SIALKOT, July 4: A former member of the district council have passed the matriculation examination at the age of 53. Haji Muhammad Jamil told this correspondent that first time he had appeared in 1971.

Later, he took the examination for several times by 2003, but could not get through.

A prominent social worker of Bonkan village, Haji Jamil said the recurrent failures encouraged him to continue the struggle and at last he succeeded in 2004 by obtaining 573 marks out of 850.

Mr Jamil said his children were getting their higher education in different local colleges. He distributed sweets among the villagers and received gifts from relatives and friends.

PROTEST CAMPS: The Daska traders have announced setting up protest camps at the Fawara Chowk against the unscheduled power suspension from Monday (today). In a press release, the main trade bodies office-bearers have expressed a grave concern over the several hours long breakdown disrupting the business activities.

They said the power outage continued for the last 11 days making the life miserable. The Gepco sources told this correspondent that the low capacity main transformers were unable to run with the high load of electricity consumption due to which all feeders often tripped.

CAR TAKEN AWAY: Five dacoits took away a car from a businessman here on Sunday at Muradpur. Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam was a few yards away from his factory when the gangsters made off with the vehicle (LRY-2757), a mobile phone and thousands of rupees at gunpoint.