GUJRANWALA, June 7: Truck drivers blocked the GT Road near Wazirabad on Monday to protest alleged manhandling of one of their colleagues by the district traffic police.

According to reports reaching here on Monday, traffic police intercepted truck driver Nasir Ahmad and demanded illegal gratification. When he refused, he was manhandled and dragged.

In the meantime, other truckers blocked the road by parking their vehicles on the road and chanted slogans against traffic police. Soon they were joined by the general public who also vent their anger at police.

When Wazirabad ASP Muhammad Munir and city SHO reached there with a heavy contingent of police force, accused traffic policemen disappeared. The protesters told the ASP that traffic police deployed at Chowk Musafran in Wazirabad had been extorting money from the drivers sine long. They cleared the GT Road after an hour, on an assurance that accused officials would be proceeded against.

SEIZED: A Customs' raiding team seized here on Monday smuggled scrap laden on two trucks near Chand da Qila bypass intersection, and arrested three smugglers. Reports said scrap was being shifted from Quetta and Karachi to the district by two trucks.

Led by information, a raiding team set up picket on the GT Road and recovered smuggled scrap worth Rs2.5 million. They arrested Muhammad Riaz, Muhammad Iqbal and Umar Sajjad. A case has been registered against them.

GP FUND: Low-paid employees of government and semi-government departments have demanded that their GP fund should be deducted so that they can get some amount at the time of retirement. At a meeting held here on Monday, they demanded that the government should not stop deduction.