26 June 2004	Saturday	07 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

HYDERABAD, June 25: Residents of Latifabad-12 staged a protest demonstration and blocked the main road against the non-supply of drinking water.

They also burnt tyres, blocking vehicular traffic remained blocked for quite some time.

The water supply was disrupted in Hyderabad city, Hali road, Effendi town, American quarters, Mumtaz colony, Gulshan-i-Hali, Islamabad, Latifabad-2, 3, 4, 5 and 11, Sehrish Nagar, Data Nagar and Soomro Goth.

Protest demonstrations are being held almost daily in all parts of the city.

It has became customary with the WASA to blame Hyderabad Electric Supply Company for power breakdowns resulting in the suspension of water supply.

MUET VC: The vice-chancellor of the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan has said that the administration is striving hard to improve the quality of engineering education in Sindh. He was talking to a delegation of engineers which called on him on Friday.

The delegation requested the vice-chancellor to solve the problem of 1993 batch students who had been observing a hunger strike outside the press club for the last two weeks.

The vice-chancellor told the delegation that 659 students of this batch had appeared in the examination out of which 63 students had failed.

He said that in accordance with the rules and regulations of Pakistan Engineering Council the failure students were provided every opportunity and even given additional chances to clear the examination.

He said that if quality education was not imparted in accordance with the national and international standards the reputation of the university would be badly affected and the award of degrees would be of no use. He said that the protesting students were trying to defame the institution.

He reminded the delegation that under the 1973 Constitution, Pakistan Engineering Council was the only organization which accepted and acknowledged engineering degrees. He said that the university was bound to abide by the council's curriculum and examination procedure.