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AMMAN — Raising people’s awareness of their right to obtain information from public agencies is crucial to boost confidence in the government and fight corruption, experts said on Thursday.

They called for amendments to the Access to Information Law, arguing that some of its articles are “loosely worded”, which makes obtaining information in some cases a tough mission.

“Accessing information is the key to transparency… we have a law that gives people the right to access information, but there are many other laws that hamper benefiting from this law,” Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman and CEO of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organisation, said during a session to highlight the Nazaha Project. 

The UK-supported project aims to raise awareness of the legal and human right to information.

“The law is loosely worded, as for example it does not give the right to obtain information from semi-government and independent institutions. The law has loopholes that need to be addressed,” Abu-Ghazaleh, a former senator, said.

Minister of Public Sector Development Khleef Al Khawaldeh underlined the importance of information in building trust in government institutions, noting that the availability of information results in integrity, and credible and objective judgment.

“The law has many positive points, and it may have some negatives ones and loopholes, but the government is keen on taking all observations into account as part of its efforts to constantly update laws,” the minister said during the event, which attracted several experts in the field, academics and media personnel.

In 2007, Jordan endorsed a law that guarantees access to information. 

In 2012, amendments were introduced to the law enabling non-Jordanians to access information in implementation of international agreements that Jordan has signed, under which it is obligated to provide information to foreigners. 

MP Mustafa Rawashdeh, head of the Lower House Integrity Committee, agreed that the law needs some amendments.

“Not many people know about this law in Jordan and they do not even know the procedures about how they can use it to get information, and this is a problem,” the deputy said.

“The law needs some amendment as some of its articles allow for several interpretations and can be used as pretexts to hinder access to information,” he added.

Commenting on the Nazaha Project, Jeff Tudor, head of UK aid in Jordan, stressed its importance in enhancing access to information, which is a necessity at this stage.

Jordan has come a long way compared to regional countries in terms of facilitating access to information, Tudor said, noting that it is important build on that.

Established in 2013, the Nazaha Project supports civil society to defend and promote the right to information, ensures that citizens and civil society organisations across Jordan are aware of how to exercise that right; and monitors the application of the law to ensure that citizens are receiving equitable access to information.

Through working with local and national partners across Jordan to promote awareness of the right to information, Nazaha aims to ensure that Jordanians are empowered to participate fully in ensuring transparency, accountability and integrity at local and national levels.

AMMAN — The Ministry of Environment will launch a campaign within a week to raise public awareness on ways of handling electronic waste, according to officials.

The campaign seeks to guide people on how to dispose of their electronic waste and raise awareness about the hazards of electronic waste, Environment Minister Taher Shakhshir said recently.

The improper disposal or processing of electronic waste causes serious health and pollution problems, as some electronic scrap components contain contaminants such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury and brominated flame retardants, according to web sources.

An Environment Ministry official said the campaign is ready to be launched, highlighting that it will promote better management methods of electronic waste disposal in the Kingdom.

“The ministry has already started distributing bins in different regions for people to discard their unwanted gadgets,” the official told The Jordan Times on Thursday.

In addition to the collection bins, the campaign also entails the distribution of stickers and brochures to the public to guide them on ways to handle electronic waste.

Ministry of Environment officials believe that the absence of sound management of electronic waste threatens the environment and public health.

Official figures indicate that 94 per cent of Jordanians own at least one cell phone and two-fifths of households own PCs, which are often discarded with the regular garbage when outdated.

In Jordan, the average age of PCs ranges between two to five years, while it is eight to 10 years for TV sets and fridges, and two to three years for most cell phones, according to ministry studies. 

Statistics indicate that at least one million Jordanian households are linked to the electricity network and thus each has a minimum of one electrical device.

When dumped in landfills, dangerous substances such as lead and mercury cause serious pollution to the environment and groundwater sources, according to the Environment Ministry official, who called on the public to avoid handling electronic waste as domestic waste.

Officials have repeatedly urged the public to drop off their unwanted or outdated computer equipment and any electronic waste at the ministry, which discards the materials at the hazardous waste unit in the Swaqa Landfill, 160 kilometres from Amman.

