March 26, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 17, 1429

LAHORE, March 25: While the whole nation rejoiced at the dawn of a new democratic era and the demise of dictatorship in the country, Wapda resorted to loadshedding on Tuesday, oddly on the occasion of oath-taking by the prime minister, said a PPP central executive committee statement.

The statement observed that the worst power breakdowns occurred at the 'strategic' time to block out media coverage of the historic and momentous occasion of the swearing-in of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.

“During the last eight years Wapda has played havoc with the national economy and added to the miseries of the people without remorse,” it stated, adding that the nation demands a complete overhauling of the authority to replace the dead wood. No doubt Pakistan has power shortage, but this shortfall has been compounded by lack of professional management. —APP

Our staff reporter adds: Prolonged power and water supply suspension hit hard the routine of people on Tuesday, making them spend hours of restlessness and inactivity.The cut-off of utilities equally disturbed office-goers, students, businessmen and small-time tradesmen who whiled away most of the duration of the suspension. Water supply suspension remained the first casualty in the morning.

It wasn’t available even for cooking or drinking in many localities as people fetched water from public taps, especially in the Walled City.

The Civil Secretariat functioning got affected a great deal. “We whiled away and got engaged in gossips as my staff could not run computers which are basic to our working," an official said. Bottled water came in handy for drinking as well as making tea.

Classes could not be held in many educational institutions and the children who did not carry water bottles saw wistfully at coolers which remained waterless the whole day through.