Motives unknown: Mob attacks SEPCO office, beats up staff

Employees attacked after they failed to repair a busted pole-mounted transformer

SUKKUR: Following prolonged power outages and faults, the residents of Old Sukkur stormed the Sukkur Electric Power Company's (Sepco) Old Sukkur sub-division office on Thursday and beat up its staff.

Irked by the extended power outages on a daily basis, the residents of Bakhar Chowk in Old Sukkur broke into Sepco's sub-divisional office and, after a heated argument, attacked the staff with wooden sticks, due to which an official, Jawed Ahmed Abbasi, was injured.

One of the protesters claimed that Bakhar Chowk's pole-mounted transformer had stopped working two days ago and, despite repeated requests, the Sepco officials refused to repair it unless they paid bribe. He said that, due to Muharram, majalis are being held on a regular basis and terrorists, taking advantage of the darkness, could attack the people. He accused the Sepco officials of using abusive language against the protesters, which sparked the scuffle.

The injured Sepco official, speaking to The Express Tribune at Civil Hospital, Sukkur, said that the transformer had developed some fault and their staff wanted to repair it on Wednesday night, but the residents stopped them from doing so as a majlis was being held there. He claimed that a resident, Syed Ikhlaq Shah alias Majid Shah, visited the office in the morning and, using abusive language, demanded the Sepco officials repair the transformer immediately.

Abbasi said they requested him to refrain from using profane language but the man kept abusing the staff and then left. According to him, after an hour, Majid Shah returned with two dozen men armed with wooden sticks and broke into the office, attacking Abbasi and other staff members.

The protesters destroyed the office furniture and employees' motorcycles, after which they beat up the officials, he claimed. Abbasi said the police have issued him a medical letter and, after a medical checkup, he will go to the police station to lodge an FIR.

For his part, the sub-divisional officer of the Old Sukkur sub-division, Rukhsar Qureshi, alleged that Majid Shah was running an atta chakki [flour mill] using kunda, which was removed by his employees. This angered Shah and he, along with his accomplices, attacked the office and, besides beating up the staff, damaged furniture and staff motorcycles, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2015.