AMMAN — No solution to the Palestinian-Israeli issue is going to be at the expense of Jordan, a US envoy stressed on Wednesday. 

Assistant Secretary of State for N    ear Eastern Affairs Anne W. Patterson told reporters in Amman that Secretary of State John Kerry has kept His Majesty King Abdullah and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh closely informed about the discussions. 

“He made a special point of this: He is not going to make the mistakes done in the past peace processes, so he has been very careful to discuss these issues with the King and Judeh, and we are sure that they are very familiar with what is going on,” Patterson told a press conference following a meeting early in the day with Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour and Minister of Finance Umayya Toukan.

This was also stressed by US Ambassador to Jordan Stuart E. Jones, who noted that with a viable peace process, Jordan will benefit from the increased investment activities expected in the region.

Meanwhile, Patterson noted that she attended an economic conference at the Dead Sea that highlighted some of the prospects for economic development in the region in the wake of the peace process.

At her meeting with the premier and finance minister, Patterson said: “We had a discussion about Jordan’s successful economic reform… and His Majesty the King’s visit to the United States, which was very successful.”

She also noted that the US respects Jordan’s “generosity” in hosting Syrian refugees. 

“[We hold] our deep respect for Jordan’s generosity, in absorbing a range of 700,000- 750,000 Syrian refugees, [becoming] the largest among host communities.”

“We know that this is a serious burden on Jordan,” she said, adding that the US is urging the international community to continue to further assist Jordan as it carries out the mission.

The US envoy expected that “the Syrian conflict will be a problem for yet a time to come and the international community needs to support Jordan”. 

However, she said that the US is the largest donor to the Syrian refugees. “The more the international communities are helpful to Syrians, the less likely they are going to move into neighbouring countries.”

According to figures presented by Jones, of the $1.7 billion in humanitarian assistance Washington has extended to the region, a “significant portion goes to Syria… and this has an effect on preventing people from moving”.

He added that more than $200 million came directly to Jordan to support its humanitarian efforts, in addition to the $660 million of annual regular assistance to Amman, which has been raised to $1 billion in 2014.

“We are the only country that is giving direct cash transfer to Jordan to support the refugee budget. We also gave $7 million in direct assistance to the affected [local] communities just last year,” Jones noted.

Both Patterson and Jones also stressed that there are no US troops on the Jordanian-Syrian border, noting that the US supports the border control project with the latest technology and the same sort of equipment and technologies used by the US border authorities.

Ensour said during his meeting with the US official that King Abdullah began the reform efforts at all levels before the start of the so-called “Arab Spring”, citing the constitutional amendments and the establishment of the Independent Elections Commission as examples of milestone reforms implemented by Jordan, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

He noted that the Kingdom maintains its security and stability despite being in the centre of regional unrest and crises, thanking the US for providing moral and financial support to Jordan. 

For her part, Patterson commended King Abdullah’s efforts to bring about just and comprehensive peace to the Middle East, in addition to endeavours to resolve the Syrian crisis politically, in a way that ends the bloodshed and protects the country’s cohesion and unity.

AMMAN — Jordan will never be a “substitute homeland” for Palestinians, a notion rejected by Palestinians and Jordanians alike, but only accepted by Israel, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said in an interview published Wednesday.

“We should take all the measures that prevent turning Jordan into an alternative land for Palestinians,” Ensour said in an interview with the Qatari Al Watan daily.

“All the measures that they [the Israelis] call for under humanitarian, demographic and moral pretexts serve to achieve a substitute homeland, which we cannot accept,” he said. 

Granting citizenship to children of Jordanian women married to non-Jordanians is not on the table, while efforts are under way to grant them rights in education, work, mobility, ownership and travel, the premier added.

He rejected any attempt to discriminate between segments of the Jordanian community, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

On restoring any form of unity between the Kingdom and the Palestinian state when it is established, the premier said the vast majority of Jordanians and Palestinians see that any kind of unity can only be discussed after the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state.

He voiced confidence that the Palestinians would not “surprise” Jordan, like the case of the 1993 Oslo Accords, and carry out back-channel negotiations with Israel without Jordan’s knowledge or involvement.

