SHEIKHUPURA, Sept 5: District police arrested 1,812 anti-social elements, including 393 proclaimed offenders, and recovered a large quantity of weapons, contraband and valuables worth hundreds of thousands of rupees during August.

This was claimed by District Police Officer Shahid Iqbal in a press conference at his office here on Saturday. He said 393 POs involved in murder, dacoity, and other incidents were nabbed.

Mr Iqbal said five kalashnikovs, 90 riffles, 70 guns, 114 pump actions, 170 pistols and thousands of cartridges and bullets were recovered from the accused. He said action against 95 people who used to harbour criminals had already been taken to ascertain the POs' activities.

The district police officer said contraband items, including 106 kg of charas, 150 bottles of liquor, 320 kg of poppy and 0.66 kg of heroin, were seized from their possession.

He said two SIs, a head constable and three constables were dismissed from service while an SI and three ASIs were demoted for negligence. He said all the SDPOs, SHOs and others had been asked to finalize investigation within two months.

CONGREGATION: Punjab Culture Minister Shaukat Ali Bhatti has said that the government is taking steps to provide basic amenities of life to minorities. He was speaking at the 55th annual religious congregation of Christians here on Sunday at Maryamabad.

The minister said the government believed in protecting religious places of the minorities.