhatti and Khalid Shaheen Butt while addressing the ceremony said Overseas Pakistanis had booked their houses in the subject housing scheme some 10 years ago but despite of payment, houses were not being handed over to them. 

They said on the complaints of Overseas Pakistanis, OPC played its role for the provision of houses to the affected owners.

The commissioner and vice-chairperson assured that complaints of overseas Pakistanis regarding housing schemes were being treated on priority and the complaints of remaining overseas Pakistanis pertaining to this housing scheme would also be addressed soon. 

Afzaal Bhatti informed that on the instructions of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab OPC is resolving issues faced by overseas Pakistanis on top priority.

The chairman district overseas committee, Nankana and Vehari Ch Shafi, Shahzad Gujjar, a large number of overseas Pakistanis and OPC officials attended the ceremony. 

ACCIDENTS: At least 541 accidents were reported in Provincial Monitoring Cell of Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) in all 36 districts of Punjab during the last 24 hours in which two lives were lost and 417 serious injured were shifted to different hospitals of relevant districts. Some 199 victims who sustained minor injuries were discharged on the spot after provision of first aid by emergency medical teams. 

hunters fined: Teams constituted by Punjab Wildlife and Parks Director General Khalid Ayaz Khan for eradication of smuggling of wildlife and illegal hunting while taking action against three people have recovered Rs 30,000 fine from them. 

Two people Allah Ditta and Muhammad Anwar were catching birds through a net at Rukan Post.

A wildlife team with the help of Rangers Jawans took action against them and recovered Rs 20,000 fine. The team released the birds and destroyed the net. 

In another incident, the department with the help of Customs Authorities took action at Allama Iqbal International Airport against Muhammad Arshad of Noshehra Virkan for bringing 30 pigeons from Kuwait and presented him before a special judicial magistrate of Cantt.

The court imposed Rs 10,000 fine on him and sent the pigeons to the Wildlife Park, Lahore.

foreign currency: FIA claimed to have foiled a bid of money laundering worth millions of rupees at Allama Iqbal Airport on Wednesday. 

According to FIA officials, they apprehended accused Zeeshan Naseer Butt at the Lahore airport when he was trying to smuggle foreign currency worth Rs 130 million.

During interrogation, Zeeshan revealed the name of a money exchange for whom he was working. 

Another team conducted a raid at the office of a money exchange and recovered currency worth millions of rupees from the spot. FIA sealed the exchange. 

The officials said they contacted Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and Sate Bank of Pakistan for the cancellation of the licence of the money exchange.