I AM a resident of Gulshan-i-Lahore Society, which is an independent cooperative housing society with its own arrangement for water supply and sanitation.

Recently, as a result of an unjustified decision by a former chief justice, Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has imposed a monthly bill of approximately Rs120,000 on our society along with arrears claims of about Rs1.2 million. This has resulted in a sharp rise in our monthly bills payable to society.

I wish to point out that there is absolutely no service provided by Wasa to our society, but as a result of chief justice’s decision Wasa is earning undeserved money which is a burden on the residents of private housing societies.

Larger societies have gone to courts and some have got stay orders but smaller societies find it tough to do the same.

The prime minister should, therefore, intervene in the matter in the larger public interest and issue directions to Wasa to withdraw this unjustified claim, which is nothing but extortion.

Tahir Mahmood Nadeem
Lahore

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2019