Several armed men said to be part of some radical religious group stormed a heatstroke centre in Sukkur, forcing operators to flee, Dawn News reported.
The water outlet, set up at Ayub Gate, is one of the many centres set up by the Sukkur Municipal Corporation (SMC) to provide immediate relief to victims of heatstroke. According to Dawn, the armed men stormed the area and resorted to aerial firing which caused many workers to flee.
The group attacked the centre because they considered it a violation of the Ehteram-e-Ramazan Ordinance and objected operation of such centres during fasting hours. They told operators of several centres to shut them “or face the consequences”, according to Mr Taufiq Bandhani, SMC’s contractor of the centres.
The group also claimed that many who were not suffering heatstroke were drinking water from the centre, which the operators were convinced was false. The radical group had repeatedly threatened the operators of consequences, but upon resistance, resorted to violence and forced the operators to shut the centres.
Mr Atta-ur-Rehman, the officer in charge of the Municipal Water Works, said the attackers belonged to a religious outfit. The officer has asked the operators to temporarily shut down five such centres, which will be reopened after consultation with the concerned authorities.
The water outlet, set up at Ayub Gate, is one of the many centres set up by the Sukkur Municipal Corporation (SMC) to provide immediate relief to victims of heatstroke. According to Dawn, the armed men stormed the area and resorted to aerial firing which caused many workers to flee.
The group attacked the centre because they considered it a violation of the Ehteram-e-Ramazan Ordinance and objected operation of such centres during fasting hours. They told operators of several centres to shut them “or face the consequences”, according to Mr Taufiq Bandhani, SMC’s contractor of the centres.
The group also claimed that many who were not suffering heatstroke were drinking water from the centre, which the operators were convinced was false. The radical group had repeatedly threatened the operators of consequences, but upon resistance, resorted to violence and forced the operators to shut the centres.
Mr Atta-ur-Rehman, the officer in charge of the Municipal Water Works, said the attackers belonged to a religious outfit. The officer has asked the operators to temporarily shut down five such centres, which will be reopened after consultation with the concerned authorities.