SUKKUR, Feb 13: A team of Engineering Corps, General Headquarters, Rawalpindi, arrived here to assess the damage caused to the Sukkur Barrage and to review the progress of repair work. The team is led by Brig Saqib Jawed.

The team inspected the site to ascertain the damage and to ascertain actual problems being faced in connection with repairs. The team is visiting under the directives of President Pervez Musharraf.

It was given a briefing by Sindh's Secretary irrigation and power Bashir Ahmed Dahar. He said that ditch was revealed above the right pocket of the barrage during the annual closure in January 2004.

The ditch, he said, had a maximum depth of 18.5 feet, Brig Jawed expressed satisfaction over the work, saying that, further details would be sought from other officials, adding a report in this regard would be submitted to the president within the next week.

It was learnt that the inquiry was ordered after chief of the Millat Party Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari called on the president and told him about the ditch and cracks, which had developed in the Sukkur Barrage.

Later, talking with journalists, Brig Saqib said that Sukkur Barrage was an old barrage and it was normal for it to develop such ditches and cracks, adding the repair work was progressing satisfactorily and there was nothing to worry about.

Meanwhile, Mr Dahar told journalists that a seven-member committee had been formed to tackle the Sukkur Barrage's repairs. He said that the committee, after inspecting the barrage, would submit its report within the next 15 days, which would help undertake further repair work. He said that the situation was under control.

DEATH PENALTY: The anti-terrorism court, Sukkur-I and Larkana on Friday awarded death penalty to accused Ali in the case of kidnapping for ransom.