29 May 2004	Saturday	09 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

MUZAFFARABAD, May 28: Former AJK minister and People's Party leader Sahibzada Ishaq Zafar on Friday condemned the police action against unarmed civilians in Kathai, blaming it on the "inefficiency and callousness" of the government.

A teenager was killed and at least 15 others, including six policemen, were injured on Thursday when people protesting against power failure clashed with police outside the 1.6 megawatt Kathai powerhouse, some 55 kilometres south of here.

Witnesses said some 800 people staged a demonstration to press their demand for uninterrupted electricity to their area which had been affected after a recent change in the distribution system.

Police resorted to tear-gassing and shooting in the air to disperse the mob from the premises of the power house. The protestors resorted to stone pelting, but officials claimed that some of them also fired gunshots.

The 18-year-old boy, Bilal, son of Ashraf, who was hit by a bullet died on way to the hospital. However, officials said it was yet to be established if the boy died from a police gunshot.

"Governments are supposed to facilitate the people and not aggravate their miseries," Sahibzada Zafar said by telephone from London, where he has gone to attend party leaders' meeting with Benazir Bhutto.

Kathai is located in the constituency of Sahibzada Zafar. He alleged that the Muslim Conference government was least concerned about the problems of the masses and Kathai incident was an ample proof of it.

He demanded that the government should provide at least Rs200,000 to the family of the deceased and handsome amounts to the injured. Meanwhile, the deceased was buried near Chinari on Friday, where situation was said to be under control after assurances given to the residents by PM's adviser Raja Farooq Haider that the government would hold an inquiry into the incident people found guilty would be brought to book.