Noting that there are around two million Palestinians in Jordan, Ensour said they have rights in Palestine according to international laws and the UN and Palestine Liberation Organisation resolutions, which makes it natural for the Kingdom to defend their rights.

In addition, the unresolved issues of borders, water and Jerusalem, where Jordan is recognised as the custodian of holy sites in the Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty and by the Palestinian Authority, still need to be settled, said Ensour.

Regarding the phase during which the Kingdom can enter the ongoing negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis, he reiterated that Jerusalem, refugees, water and borders are issues that Jordan refuses to be addressed without its consultation.

“We trust Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and so far, Abu Mazen has honoured his obligations, but we have witnessed a bitter experience in Oslo… However, Abbas is always committed to keeping us apprised…,” the premier said.

He voiced Jordan’s confidence in the US-brokered talks and trust in the integrity of the Palestinian side, noting that the US side is not committed to acquainting the Kingdom with the details of the negotiations, unlike the Palestinian side.

On the “unpopular” decisions taken by the government, which citizens believe have worsened their living conditions, Ensour argued that he “did not increase people’s suffering” and that what he did was to prevent the collapse of the economy.

“Many enlightened people know that I have served my country… others have different views which I respect because I am a man of democracy,” he said.

Regarding Jordan’s bid to join the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the prime minister said it was a “historic mistake” not to grant the Kingdom full membership. “This is my personal conviction,” he stressed.

He denied as baseless reports of a slowdown in the projects funded by the GCC grant to the Kingdom, stressing that they are “moving as scheduled”, thanking former Qatari emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani for initiating the idea of the grant.

In 2011, the GCC allocated $5 billion to finance development projects in Jordan during the period 2012-2016.The grant is divided between Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, with each country paying $1.25 billion.

Ensour said the failure of the Geneva conference on Syria means there is currently no political solution to the crisis and that resorting to the military option means that a party will be defeated and will be forced to leave the country, but he stressed that no side is expected to emerge victorious any time soon.

AMMAN — The government on Wednesday warned that Israeli unilateral actions in East Jerusalem would undermine the peace treaty between Amman and Tel Aviv.

In a statement, Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani cautioned that Israeli violations of Al Aqsa Mosque put the peace treaty between Jordan and Israel on the line, along with efforts of the international community to push forward peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis. 

Momani, who is acting minister of foreign affairs, also denounced Israeli acts that infringe Jordanian sovereignty over the holy sites, calling on the Israeli government, as the occupation authority, to stop all acts of aggression against the holy sites. 

The minister, who is also the government spokesperson, said the Hashemite custodianship of the holy sites in Jerusalem is not an Israeli grant, but a historic responsibility of the Hashemites highlighted in the peace treaty between Jordan and Israel, and in accordance with the agreement signed between King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in March last year. 

Meanwhile, the official position was echoed by Jordan’s Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Envoy at the Arab League Bisher Khasawneh, who delivered Jordan’s address at an extraordinary session of the pan-Arab organisation in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss Israeli practices in Jerusalem. Jordan’s stand received support from other Arab representatives, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Petra quoted Khasawneh as underlining that Jordan’s efforts to safeguard the holy sites in Jerusalem and reiterating denunciation of Israeli acts, which he described as “null and void” because Jerusalem is an occupied city as labelled by the international legitimacy agencies.

“Israel should know that there is no peace if the measures to Judaise Jerusalem and infringe its sacred sites continue,” he said. 

He said that Jordan has succeeded in derailing the Knesset motion to annex the holy sites.

The Arab League Council adopted Jordan’s position and issued a statement condemning Israeli policies in the holy city. 

AMMAN — The majority of the 150-member Lower House on Wednesday voted in favour of a motion to expel Israel’s ambassador to Jordan and recall the Kingdom’s ambassador to Israel.

The parliamentary motion was proposed by the House’s Palestine Committee after recent Israeli violations against Al Aqsa Mosque.

The decision also came just one day after the Israeli Knesset resumed discussion of a draft law to strip Jordan from its status as custodian of the holy shrines in Jerusalem, as stipulated in the 1994 peace treaty with Israel.

