08 February 2005	Tuesday	28 Zilhaj 1425

PESHAWAR, Feb 7: The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) has asked the NWFP government to provide security to its staff after a group of armed men forcibly entered the 220 kv Domail grid station and held the employees hostage at gunpoint on Monday.

A spokesman for Pesco, in a press release, said that a group of some 30 to 40 armed men forcefully entered the Domail grid station, near Bannu, held its staff at gunpoint and demanded that the power supply from the grid station be shut off as a result of which the power supply remained suspended for half an hour.

"On receiving the information, Pesco high ups immediately took up the matter with the NWFP police," contained the press release, adding that gunmen were made to leave the Pesco facility and the electricity supply was duly restored.

The press release contained that the gunmen forced their way into the grid station to press for the replacement of a damaged transformer at Dogar Umer Zai.

"The company has registered an FIR against the culprits involved in taking over the grid station and requested the provincial government to take action against them," contained the press release.

In this respect, the Pesco chief executive, Brig Tahir Saeed Malik, dispatched a letter to inspector general of the NWFP police requesting him to ensure security for his staff and safety of the company's installations and facilities.

In a related development, the power company has requested the provincial government and police to take action against a sub-engineer of the works department involved in power theft for 'beating' and 'assaulting' one of its SDOs for registering an FIR against him under the charges of power pilferage.

According to the press release, Pesco's SDO, Hayatabad, Mohammed Shakeel, raided house number 198, F-9, Phase-6, Hayatabad, and registered an FIR against Kalim Ullah for his 'involvement' in power pilferage.

"The night the FIR was registered, the culprit and his accomplices stormed the house of the SDO. They beat him and threatened him for conducting a raid again in future," contained the press release.

The provincial government, according to Pesco's press release, has been requested to take action against the said sub-engineer to discourage such acts again in future.