June 06, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 01, 1429

KHAIRPUR, June 5: Activists of social welfare organisations, trade unions and civil society groups have condemned the 10 to 12-hour long loadshedding in Khairpur city on daily basis which has badly affected routine life and trade activities.

Jagarta Forum president Asad Shah Abidi, Muttahida Mazdoor Federation President Amjad Lashari, political activist Shakir Shah and social worker Mir Munawar Talpur at a joint meeting held on Thursday condemned the long duration loadshedding being carrying out for the last three days.

They announced that a protest demonstration would be held at Punj Gulla Chowk on Saturday.

They said that due to the electricity loadshedding, the supply of drinking water had been suspended. They said that according to the Hesco officials, there was a six-hour loadshedding but in practice they were carrying out 10 to 12 hours loadshedding.

They said that patients admitted to government and private hospitals were facing hardships in absence of electricity.

The Sachal Tailors Union claimed that during last three months their stitching work was affected due to the long durations of loadshedding.

Farmers’ sit-in: The tail-end farmers of Veeho Wah fed by Faiz Gunj Wah took out a rally and staged a sit-in on Khairpur-Nawabshah road at Jalal ji Chowdagi on Thursday.

The protesters blocked the road for about three hours due to which a great number of vehicles were stopped on both sides of the road.

They raised slogans against non-availability of irrigation water and ‘artificial’ shortage in Veeho Wah (a canal).