CHAKWAL: After waiting for two weeks to see if their young patient could survive without surgery, doctors at the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) amputated both the arms of fourteen-year-old Sharjeel Ejaz, who received an electric shock from a 11,000KV electric supply line while he was playing on a roof top on April 4.

The young boy was also operated on forinjuries he sustained to hisintestines and is still said to be in critical condition.

Sharjeel is a resident of Chakwal and is a student of grade 7. He was playingwith friends on the roof of a neighbour`s house near Millat Chowk when he fell on a power supply line which passes by the same roof top.

Sharjeel received an electric shock and fell from the roof. He was rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Chakwal, where doctors referred him to HFH in Rawalpindi.

After two weeks of deliberations, doctors at the hospital have now conducted a double arm amputation.

`The doctors had been trying their best to make him better without cutting off his arms,` said Mohammad Riaz Anjum, Sharjeel`s uncle.

`My nephew is paralysed for life. We do not have words to express our pain,he added.

The family blames officials of the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) for the incident and has also filed an application with the City Police Station, seeking the registration of a criminal case against Iesco officials.

`We also submitted an application with the Federal Ombudsman against the concerned Iesco ofñeials and they have been summoned on April 28,` Mr Anjum said.

He said the officials concerned should move power supply lines from residential areas so that similar incidents can be avoided in the future.

Talking to Dawn, Iesco Sub-Divisional Officer Mohammad Sarfraz admittedthat many high voltage supply lined do run throughresidentialareas.

`These lines were laid some 40 years ago, when there were no houses in these areas,` he said, adding that the line which electrocuted Sharjil was also laid down 40 years ago when the area had not been populated yet.

`We did send a proposal to the higher authorities for moving these lines from residential areas,` he said.

Mr Sarfraz added that he had written to the Tehsil Municipal Officer after Sharjil was electrocuted, asking him for not approving building plans in areas where supply lines run through, without first approving them from Iesco.