VEHARI: Fifty makeshift shops and valuables worth millions of rupees were burnt when a fire broke out at the Dewan Sahib Market in Burewala, some 50km from here, on Tues day morning.

Valuables, including cosmetics, cloth, sweets and household goods, were reduced to ashes within half an hour.

Locals and owners, including Ramzan, Shafique, Abdul Hakeem and others, told this correspondent that the nre had been caused by a shorteircuit. They held the Water and Power Development Authority responsible for the incident. The victims claimed the authority had used substandard wires while installing several electricity meters on a pole at the market.

They said they had suffered a loss of Rs10 million due to the fire. Local traders held a meeting and demanded the authority immediately stop installing electricity meters on poles.

Sahoka Station House Officer Zulfiqar Ali said the Dewan Sahib Marketcaught fire on Tuesday morning and most shops were burnt to ashes before any rescue team reached the site. He claimed all shops were closed when the fire started and that 50 makeshift shops had been gutted. He also claimed electricity fluctuation was the main cause of the short circuit. He added police were looking into the matter.

Rescue 1122 however controlled the fire. Owners of the shops appealed to the Punjab government to provide financial help to revive their businesses. No injuries were reported until the filing of this report.

HANGED: A convicted murderer was hanged on Tuesday morning at the Vehari District Jail.

According to jail sources, Munir Husain had killed his nephew and niece on Nov 8, 2000.

The Jhelum district and sessions judge awarded death sentence to the culprit and imposed a fine worth Rs200,000 to be paid to the heirs of the deceased. Later, the court issued his black warrants for him. His mercy appeal was also rejected by the president.