RAWALPINDI, May 10: Some residents of Khayaban-i-Sir Syed beat up a tanker driver of the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) on Thursday evening for not supplying water out of turn to them, the agency spokesperson said.

She said a case had been registered against the accused with Pirwadhai police station.

WASA has said it will suspend water supply if such incident happens again. “The public is advised to refrain from such acts in future in their own interest,” the spokesperson said.

According to sources in the agency, the incident took place when a Wasa tanker arrived in the area, which was facing water shortage. They said Mohammad Fazil, an area resident, accompanied by his four sons, forced the driver, Abdullah, and his helper, Naeem, to deliver water at their house out of turn.

When the driver refused to comply with their demand, they beat him up, breaking his teeth and damaging his ear.

The agency spokesperson said the water shortage was because of the dry spell prevailing throughout the country. She said the agency was alive to the situation and had made arrangements for supplying water to the affected areas through tankers round-the- clock. She appealed to the public to use water judiciously.