LAHORE: A young woman gave birth to quintuplets – two girls and three boys – at the Lady Aitcheson Hospital, officials at the facility announced on Wednesday.

Komal Shehzad, 22, who lives in a rural area of Punjab, was admitted to the hospital and gave birth to five children. They were normally delivered and are in good health, said the hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Sameena Nasreen.

It was the first time in the hospital’s history that quintuplets were born and the hospital welcomed the children, she said. “We are very happy. The hospital staff is celebrating the births of the children and giving their best wishes to the couple,” she said. The babies would be kept in the incubators for a few days, she added.

Multan woman gives birth to quintuplets

Shehzad is a resident of Mandi Faizabad in Nankana Sahib district and used to visit hospital frequently. “The birth of the quintuplets did not only bring joy to the family, but doctors. The medics were hugely relieved as they feared for the health of the mother and the babies. Multiple pregnancies can be highly risky,” she added.

“It is an honour for us that the public’s confidence is increasing in state-owned facilities,” she said. “The family belonged to a lower middle class background and that was the reason that the hospital and health department bore all the expenses,” she added.

The father of the quintuplets Shehzad Ahmed told the media that he was happy with the arrival of five kids to his family. “I cannot thank God enough for this blessing.”

New parents: Woman gives birth to quintuplets

He said Mandi Faizabad, where he lives, is 40 kilometres away from the Lady Aitcheson Hospital. Therefore, he decided to hospitalise his wife a day before her due date. “The hospital made all the arrangements for the safe delivery of the children.

In 2013, a woman in Peshawar and another woman in Sialkot gave birth to quintuplets.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2017.

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Source: Tribune News | Making history: Quintuplets born at Lady Aitcheson Hospital

LAHORE: Reiterating their demands, farmers demanded the release of pending sugarcane payments, waiver of arrears from agriculture tube wells’ bills and a subsidy on different inputs.

Pakistan Kissan Ittehad (PKI) leader Chaudhry Anwar warned the provincial government that if farmers’ demands were not met promptly, they would hold a sit-in at Thokar Niaz Beg on Thursday (today).

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Speaking to the media after a meeting with the CCPO on Wednesday, Anwar highlighted that the police officer lacked the authority to resolve farmers’ problems. “However, he can help schedule a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. He said Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah had informed farmers over the phone that the chief minister had accepted all of their demands. He also assured that a meeting would soon be held with leaders of the farming community. Farmers have been on the roads for 48 hours in favour of their demands. “If Shehbaz does not give them does not give them an appointment to hear their demands, they will again hold a sit-in.”

Enraged farmers block major entry points

Anwar, along with other leaders of the farming community, said hundreds of angry growers protested on Main Multan Road late on Monday night and it continued till late Tuesday night. He said the provincial government assured farmers’ representatives that the government had accepted all their legitimate demands. The farmers blocked main Multan Road and M2 Motorway for all kinds of vehicular traffic. This caused great inconvenience for commuters. Though, farmers from different areas had termporarily called off their protest, most demonstrators were still in the city and ready to take to the streets at any time if the government failed to accept their demands.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2017.

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Source: Tribune News | Demanding their due : Farmers warn of further protest

LAHORE: While the opposition benches tried to halt house proceedings by pointing to the lack of quorum, the Punjab Assembly speaker did not entertain their resolution against heavy taxes included in the regulatory duty which was introduced by the government.

The legislators of the opposition benches said the regulatory duty was an extra burden on the poor masses. The opposition stuck to its demand to take up their resolution ‘out of turn’, while Minister for Industries, Commerce and Investment Sheikh Allauddin was also adamant to start a debate over the issue so the house could be informed over how the duty was imposed.

Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal suggested the opposition start a debate over the regulatory duty rather than putting up a resolution. He pointed out that a resolution could not be taken out of turn without the suspension of rules.

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Opposition leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed said MPAs condemned the regulatory duty, adding the lives of the masses had been affected by such taxes. He said the government presented what he called a ‘mini budget’ with the new levies.

However, the speaker fixed a one-hour debate for the regulatory duty issue in Thursday’s session (today) to satisfy the house.

He said it was the demand of the house from the federal government that regulatory duty be withdrawn immediately. He said the federal government imposed taxes from 5% to 80% on daily use articles in the name of regulatory duty without considering the fact that the poor masses were already suffering from the skyrocketing prices of onion, tomato and potatoes for the past several months.

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Rasheed said the poor were being targeted through what he termed the failed economic policies of Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

Expressing his views, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Dr Syed Waseem Akhtar said the regulatory duty was tantamount to overburdening the poor masses with taxes to the tune of Rs25billion overall. Legislator Muhammad Arif Abbasi pointed to the quorum, however, the treasury benches succeeded in showing the required number in the house.

It was the second consecutive day in the house when PTI legislator Asif Mehmood raised strong reservations over the conduct of a rival contestant who had lost to him in the 2013 General Election. He said the losing candidate was still pretending to be the MPA of the constituency.

He expressed strong reservation that his repute was being damaged by the former legislator, who was posing as a member of the house despite losing the election.

The speaker assured him that a report on the matter would be submitted by Monday.

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Meanwhile, PML-N legislator Dr Nadia Aziz brought the issue of the examinations of Sargodha board students to the notice of the house. She pointed out that the results were altogether disappointing compared to expectations.

Another PML-N legislator Mian Tahir Pervez also criticised Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah after nothing was done on his privilege motion.

However, legislators of both treasury and opposition benches, were seen united over the issue of Khatam-e-Nabuwwat and demanded exemplary punishment to those who were responsible for recent amendments.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2017.

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Source: Tribune News | ‘Mini budget’: Opposition slams govt over regulatory duty