KARAK: The residents of Guddikhel union council in district Karak have started migrating to Punjab province after closure of power feeder in their area, according to a local welfare organisation.

It said that Guddikhel power feeder was closed seven days ago on the directives of Minister of State for Power Abid Sher Ali for non-payment of electricity bills by the local people.

Shaheenullah, the president of Islahi Committee Guddikhel, told journalists here on Thursday that the closure of feeder plunged the area into darkness and created acute shortage of drinking water. He said that 50 families shifted to different areas of Punjab as they had no source of drinking water.

Mr Shaheen said that the minister ordered closure of the feeder without asking local people if they were ready to pay power bills or not. He added that local people would pay monthly power bills in installments if Pesco devised a mechanism for it.

The president of the welfare organisation said that other families would also migrate from the district if Pesco failed to restore power supply to the area. He said that the residents of Guddikhel blocked Indus Highway few days ago to seek restoration of power supply to the area.

Mr Shaheen said that Pesco did not pay any heed to the protest. He said that people of the area would again take to streets if power supply was not restored to the area.

Mr Shaheen alleged that district administration was not taking any interest in resolution of the problems of people. He said that the protest by Guddikehl people would be extended to the entire district if power supply was not restored to the area.

ANP: The local leaders of Awami National Party have started lobbying to get the slots of district president and general secretary of the party.

The intra-party elections for the slot of ANP district president were postponed by the provincial election committee few days ago as results from some areas of the district had not reached the district office of the party.

Sources said that former student leader Luqman Khattak and Sajjad Ahmad were in the run for the slot of ANP district president. They said that Luqman was supported by ANP provincial joint secretary Khursheed Khattak while Sajjad was backed by former provincial minister Nawabzada Mohsin Ali Khan.

WORKSHOP: A three-day workshop was arranged for miners to train them about safety measures while working inside the mines.

The workshop was attended by more than 200 workers. Eng Rasheed was chief guest on the occasion while Eng Fazl Hussain, Inspector Mujahid Khan, district president of labour union Mehmood Shah and general secretary Hayat Yaseen addressed the workshop.

They said that the miners, registered labour union, would get Rs100,000 to 500,000 as compensation if they faced an accident during work.

They said that the sons and daughters of the killed workers would get scholarships and they would be imparted free education at working folks grammar schools. The speakers said that dispensaries were being set up for the miners and their families in three tehsils of the district.