Mepco-TMA row over dues deepens

Published April 27, 2003

SAHIWAL, April 26: Tehsil council members, the MC staff, the sewermen and the sweepers took out a protest procession against the Wapda Xen for getting registered a ‘fake’ case against the Tehsil Nazim.

A large number of people on buses, tractor trollies, motorcycles with big banners marched through city bazaars, roads and streets. The protesters also chanted slogans in favour of Tehsil Nazim Rana Aamir Shahzad Tahir and against Wapda Xen Khawaja Aurangzeb Siddiqui.

The demonstration was held at Saddar Chowk in which the speakers condemned the registration of a case against the tehsil Nazim. The protesters were stopped from going to the Wapda house by the district administration.

People termed the procession a show of might by the Tehsil Nazim.

Meanwhile, Wapda employees of the Sahiwal Mepco division continued their protest and wore black armbands. They demanded the arrest of accused Tehsil Nazim for trespassing the Wapda Colony and threatening the Xen.

Hydro-Electric Union leaders Zafar Mahmood and Rao Iqbal said the decision to disconnect the electricity countrywide would be taken in a meeting of all labour unions on April 28 to press for their demand of arresting the accused Tehsil Nazim.

The Xen had severed the electricity connection on April 22 as the tehsil council was the defaulter of Rs7.6 million. At this, the Tehsil Nazim along with his 25 men went to the house of the Xen after trespassing the Wapda Colony gate and allegedly threatened him of dire consequences.

However, the Mepco restored the tehsil council’s electricity temporarily with the instructions to clear its dues by April 28.

bus route: Bus owners and residents of Naiwala Bangla and Harappa on Saturday staged a demonstration against the provincial Agriculture Minister for introducing wagons after suspending the bus service on Naiwala Bangla and Sahiwal Road.

The protesters gathered at Sahiwal Saddar Chowk where speakers alleged that provincial minister Muhammad Arshad Khan Lodhi had suspended the cheap mode of bus service just to oblige his cronies.

They chanted slogans against the minister and demanded the revival of bus service for the larger interest of the people of the rural area.

BURNT ALIVE: A suckling boy was burnt alive and his minor brother sustained serious burn wounds when a man set ablaze a cottage to take revenge from their father in nearby Chak 102/6-R here on Friday.

Ali had an enmity with Nausher Ali, a labourer. Ali along with his accomplices Nazir and Shahbaz torched the cottage. As a result, eight-month-old Muhammad Asif burnt alive while Imran (3) received serious burn injuries. He was shifted to the local DHQ Hospital in critical condition.

Harappa police have arrested the outlaws after registering a case against them.

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