“The Israelis are in shock following our decision today,” Deputy Khalil Atiyeh (Amman, 1st District) told The Jordan Times after House meeting on Wednesday. 

He said he was aware of the Israeli reaction following phone calls with an Arab member of the Knesset. 

This is the first time the Parliament has decided to expel an Israeli ambassador, according to MP Yihya Saud (Amman, 2nd District), who heads the Palestine Committee.

Ahead of the vote, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh explained that Tuesday’s deliberations by the Knesset of a proposal to revoke Jordan’s custodianship over holy sites in Jerusalem ended without a vote, noting there was sharp opposition to the move within the Israeli parliament.

The proposal would only lead to harming relations with Arab and Muslim countries, Tarawneh quoted Israeli opposition figures as saying during the Knesset meeting.

Also on Tuesday, the MPs started their debate over the issue, reiterating the need to take “strong and solid” stand against the Israeli actions.

They called on the government to reconsider its diplomatic measures in this regard, and criticised its “idle” position on the issue.

Certain MPs warned the government against lack of action.

They said the government will have to react by Sunday, and before the House holds its next session. Otherwise, Saud said Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour risks a series of measures by MPs, including boycotting House meetings and ending with a no-confidence vote.

Israeli officials and lawmakers are now in a state of shock, after the Lower House’s decision, and, most likely, they are going to avoid voting on the motion, submitted by the extremist Knesset member Moshe Feiglin, Atiyeh quoted Knesset member Ahmad Tibi as saying.

Feiglin is head of the “Jewish Leadership” faction of Israel’s governing Likud Party. He opposes the two-state solution and campaigns for the annexation the West Bank and Gaza, including Jerusalem’s holy shrines.

He calls for full Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem, revoking all peace accords that Israel signed with its neighbouring Arab countries, including the Wadi Araba Peace Treaty with Jordan.

The Knesset is supposed to resume its debate over Feiglin’s proposal Thursday, amid expectations in Amman that no voting on this motion would take place, following the strong position by the Jordanian lawmakers and government.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday called for enhancing the values of dialogue, coexistence and tolerance among all peoples of the world.

Delivering a speech at a conference in Jakarta, where he also held talks with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on bilateral ties and the latest regional developments, the King stressed the role of the Ummah (Muslim nation) in spreading the true essence of Islam and contributing to the resolution resolving global challenges.

“…Every Muslim has a role — especially our young men and women — to help guide humanity’s road forward. To work with others to solve problems, meet challenges and seize opportunities,” he said (see full speech).

Speaking at the Nahdlatul Ulama Interfaith Conference “Islam for Peace and Civilisation”, which opened on Wednesday in the Indonesian capital, the King also explained that the absence of dialogue and harmony creates violence and extremism. 

He warned of forces that work on igniting religious and ethnic struggles, exploiting sectarian divisions especially in Syria.

“Sadly, today, there are forces that seek to hold this future back, by inciting religious and ethnic conflict,” the King added. 

“In the Syrian crisis, we are seeing the exploitation of sectarian divisions to justify violence and pursue power. But our region is not alone. The dangers of religious conflict threaten the entire Ummah, and indeed, all humanity. And we must respond.”

Dialogue, he stressed, is the solution to all sectarian divisions and religious conflicts and is the key to peace and prosperity. 

“Where there is conflict, dialogue can bring peace. Where there is peace, dialogue can bring harmony. Where there is harmony, dialogue can bring friendship. And where there is friendship, dialogue can bring joint, beneficial action.”

The King expressed Jordan’s readiness to help institutionalise values of dialogue and coexistence. 

“This is your work here today, and it is our work, together, in the days ahead. Jordan stands, with you, for truth, tolerance and mutual respect.”

Cooperation with Indonesia

In an extended meeting, attended by senior officials from Jordan and Indonesia, the King and Yudhoyono discussed the latest political developments in the Middle East, a Royal Court statement said.

The two leaders voiced keenness on enhancing cooperation in the educational, cultural, commercial and industrial fields.

