SAHIWAL: Flood affectees from Basti 18B/7-R, Chichawatni tehsil, protested against Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) for issuing electricity bills for the month of August despite official assurances of exemption.

According to the residents, the chief minister had publicly announced that all villages impacted by the river Ravi floods would be exempted from paying electricity bills.

They questioned why their locality was excluded from this relief, especially when three surrounding villages received the exemptions.

Mepco Rural SDO Muhammad Umer declined to comment on the matter.

CYLINDER BLAST: A woman and three others were critically injured when a CNG cylinder at a tea stall exploded at the Chichawatni Sabzi Mandi on Tuesday.

Rescue 1122 shifted the injured to the Chichawatni THQ Hospital.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2025