01 June 2004	Tuesday	12 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

HYDERABAD, May 31: The Pakistan Wapda Hydro-electric Central Labour Union (CBA) has given an ultimatum to the district administration that if the accused who had attacked Hesco employees in Ghotki were not arrested in a day , they will disconnect power supply to whole of Pakistan.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club on Monday, union leaders alleged that on May 28 at 9am, some 500 armed men led by Arbab Ali and Jam Muneer Ali attacked the Hesco office in Ghotki, resulting in serious injuries to many employees.

They said the injured were admitted to the Sukkur civil hospital. They said that the office was ransacked, telephone lines were cut and the record was destroyed. They said that although an FIR was registered but no one was arrested.

They said that the power supply was suspended to some areas as a technical fault developed in the grid station which infuriated the consumers and they attacked the Hesco office.

The union leaders said Arbab Ali and Jam Munir were employees of the custom department and an amount of Rs400,000 was outstanding against them. They said that they had installed ten air conditioners and were stealing power.

They appealed to the president and prime minister, Sindh governor and chief minister to order the arrest of assailants who were sheltered by the district administration.

They also warned the district administration that if the accused who were nominated in the FIR were not arrested within 24 hours, the power supply to the entire country would be cut off and the responsibility for the consequences would squarely rest on the shoulders of Ghotki administration.