The King underlined Jordan’s openness to all regional and international economies, stressing the Kingdom’s status as an economic link to around one billion consumers around the world due to its free trade agreements and economic partnerships with the world’s mega-economies. 

The Kingdom’s stability, strategic location and its competitive incentives for investors all contribute to its economic status as a hub for Middle Eastern markets, especially those of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Iraq, His Majesty said, according to the statement.

Talks also tackled the ongoing US-brokered Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations, with the Monarch reiterating Jordan’s support to the talks on the basis of the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative that can ultimately lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The two leaders stressed the need to strengthen cooperation and coordination among Muslim states and through the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to galvanise international support for a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

On Syria, the King reiterated Jordan’s unaltered stance that advocates a comprehensive political solution to the crisis that safeguards Syria’s territorial unity and ends the suffering of its people, highlighting in this regard Jordan’s increasing burdens as a result of hosting the largest number of Syrian refugees. 

The Indonesian president stressed his country’s keenness on enhancing its relations with Jordan, commending Jordan’s assistance to Indonesian students studying Arabic and Islamic sciences at Jordanian universities.

Yudhoyono also expressed appreciation of the King’s efforts in achieving stability and peace in the Middle East, underlining Indonesia’s support to Jordan in facing the regional challenges.

The meeting was attended by HRH Prince Ghazi, the King’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy, Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, King’s Office Director Imad Fakhoury and Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Hatem Halawani.

Also in Jakarta, the King met with representatives of the Indonesia Chamber of Industry and Commerce and other business leaders in the presence of their peers from Jordan’s private sector.

His Majesty called on the two country’s private sectors to utilise the advanced Jordanian-Indonesian political relations to build solid economic partnerships.

Jordan enjoys an attractive investment environment based on its security and stability, qualified human resources and advanced legislation, he added.

The Monarch also highlighted the pivotal role of the private sector as a partner in the development process and in creating job opportunities, calling on the two countries’ private sectors to enter joint ventures to contribute to achieving economic prosperity for both peoples.

The King also reviewed the distinctive advantages of Jordan’s strategic location, indicating that Jordan is keen on attracting foreign investors to implement vital transportation, IT, tourism, energy and water projects.

He invited Indonesian companies and economic institutions to visit Jordan to see its investment environment and explore partnership opportunities.

Jordan will continue improving the laws regulating the economic field to encourage and attract investments that can benefit the Kingdom, His Majesty added.

For their part, the Indonesian business leaders expressed their admiration of Jordan’s economic openness and its liberalisation of markets, in addition to the incentives it offers to investors, expressing readiness to cooperate with their Jordanian counterparts.

Indicating that Jordan is an important partner to Indonesia, Suryo B. Sulisto, the chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that there are still other fields to increase commercial exchange. 

Indonesia, he added, relies immensely on improving its ties with Jordan especially in religious tourism. 

Jordan Chamber of Commerce President Nael Kabariti said there is a strong chance to establish a Jordanian-Indonesian pharmaceutical industry, noting that the two sides have agreed on establishing an Indonesian commercial village in the port city of Aqaba.  

Kabariti also called for operating direct flights between Amman and Jakarta, citing their significance in facilitating the flow of tourists and businesspeople. 

On the sidelines of the King’s visit to Jakarta, Judeh and his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa signed a memorandum of understanding on enhancing political coordination between the two countries.

The two countries also signed an agreement to establish a Jordanian-Indonesian factory by the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company and the Indonesian PT Petrokimia Gresik with a $300 million capital to produce fertilisers from Jordanian phosphate.

His Majesty’s meeting with Indonesian economic figures was preceded by a meeting of Jordanian and Indonesian businessmen, during which Halawani presented a briefing on Jordan’s investment opportunities and possibilities for further economic cooperation.

Similar briefings were also presented by Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority Chief Commissioner Kamel Mahadin, Jordan Tourism Board Director Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat, Development and Free Zones Commission CEO Taha Zboun and Private Hospitals Association President Fawzi Hamouri.

