May 2, 2003	Friday	Safar 29, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, May 1: The Rawalpindi corps commander, taking serious notice of power disconnection to tube wells and water headworks in Cantonment areas, has asked the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) to immediately restore the electricity supply.

The Iesco on Wednesday snapped power supply to tubewells and main water headworks leaving them inoperational, which caused severe water shortage in many localities.

The corps commander, Lt-Gen Arif Hassan, in a letter to the Iesco authorities, said the power disconnection to the RCB water pumps would trigger water shortage in this hot weather, which can create law and order situation in the Cantonment areas, sources said.

According to the sources, the letter reads that to avoid any untoward incident, the electricity to all tubewells and other water installations should be restored immediately.

The sources said the corps commander had also asked the CC Engineers (10 Corps) to hold a meeting next week to sort out the details of the arrears and also decide about the future modalities about the payments.

Meanwhile, the residents of several affected areas, had been facing acute water shortage since Wednesday. They warned that they would storm the Iesco main office if power supply was not restored.

The Cantonment authorities, when asked, said they were ready to rationalize the electricity arrears. The issue can be resolved through talks and not through power disconnection, they said, adding this could result in serious law and order situation.