SAHIWAL: Fateh Sher police registered a case against a shopkeeper, his wife and their female staff for allegedly deducting Rs1,000 to Rs4,500 from installments of five Benazir Income Support Programme beneficiaries.

The deductions reportedly took place during the disbursement of the quarterly installments at Urban Area High School, Sahiwal.

An FIR was lodged on the complaint of Adeel Manzoor, assistant complaints officer at the local BISP office.

Complainants Nadia, Asia, Khalida, Nooran Bibi and Nasreen alleged that the suspects were illegally cutting amounts from their quarterly BISP payments.

Police booked Amir, his wife Sobia Bibi, both of Shalimar Town, and their companion Rehmana Wajid under Section 420 of PPC.

A BISP source told Dawn that a private commercial bank in Islamabad contracted by BISP had appointed only one franchise, Farooq Mobiles, to manage the installment disbursement across Sahiwal tehsil. The franchise, with over three dozen retailers, is reportedly handling more than 60,000 beneficiaries.

Disbursement is currently taking place at Batala Muslim High School, Quaid-i-Azam Educational Institute and Urban Area High School.

Insiders confirmed previous complaints had also been lodged against Farooq Mobiles over its monopolistic control as the only appointed franchise by the bank in the region.

BOOKED: Ghala Mandi police registered a case against 19 protesters for blocking traffic on the Eastern Bypass on LahoreMultan Road.

Protesters were booked under multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including 353, 186, 341, 379, 148, 149 and section 16 of the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Act (1960).

Police said they suspected the protesters were attempting to create unrest near an American fast-food chain close to the bypass.

While the FIR did not mention any organisational links, sources claimed the protest was connected to public anger over the Gaza conflict and targeted certain business outlets. Correspondent