ISLAMABAD, March 27: ‘Ghosts’ have taken the control of the newly-installed Rs450 million telemetry system of the Indus River System Authority (Irsa).

The authority had hired services of an Aamil to exorcise the apparition from the room where the system had been installed, an official told reporters here on Thursday.

In an interesting but mysterious incident a week ago, a computer operator noticed that a computer he had just shut down was working normally in the monitoring room of the telemetry system established at top floor of the four-storey Irsa office.

The computer operator was slapped on his face by some incorporeal presence when he tried to shut down the computer again late in the evening. He closed down the telemetry room and informed one of his colleagues about the incident.

The two operators contacted an Aamil and described the whole event. They were advised them to offer prayer in the room.

The official said after one of the operators finished his prayer, he saw his colleague, who was working on a computer behind him, lying unconscious.

The incident was immediately brought to the knowledge of Irsa high-ups, including the chairman. It was decided to approach a known Aamil, who promised to help get rid of the ghosts.

The official said the Aamil recited verses from the Holy Quran for many hours and sprinkled some water throughout the room. He told the Irsa authorities that some jinn had taken shelter in the telemetry room, but they promised not to disturb the workers in future.

No mysterious incident has taken place for the last three days, the official said. He brushed aside as a joke when one of the reporters asked as to which province the computer operator belonged, and whether the jinn had mentioned the province he hailed form.