Zardari’s security officer attacked in Khi

KARACHI: Chief security officer of President Asif Ali Zardari was attacked by unknown armed assailants late Saturday in the limits of Gulbahar police station, Geo News reported.

The armed men attacked Bilal Shaikh in Firdous Colony. The assailants fled the scene after bodyguards of Bilal retaliated, leaving behind their car and weapons.

Two bodyguards of sheikh were injured in the incident.

Police have seized the vehicle and weapons.

Talking to Geo News, Bilal Shaikh said he had been receiving death threats for sometime.

Blaze in Geo’s building doused

KARACHI: After hours of struggle, the fire that erupted in Geo’s head office building has been successfully doused while emergency services are still being carried out by the fire fighting squad of the local fire brigade.

Two staffers of Geo News who were affected by the fumes were rushed to Civil Hospital. The blaze gutted the main studio, central news room, control room, PCR, satellite department, server room while many other installations were also severely damaged.

According to Geo News administration, the fire broke out inside the studio of the famous program “Aaj Kamran Khan Ke Saath” in the Jang building situated along I.I. Chundrigar Road at 2:10 PM. Geo’s staff jumped in and began the effort to overcome the blaze on their own.

As soon as the studio’s door was opened, the smoke trapped inside it quickly spread across the entire floor and the staff present there was immediately evacuated followed by the staff of accounts department, HR department, daily Jang Karachi, daily Awam Karachi, daily Jang London, Akhbar-e-Jehan and other sections.

As a result of the incident, transmission of Geo News had to be suspended while other activities were also affected.

Soon after receiving the report of the blaze, the fire tenders and snorkel from the nearby fire brigade reached the site of Geo building besides the staff of emergency and rescue services including Edhi Foundation Trust, Chhipa Welfare and other NGOs and started providing their services.

The fire-fighting work continued for hours under the supervision of City District Government’s EDO Muncipal Services Masood Alam.

Faisalabad: work resumes in sizing industry

FAISALABAD: The sizing industry that remained on strike the past 14 days in Faisalabad in the wake of imposition of sales tax has resumed operations after ending the strike, Geo News reported Sunday.

The daily wagers who remained jobless for the past 14 days have now returned to work.

The owners of sizing industry had announced to go on indefinite strike on March 20 in protest against the imposition of sales tax.

Later, power looms industry also joined in and went on strike from March 25 while traders of yarn market had also kept their business closed for the past four days.

Then the representatives of FBR had assured the sizing industry of declaring it exempted from the sales tax but the industry remained on strike till the issuance of formal notification in this regard.