SIALKOT - aiz Memorial Health Centre, named after renowned poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, has been turned into a cattle pen. Politically-influential locals are using the centre for keeping their cattle after officials concerned abandoned it since several years.

According to official sources, Alys Faiz, wife of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, had established the health centre in memory of her husband, at his native village Kaala Qadir on March 31, 1986. The objective of establishing the centre was to provide free medical and health services to the locals.

But, instead of taking advantage of the health centre, some politically influential people have converted it into a cattle shed and have been keeping their buffaloes, cows, horses and donkeys in the centre.

The Faiz family had also assigned a local NGO Faiz Memorial Committee to take care of the centre but the NGO remained unable to look after it due to which the centre depicts a picture of cattle shed.

Meanwhile, Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Maj (r) Mansur Ahmed expressed grave concerns over the critical situation. He urged Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Gujranwala Commissioner Capt(r) Muhammad Asif to retrieve the health centre from the grabbers and restore it into the original status.