July 8, 2002	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 26,1423

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ISLAMABAD, July 7: Police baton charged and booked over 50 villagers, who wre protesting against power breakdown in Sihala on Sunday.

The villagers, including women and children of Partali Sihala, protested against the Iesco and demanded restoration of power supply, police said.

The people chanted slogans against the Iesco and blocked traffic on the road by staging a sit-in.

Soon after a heavy contingent of police arrived on the scene and baton charged the protesting villagers. In response to the brutal police action, the villagers pelted stones and shouted slogans.

The clash between the villagers and the police continued for more than two hours. The villagers dispersed soon after the heavy baton charge.

However, the SDO Mohammad Afzal claimed in his report lodged with the Sihala police that, while he and his staff members were replacing the transformer, villager Raja Manzoor and 40 others attacked them and caused damage to their official vehicle (RIN-3573) and attempted to set on fire transformer.

They beat the staff and injured them and escaped while firing in the air, the SDO said in his report.

According to the Sihala police no arrest has been made so far.