May 27, 2006	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 28, 1427

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ATTOCK, May 26: A large number of people staged a protest demonstration against unscheduled loadshedding and supply of contaminated drinking water blocking Attock-Kamra road here on Friday.

After Friday-prayer, hundreds of residents of People’s, Farooq-i-Azam and Darulsalm colonies, and many other areas gathered at the People’s colony chowk and chanted slogans against Wapda and TMA authorities, recording their protest.

They were holding play cards inscribed with their demands and slogans against both civic agencies.

Speaking on the occasion, councillors Shahab Rafique, Mohammad Iqbal and others condemned the attitude of both functionaries.

“Besides frequent breakdown on daily basis, low voltage and power fluctuations have been a regular feature, causing damage to electric home appliances,” they complained.

They also blasted the ‘double-standard’ of the government. “The government was making tall claims but the common people were suffering due to the non availability of basic needs.”

Lives of the residents were on stake as many citizens particularly children were suffering from deadly diseases of hepatitis, gastroenteritis and diarrhoea due to polluted drinking water, they added.

Water pipelines, they said, had been dilapidated and drinking water was being contaminated with the sewerage-lines but the tesil administration was reluctant to take any action.

“TMA failed to provide basic civic facilities to the citizens while on the other hand huge public funds were being used for personal benefits of the administration - renovation of offices and buying expensive and luxurious cars,” they alleged.

Authorities didn’t pay any head toward the grievances of the public, they said warning that they would stage protest demonstrations after a weeks’ time if Wapda and TMA didn’t solve their problems.