Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A pre-announced protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over water shortage in the federal capital jolted the ruling party, which prompted the State Minister for CADD Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry to respond.

Though, the district administration did not allow the MNA PTI, Asad Umer, to lead an already announced public rally against the shortage of drinking water in the residential sectors of the capital city, but he successfully managed the ‘show’ by staging a sit-in at Karachi Company in Sector G-9.

On the other side, the PTI members also followed the same line and protested during the session of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), which was being chaired by the Mayor of Islamabad Shaikh Ansar Aziz.

The opposition leader in the MCI, Ali Awan, started chanting “Metro se pehle paani dou” (Give us water before Metro)” and “Zindagi dou, paani dou (Give us life, give us water)”.

The opposition leader also said that there was shortage of water in the country’s capital, which was also endorsed by some of the members of the MCI belonging to the ruling party.

The elected members of PTI walked out from the MCI session as they were of the view that the Mayor of Islamabad was unable to do anything. The members later on joined the MNA Asad Umer in his sit-in at G-9.

A heavy contingent of Islamabad Police and Rangers were deployed to tackle any untoward incident at both places; the venue of PTI’s sit-in and outside the head office of the Chairman CDA.

Responding on the protest, the State Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry addressed an urgent press conference at the main entrance of the Chairman CDA’s office along with the Mayor Shaikh Ansar and Member Engineering, Asad Mehboob Kiani and other officials of the civic body.

The state minister criticised the role of MNA Asad Umer by declaring his way of dealing with matters as ‘negative politics’ and questioned; “Where was Asad Umer for the last one and half year, when he was living in a lavish apartment but never met with the people of his constituency.”

He declared PTI’s protest as a continuation of Imran Khan’s politics of agitation and recalled the losses caused due to the previous sit-ins of PTI in Islamabad on the issue of election rigging.

While responding to a question he said that he would welcome any public rally which would be for the benefits of the citizens, but not allow anybody to do politics by creating a law and order situation in the city.

The minister briefed that presently, citizens were facing a shortage of 83 million gallons per day (mg/d) as the daily need was 153 mg while the supply is only 53 mg, which is due to the decreasing water level in two of the biggest water reservoirs being used for the capital: the Simly dam and the Khanpur dam.

“130 tube wells are working out of a total of 192 while only 62 tube wells are out of order for which the Chairman CDA has released 40 million rupees whereas 10 million rupees is also being released to fix the line losses of water supply”, he added.

He said further: “We are well aware of the issues being faced by the residents of Islamabad and it is our government which has brought a consensus among provinces to draw a water pipeline to supply 200 mg/d to the capital city from Ghazi-Barotha.”

Soon after Dr. Tariq’s press conference, MNA Asad Umer talked to the media and said; “If raising a voice for the basic rights of the masses is negative politics then we accept this politics.”

The PTI leader also criticised Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar after they failed to get the permission to protest. “Nothing will stop us from protesting”, he added.