SIALKOT, Jan 18: The PTCL has not issued connections to the applicants of Seellu Bajra Garhi village, who had submitted applications 10 years ago.

Several people told Dawn on Tuesday that the PTCL authorities remained unable to provide them connections even in a decade's time.

According to record, Aziz Abbas (application No 127810-WL-No 214), Rashid Mahmood (127817-WL-No 215), Ghulam Mustafa (127811-WL-No 213), Muhammad Yaqoob (127816-WL-No 218), Safdar Ali (127818-WL-No 219) and dozens of the other villagers submitted their applications to the PTCL officials on Sept 16, 1995.

Reminders and mild warnings by the applicants also have borne no fruit. The residents of the village on Tuesday protested against the slackness of the PTCL officials, who have no answer to the complaints.

The protesting people told this correspondent that the village was only 1.5 kilometres from the Bajra Garhi telephone exchange, but it had been deprived of the facility. People had to go to contiguous areas for making or listening to calls, they added.

They have urged the PTCL chairman to ensure early provision of the facility to the village. When contacted, a spokesman of State Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Ali Asjad Malhi and the PTCL's officials concerned declined to comment.