Mansehra residents protest water supply suspension

MANSEHRA: Residents of various neighbourhood councils took to the streets on Monday to protest against the suspension of water supply for the last three consecutive weeks.

The protesters, who had assembled outside the deputy commissioner’s secretariat, raised slogans against the Public Health Department and Wapda.They said that because of the prolonged power outages, authorities couldn’t supply potable water to them for the last three weeks.

“We are protesting against the prolonged power outages and suspension of the water supply and if the current situation continues for another day, we will block the Karakoram Highway for all sorts of traffic in protest,” stated former tehsil councilor Mian Abrar Shah while addressing a protest rally.

He said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government had failed to address the civic issues faced by the people in Mansehra district and Hazara division.Later, a group of protesters led by Abrar Shah met Deputy Commissioner Qasim Ali Khan, who assured them of solution to their problems and summoned chief engineers of Wapda and Public Health Department to his office today (Tuesday).

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Kazim Niaz issued an order to the deputy commissioners across the province, asking them to transfer all such patwaris working in the same circle for the last two consecutive years.The deputy commissioners were given two weeks to comply with the order.