Defence, Clifton residents end protest for water against Cantt board

KARACHI: Successful negotiations were held between the residents of Defence Housing Authority and Clifton and Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) Friday morning, after which the former ended their protest.

It has been decided that a meeting would be held where the residents would put forward their three demands, one of which includes the cancellation of the Rs500 tax levied on each tanker by CBC.

PTI MPA Khurram Sher Zaman said they would stand by the people and keep fighting until they get access to their basic rights.

The other demands include that the chief executive officer of the board apologise for misbehaving with some of the residents who had gone to meet him a few days back.

The residents had started protesting Friday morning, but ended after negotiations were held.

The protest has been going on since quite some time. It started with the DHA and Clifton residents' demand for water through direct line, instead of tankers sent by the CBC. They were irked by the need to call the CBC tankers as the board has started charging a tax of Rs500 on each tanker.

While talking to Geo.tv, PTI MPA Samar Ali Khan had said the tax was levied with taking the local councillors on board.  However, when asked, CBC Additional CEO Arfeen Zubair had said they had imposed the tax so that people did not order extra tankers, more than that were required.