ISLAMABAD: The federal minister for water and power is punishing 1,200 households for the murder of two Iesco officials in Sohan area by disconnecting power to the entire area.

The two officials were shot dead on March 10, following their discovery of an illegal power connection to a recycling factory in Sohan area. Later, the killer fled the scene and police registered a case against the unidentified person.

According to Iesco officials, the minister issued the directives during a visit to the company’s headquarters.

He told the Iesco staff not to resume power supply to the area until the killer is arrested and “residents of the area give up the practice of power theft”, the minister was quoted as saying.

In response, three days ago Iesco disconnected 10 transformers supplying power to Sohan area. Following the disconnection of the transformers, Iesco received complaints that the residents had begun taking illegal connections from nearby transformers.

When the senior Iesco officials and ministers found out, they ordered power supply to be disconnected from the main feeder which supplied power to 40 transformers.

The joint secretary of Iesco Labour Union told Dawn that the minister had ordered that power supply to Sohan be disconnected because the residents of area were not cooperating with police in the murder investigation.

He said 1,200 households were being affected by the disconnection, which would only be restored after the killer was arrested.

Power supply will not be restored unless murderer of IESCO officials is arrested

Iesco spokesman and General Manager Operations Faiz Hussain Siddique told Dawn that Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif also informed the National Assembly that residents of Sohan were not cooperating with the police in the investigation.

“The minister will decide when power supply would be restored,” he added.

When asked if it was fair that thousands of innocent people, including children, were being punished for the murder of the officials, he declined to comment.

A resident of Sohan, Kaleem Hussain, said power supply to his house had been disconnected since Wednesday.

“We have young children and are facing immense difficulties since there is no water in the house,” his wife added.

The couple approached the Iesco headquarters to complain that there was no power at their house. But they were told that power would be restored after the killer was arrested.

Another resident of Sohan, Mohammad Abdullah, said: “We pay our electricity bill each month and have nothing to do with the murders but the Iesco is punishing us unfairly.”

Published in Dawn March 19th , 2015

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