JHANG City News

Jhang cop thrashes eatery owner for ‘refusing bribe’

From Our Correspondent

JHANG: A sub-inspector allegedly thrashed a restaurant owner for refusing to pay bribe here.

Civil Lines police post in-charge SI Noor Khan came to the restaurant of Zulqarnain on Yousaf Shah Road and allegedly demanded bribe from him. On refusal, the SI allegedly thrashed the owner. When the hotel guards and shopkeepers of nearby shops came to rescue the victim, the accused sub-inspector also threatened them.

On information, Kotwali SHO Naveed Gujjar reached the spot and inquired about the matter. He directed the SI to leave the restaurant which led to an exchange of harsh words between them. The SI, however, left the place when the SHO warned him of reporting the incident to the DPO.

Meanwhile, talking to newsmen, the hotel owner said that he would file a petition in a court against the SI for allegedly manhandling and blackmailing him.

When contacted, SI Noor Khan claimed that he visited the restaurant to check security cameras and guards’ weapons but the owner overreacted during security inspection.

Kotwali SHO Naveed Gujjar said that a report about the incident would be submitted to the DPO. The scribe tried thrice to get the version of DPO Humayun Masood but his operator replied that the boss was busy.

 

Villagers suffer as govt medics perform in NGO hospital

From Our Correspondent

JHANG: Despite protest of villagers, the Health Department has failed to restore healthcare services at government rural dispensaries (GRDs) by not sending back medical officers and paramedics, who had been assigned temporary duties at an NGO’s hospital in Jhang about three years ago.

The residents of Chak 442, Ghaziabad and other villages alleged that the doctors and paramedics were getting extra pay of health sector reforms (HSR) allowance, but performing duties in the urban area against the government policy. The villagers pointed out that Dr Hafiz Abdullah (medical officer at Chak 442), Dr Sadia Rashid (woman medical officer at Janwala), Raima Safeer (LHV at Haq Bahu Colony) and Tehrim (LHV at Ghaziabad) had been assigned temporary duties at the NGO’s hospital about three years ago. They said that they had been facing several problems due to closure of government dispensaries.

They claimed that the CM, the chief secretary and other high-ups had also taken notice of their complaints and directed the Health EDO to send back the doctors and paramedics at their original place of postings by withdrawing temporary duties, but to no avail till now.

When contacted, District Accounts Officer Fazal Elahi confirmed that the HSR allowance could not be given to the doctors and other health workers, who were not performing duties in rural areas’ government health facilities. He further said that a letter had already been issued to the Health EDO in this regard. Health EDO Dr Zafar Khan said that the matter of additional duties of the GRDs doctors and paramedics at the NGO’s hospital was being pursued. He said that he was awaiting directions from the DCO in this regard. He kept mum when he was asked that the CM and the chief secretary had already issued directions to him in this regard.

DCO Ghazi Amanullah was not available for comments. However, his staff officer DOC Haroon Rasheed said that the DCO Office would reply the Health EDO after he would present a summary about cancellation of duties of doctors at the NGO’s hospital.