The value of Jordan’s exports to Indonesia — mostly olive oil, potash, aluminium and wood furniture — stood at $228 million in 2013, while its imports from the southeast Asian country reached $118 million in the same year, mostly plant oils, fish, beans, spices, wood and paper.  

AMMAN — The Department of Statistics (DoS) is currently working in cooperation with sister institutions from the EU to further enhance its capabilities, officials said on Wednesday.

At a ceremony to mark this partnership, representatives of European institutions and diplomats from several EU countries underscored its importance. 

Under an EU-funded? twinning project, which commenced in November 2013,  statistical agencies of Jordan, Denmark, Italy, Latvia and the UK are joining efforts to ensure the partnership fulfils its goals.

These include cooperation to support capacity building within the DoS, investment in training and development of human resources, and building a modern statistical system to further support policies and attract investments, according to Italian Ambassador to Jordan Patrizio Fondi. 

“These goals can be reached by sharing know-how, experiences and best practices, creating fruitful linkages and establishing a longer and stable bilateral cooperation in the sector,” he noted, highlighting the growing responsibilities of statistical institutions. 

“Today, their role is to provide planners, decision makers, researchers, media and civil society with reliable socio-economic information, constantly meet users’ and stakeholders’ needs, and act as a key instrument to support, monitor, and assess progresses and policies,” he said.    

Andres Østervang, deputy head of mission of the Danish embassy in Jordan, had a similar message.

“Good solid, reliable and impartial statistics are crucial to society, policy makers and the economy,” he said at the ceremony.

“By using common international standards, reliable official statistics can be harmonised and compared between the countries in the European Union and Jordan,” Østervang noted. 

Furthermore, EU Ambassador to Jordan Joanna Wronecka stressed the need for reliable and timely data for the proper functioning of societies and to assist decision makers.

“Statistics can answer many important questions touching Jordanians at large,” she said in her address.

Such questions cover whether society is heading in the direction promised by politicians, how many women go to work, what the schooling rates are, and how the economy is performing, Wronecka added, noting that it is up to DoS to gain the trust of the users of statistics.  

Stressing the department’s commitment to ensure transparency and credibility, its acting director general, Jamal Alaween, said DoS is keen on benefiting from the project and also hopes to qualify its staff on sampling techniques. 

Highlighting the project, Statistics Denmark Resident Twinning Adviser Thomas Olsen said experts from EU countries engaged in this partnership are in Jordan to work with the DoS staff and share their expertise.

He added that the project is about aligning Jordanian statistics with European standards to improve the statistical system.

The project focuses on four areas: national accounts, sampling techniques, quality and documentation, and data warehouse, according to Olsen.

“When you are an official statistical institution, people believe in the figures, so it is important to gain people’s confidence, create more visibility and showcase how the process is done to help users,” Olsen told The Jordan Times. 

Users should trust statistics and use them, Lars Thygesen, a director at Statistics Denmark, reiterated, noting that statistics should reflect reality and be accessible.  

The statistical figure “is not about somebody painting a rosy picture of reality that cannot be used for anything”, he noted. 

The 1.2 million euro EU Twinning project on strengthening the capabilities of DoS is implemented within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy.

AMMAN — Ukrainian Ambassador to Jordan Sergiy Pasko on Wednesday expressed his country’s appreciation to the Jordanians who visited the embassy over the past two days to express their condolences over the loss of life during the recent unrest in Ukraine.

The ambassador said none of the Jordanian expatriates in Ukraine was hurt during the unrest.

He added that Jordan is an important political partner for Ukraine, noting that the Kingdom is known for its moderate political role in the region.

Ukraine, Pasko said, is looking forward to the opening of a Jordanian embassy in Kiev.

AMMAN — The Public Security Department (PSD) in Karak on Wednesday detained a number of suspects accused of stealing electricity cables from the Lajoun water station, according to the director of the Water Department in Karak, Samer Maaytah.

Maaytah said the assaults on water stations in the governorate have become a source of worry to the water authorities due to the recurrent disruptions in pumping and the extra costs incurred to replace stolen cables and generators.

He added that the perpetrators usually carry guns and attack station guards, which highlights the need for of PSD personnel to provide permanent protection for water resources.