HYDERABAD, Oct 7: The Pakistan Wapda Hydro-Electric Central Labour Union has expressed grief over the suicide of a Hesco worker, Abdul Ghafoor, and severely criticized Wapda for its failure to provide medical treatment to him.

In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the central president of the union, Mr Latif Nizamani, and Sindh secretary Iqbal Qaimkhani said Abdul Ghafoor was forced to commit suicide by Wapda.

They said the deceased was suffering from cancer and he had applied for medical treatment as per the Wapda rules two months back which had not been approved till date.

They said the director-general of the medical services, Wapda Lahore, alone had been vested with the authority to allow an employee to change his option for medical treatment.

The office-bearers of the union said the authority should be given to the medical board of Hyderabad or the chief executive Hesco. They demanded that a ban on medicines for chronic diseases should be lifted and the family of Abdul Ghafoor should be given compensation of Rs500,000.

Abdul Ghafoor, an employee of Hesco, committed suicide on Thursday by laying himself on the railway track near Guddu town when a train was passing in the early morning.

COUNCILLORS: Over half a dozen councillors of the City taluka have appreciated the efforts of the city nazim, Haji Moenuddin Shaikh, to monitor the sewerage system in the city during recent rains.