FAISALABAD, March 25: The Punjab government has directed the Faisalabad district government to immediately withdraw the toll and licence fees on professions and trades.

A directive issued by the Punjab Local Government and Rural Development Department said the district government imposed the toll and fee 'without lawful authority.'

The directive said: "under Section 116 of the Punjab Local Government Ordinance, 2001, local governments are competent to levy taxes and fees, as specified in the second schedule, through a gazette notification after its approval from the provincial government.

But the district government of Faisalabad has levied toll and license fee without gazette notification which is against the provisions of Section 116 of the Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2001."

The district government had, through a notification, levied annual fee ranging from Rs6,000 to Rs10,000 for licenses and permits of 35 professions or vocations. A six-month contract was awarded to a private firm for the collection of the levies. The contractor started charging the levies arbitrarily.

Meanwhile, MPA Rana Aftab Ahmed Khan demanded that since it has been established that the imposition of levies were illegal, the district government functionaries should be proceeded against under sections 141 and 145 of the Local Government Ordinance 2001.

According to him, the district government ruthlessly 'penalized' traders and industrialists who had to pay the fees at gunpoint which was a deplorable act. Rana Aftab was a member of the committee constituted by the Punjab Assembly to decide the legality of the fees imposed by the district government.

FIRING: Three unidentified people opened fire at the residence of the former vice-chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, in Telecom Society on Sitana Road here on Thursday.

Reports said three men riding a car entered the colony and overpowered the security guard. Later, they opened indiscriminate fire at the house of Prof Riaz Husain Qureshi and fled.

No one was hurt in the firing. Mr Qureshi told police that he had no enmity with anyone. Saddar police have registered a case and are investigating.