KWSB writes to home department for security

The Karachi Water and Sewage (KWSB) has demanded of the Sindh government’s home ministry to set up a security check post and deploy a mobile unit at the KWSB’s offices in Karsaz in the view of the current law and order situation of the city.

KWSB Managing Director Asad Ullah Khan, in a letter dated June 11, a copy of which is also with The News, said that due to general unrest prevailing in various sections of public over increasing inflation and economic conditions, certain groups with specific interests were trying to take benefit out of that and exploiting public sentiments for their self-serving agendas.

“In a hot summer season, an existing water shortage issue in the city is also being used to play mischief in different areas by miscellaneous groups; hence, the situation warrants immediate security measures to avert any untoward incident and maintain normalcy,” the letter reads.

The KWSB, according to the letter, being a strategic water and sewerage utility service of the city, is engaged in important public relief operations for a smooth and uninterrupted supply of water to Karachi round the clock, and its main offices at Karsaz, Sharea Faisal, are vulnerable to mob violence in the current situation.

“It has been experienced in the past that certain pressure groups stage violent demonstrations and protest rallies with hooliganism and sabotage activities on KWSB main offices at Karsaz to create law and order situation and negative propaganda,” the MD wrote in the letter.

He demanded immediate security arrangements and a security check post with armed police and Rangers personnel as well as two armed mobile units round the clock.

The MD’s demand came a day after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s MNA from NA-247, Aftab Siddiqui, led a protest rally of residents of his constituency outside the KWSB against a water shortage. In the rally, he demanded a third-party audit of the water board.