SWABI: Water supply has been suspended for the last five days to the entire Maneri region due to failure of Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) to clear the power dues, said local residents here on Tuesday.
TMA Officials told Dawn on condition of anonymity that the connections to water supply pumps have been cut off by the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) due to sheer negligence of the water supply branch of TMA to tackle the issue in time with the Pesco.
They said that the TMA owed Rs1.4 million outstanding dues of the power bills and despite frequent reminders it failed to pay the bills, forcing Pesco officials to issue disconnection order.
Due to the power cut, the water supply has been completely halted, severely disrupting daily life. Residents reported that the unavailability of water has caused significant difficulties in obtaining this essential commodity and that alternative arrangements have proven inadequate, leaving them in considerable distress.
The consumers said that they had made regular payments to the water supply branch of TMA and it was their job to ensure water supply, otherwise they would stage a protest demonstration.
The residents demanded that deputy commissioner and Tehsil Municipal Officer (TMO) Swabi should take immediate notice and restore water supply. However, despite the passage of five days, no practical progress has been made yet.
WORKSHOP AT WOMEN UNIVERSITY: A four-day international training workshop titled “Advancing Optics and Photonics for Women in Pakistan” was held at Women University Swabi.
The workshop, organised by the Department of Physics in collaboration with Physics without Frontiers Pakistan and the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Italy, concluded here on Tuesday.
The workshop was aimed at promoting scientific learning, practical training and academic excellence among young women in the fields of optics, photonics and quantum optics.
Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor Prof. Ghazala Yasmeen said that such academic and scientific initiatives were essential for equipping female students with modern knowledge, practical exposure and research-oriented skills. She said that Women University Swabi was committed to encouraging women’s participation in science, innovation and higher education.
The workshop was coordinated by Dr Imrana Ashraf of Quaid-i-Azam University, while Dr Samina Bibi, Ms Maria Tabrez and Ms Nazish of the Department of Physics, Women University Swabi, served as organisers.
The training sessions were conducted by distinguished national and international experts including Dr Imrana Ashraf, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. The workshop also featured international speakers Joseph Niemela from ICTP, Italy, Dr. Amal Kasry from Unesco and Dr. Abdul Rahman, post-doc at Szeged University, Hungary.
In addition, the workshop benefited from the support of tutors and facilitators including Hamna Gillani, M Usama Jansher and Raja Sanwal, all affiliated with the Department of Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.
Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2026
