BAHAWALPUR: As many as 150 teachers of 76 communitybased primary schools in Cholistan have offered their services to run their schools on contract.

These schools were being run by the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), which had invited bids in July from teachers as well as non-government organisations (NGOs) to outsource management of the schools through an advertisement. Before being handed over to PEF, the CholistanDevelopment Authority (CDA) was responsible for administration of the schools.

The teachers had reacted against the PEF`s decision to out-source the schools to NGOs and demonstrated against the move in July. The Punjab education secretary and other provincial functionaries had taken notice of the criticism, and the education minister and other officials rushed to sort out the matter following directions of the chief minister.

Later, PEF asked the schoolteachers to apply for tal(ing up administration of the schools on contract if they were interested.

In-charge of the literacy section of CDA, Mukhtar Ahmed, told Dawn the PEF was going ahead with its process to hand over the schools to their teachers who had applied. The PEF was expected to take a decision on teachers` bids soon in line with the terms and conditions listed inthe PEF ads.

ACCIDENTS: Four people were killed in two separate accidents at Uch Sharif and near Lodhran on Wednesday.

A motorcycle-rickshaw driver and his wife were killed while their infant was critically wounded in an accident on Lodhran-Jalalpur Peerwala road, about 20km from here.

According to Rescue 1122 officials, Zafar, his wife Kausar and three-year-old son were on their way when their motorcycle-rickshaw met with an accident and overturned. Suddenly, a speeding van coming from the opposite direction ran them over.

Zafar and Kausar died on the spot while their son suffered serious injuries and was rushed to Bahawal Victoria Hospitalwhere his condition was stated to be critical.

Lodhran police registered a case against the van driver who fled from the scene and police officials said raids were being conducted for his arrest.

Moreover, an over-speeding tractor trolley hit a rickshaw on the national highway at Kick`s Morr near Uch Sharif, killing Muhammad Nadeem and his daughter Farzana Nadeem on the spot.

Uch Sharif police reached the spot to complete the legal process. It was yet to be ascertained whether the tractor driver was arrested by police.

EXHIBITION: Pakistan Army organised an exhibition of weapons and armaments on Wednesday at the polo ground ofthe historic Noor Mahal in connection with Defence Day.

Bahawalpur Corps Commander Lt Gen Sher Afgan, who inaugurated the exhibition , also laid a floral wreath at the martyrs monument at Bahawalpur Garrison.

M Y A N M A R CONDEMNATION: Members of the high court bar association held a meeting at the bar room and took out a rally from there to Fawara Chowk to condemn Myanmar government`s genocide of Rohingya Muslims.

Bar President Noor Hassan, Secretary Rana Rashid and other senior lawyers urged the government to expel Myanmar`s ambassador from the country and urge the UN to help the Muslim minority and withdraw Aung San Suu Kyi`s Nobel Peace Prize.