GUJRANWALA, April 5: The first model police station of the Cantonment was inaugurated by Corps Commander Lt-Gen Faiz Jilani on the GT Road here on Friday.

Briefing the chief guest, Engineering Corps Commander Brig Imtiaz Ahmad said that Rs8 million were earmarked for the building, but it was completed with only Rs5 million.

He said Rs2 million were granted by the Punjab governor and as much by the Gujranwala DCO while Rs1 million were collected from the people.

Speaking on the occasion, the Corps Commander urged the police officials to provide relief and justice to the oppressed people.

He said new police reforms would be conducive to eliminate the traditional and decayed police system.

DIG Khawaja Khalid Farooq said solid steps were being adopted to make the police force a public-friendly after revamping the ‘thana’ culture.

General Officer Commanding Maj Imtiaz Hussain, Log Area Commander Maj-Gen Ahmad Nawaz Saleem Mela, DCO Iftikhar Ahmad, SSP Muhammad Aslam Tarin and other senior officers of army and police besides tehsil Nazimeen were also present on the occasion.

REFERENDUM: National Democratic Party organizer and former federal minister Umer Asgher Khan has supported the presidential referendum.

Talking to the Wazirabad district bar association on Friday, he said president Musharraf’s further stay in power was imperative to pull the country out of present crisis.

He held politicians responsible for inviting martial laws by committing corruption and misuse of their powers.

Politicians, he said, should cooperate the government on the issue of presidential referendum of Gen Pervez Musharraf.

The condition of graduation for members of parliament should be retained, adding that it should however be relaxed for members of special seats.

The district bar association president and other lawyers also spoke on the occasion.

NICs: The district registration authority will set up various centres for the preparation of urgent computerized national identity cards in Gujranwala and Sialkot districts.

To speed up the work, modern computers will be provided in these centres.

This was stated by the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) district registrar in a Press release issued here on Friday.

He said Rs60 each would be charged for the urgent computerized NIC.