District judiciary faces water crisis

The electricity metre of a government tube well at the Rawalpindi district courts has been removed due to unpaid bills amounting to millions of rupees.

The disconnection has led to a severe water crisis, affecting courtrooms, the treasury office, the district accounts office, the temporary detention centre, bar association offices, the police post, two mosques, the facilitation centre, and all canteens within the premises.

Judges, lawyers, and litigants have been forced to buy bottled water, while the washrooms in courtrooms, detention cells, and police posts have become unusable. The absence of water in mosques has also made ablution difficult, causing hardship for worshippers, particularly on Friday prayers.

The tube well, owned by the Public Works Department (PWD), has been without electricity for several months due to non-payment of dues.

According to officials, the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) removed the metre without prior notice, warning that it would not be reinstated until the outstanding bills were paid.

Lawyers have urged the PWD to clear the dues immediately and restore the water supply to the district courts, emphasising that the disruption has caused immense inconvenience to all stakeholders.