UMAR DRAZ
NAROWAL - The Gujranwala Electric Power Company ensured uninterrupted electric supply in Narowal city and its suburbs during the last three days to avoid any unpleasant incident during Prime Minister Gilani’s visit to the region.
The premier arrived Narowal on Saturday to inaugurate a gas supply project. Soon after his departure in the evening the citizens experienced the same agony of over 12 hours long loadshedding of electricity.
Due to the fear of public protests against hours long and unscheduled loadshedding, the PPP high ups had directed the Gepco officials to ensure uninterrupted electric supply to the region. The residents did not experience loadshedding even for a minute since the last Thursday morning and till Saturday evening.
But soon after the departure of the prime minister, the Gepco plunged Narowal into darkness and there was no end to the public agony till filing of this report.
“Yes, it is surprising. There is no blackout since Thursday morning. This ended public protests and as such the government tactics worked. Now the prime minister has gone back and people experienced the same agony.
They would be again on roads to protest against loadshedding,” said Muhammad Tayyab Butt, a resident of Mohallah Kashmirian. He added that the rulers were just making fun of people by ending loadshedding to stop protests. He said that the Gepco provided relief to the people to avoid unpleasant incident during the visit of the PM.
He said that the relief was only for three days and now the City was again in darkness. He said that the rulers were not bothered about protests after departure of Mr Gilani. The Gepco was not the only federal institution that was well aware of its responsibility as the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited also worked day and night to ensure giving 500 connections when PM Gilani inaugurated gas supply to Narowal.
Narowal, a stronghold of the PML-N, was given good news of provision of gas over two years back but the SNGPL men were working really slow that was ending hopes of fulfillment of federal government’s promise. Even Shakargarh, a city about 40 kilometre in the east, was given gas supply though main pipeline which passes through Narowal.
After the visit of the PM was scheduled, the SNGPL men arrived in the City with heavy machinery and worked day and night for three days to ensure working of 500 connections till Thursday evening. They carried out large scale digging, laid main and service pipes and gave 500 connections before PM Gilani inaugurated gas supply to Narowal on Saturday evening.