SIALKOT, Aug 9: The newly-created Sambrial tehsil of the district is yet to be functional even after four days of its establishment due to opposition by people and politicians.

Officials of the related departments and the people of Sialkot, Daska and Sambrial tehsils are in confusion over the new status. The people believe that Sambrial has been given the tehsil status mainly on political grounds just to please some of the politicians.

The Punjab government had given the tehsil status to Sambrial with immediate effect while the provincial revenue department also issued a formal notification in this regard four days ago.

However, the people and politicians of Sambrial, Daska and Sialkot have strongly protested against the division of Sialkot and Daska tehsils. They alleged that the provincial government had notified the status for Sambrial by ignoring the ground realities and without making any proper planning.

All the rural areas of Daska tehsil, including villages of Kandan Sayyan, Bholla Moosa, Kotli Lala, Kaanbanwala, Kotli Bawariyaan, Phaangat and Sidhaanwala, have been included in the newly-established tehsil. These villages are in close proximity of their Daska tehsil headquarters.

Similarly, various rural areas of the tehsil, which are very close to it, have also been attached with the Sambrial tehsil instead of keeping these areas with the Sialkot tehsil.

Punjab Industries Minister Ajmal Cheema, Daska Nazim Chaudhry Ejaz Ahmad Cheema and Sialkot tehsil Nazim Muhammad Akmal Cheema have also expressed their concern in this regard.

They brought the matter to the notice of Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi and informed him about the public worries, who were strongly opposing the decision of giving tehsil status to Sambrial. They urged the chief minister to review the decision in the larger public interest.

They said that there was no need of forming a new tehsil in the district because Sambrial town was only 10kms away from it's Daska THQs and 12kms off from Sialkot DHQs.

Meanwhile, local MPA and Punjab Public Accounts Committee chairman Azeem Noori Ghuman told newsmen that the government had suspended it's Aug 5 decision of giving tehsil status to Sambrial.

He said the government wanted to remove all flaws and redress grievances of the people in this regard. He said the Sambrial tehsil would start functioning within the next couple of days.

THREE KILLED: Three people were killed and seven others injured as a tractor-trolley overturned here on Sunday night near Thatha village in Pasrur. Reports said Shaukat Ali, 16, drowned in a nullah near Chahurkey village.