Briefs

‘Another accord to be signed with China’

By Our Correspondent

LAHORE

Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique has said that during the upcoming tour of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to China a framework would be signed between the two countries for the up-gradation and restoration of line one project from Peshawar to Karachi. Afterwards, he said, the development work on the new project, a major booster to PR, would be started. According to a press release, the minister stated this while chairing a meeting of railway officials held at railway headquarters here Tuesday. The minister directed the officials concerned that each clause of the proposed agreement should be finalised keeping in view the interests of the railways.  He stated that after the completion of the project speed of trains would increase till 160 kilometer per hour. 

Toxic liquor toll rises to four

By Our Correspondent

LAHORE

A man expired in hospital, a few hours after he consumed tainted liquor in the Sherakot area on Tuesday.  The victim was identified as Saleem of Khanewal. It was reported that four friends Faisal Nadim, Yaseen, Arshad and Saleem, who hailed from Khanewal, had drunk poisonous liquor in the Sherakot area a day back. As a result, their condition went critical.  They were rushed to hospital where Faisal, Arshad and Yaseen died shortly after their admission while Saleem expired Tuesday.

Special trains, security for Qalandar Urs 

By Our Correspondent

LAHORE

TO avoid any untoward incident during the upcoming annual Urs of Hazrat Usman Marwandi Lal Shahbaz Qalandar at Sehwan Sharif, Pakistan Railways has banned all trains from carrying any gas cylinder or any other explosive material.  According to a press release issued here Tuesday, the PR management has also decided, like every year, to run special trains to facilitate devotees from May 11 till May 20 from major railway stations, including Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Kotri and Karachi till Sehwan Sharif.  All the departments concerned, including bomb disposal squad would conduct snap checking all the trains regularly for safety purposes. Besides, extra security would also be provided to devotees to deal with any untoward incident.

Condolence reference

By Our Correspondent

LAHORE

Punjab University’s Centre for South Asian Studies (CSAS) in collaboration with the Academic Staff Association (ASA) organised a condolence reference for Prof Dr Muhammad Jehangir Tamimi on Tuesday. According to a press release, CSAS Director Prof Dr Umbreen Javed, President Academic Staff Association, Javed Sami, Dr Mazhar Mueen, Iftikhar Choudhary, Khalid Humayun, Prof Dr Muhammad Saleem Mazhar, faculty members, students and MPhil, PhD scholars of CSAS and Department of Political Science attended it.

PMA condemns visa ban

By Our Correspondent

LAHORE

Pakistan Medical Association President Dr Muhammad Ashraf Nizami, Secretary General Dr. S.M.Qaisar Sajjad and other office-bearers condemned the inhuman attitude of the Indian government for imposing an unannounced ban on issuance of medical visas to Pakistani citizens.   According to a press release on Tuesday, the office bearers of PMA said the ban would affect thousands of Pakistanis traveling to India for treatment. Reportedly, around 500 patients travel to India for treatment of liver and heart-related ailments at major hospitals in New Delhi, Chennai and other cities. It demanded the government of Pakistan and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan to take up the issue with international human rights organisations.