CHITRAL - Lawyers, members of District Bar Association and representatives of all parties staged a protest against the prolonged loadshedding during the holy month of Ramazan.

The protest rally started from PIA square and ended at Ataleeq Bridge where it converted into a public meeting. The public meeting-cum-protest was led by Khurshid Hussain Mughal, president district Bar Association.

The protesters were holding banners inscribed with slogans against Wapda and Pesco for observing five hours loadshedding despite generating 36 megawatt electricity from Golain powerhouse.

According to the officials concerned, the Pesco was forced to observe loadshedding due to technical faults and losses on account of obsolete transmission lines. In this connection when Project Director Golain Powerhouse Javed Afridi was contacted he revealed that the powerhouse is generating continuously and generating electricity to its capacity of 35 megawatt. He said that he emphasized on Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (PESCO) to put more load on the line because he have eight megawatt extra power and due to no consumption this extra electricity is going waste.

Pesco Sub divisional officer Fazal Munir denied any instruction issued for loadshedding to the Grid Station staffers.

Lawyers tried to contact Zaheeruddin In charge of Grid Station Jutilasht Chitral but he did not attend phone call. Lawyers said that GSO officers have appointed a non-technical person as head of Grid station who telling lie that he is directed by Peshawar Distribution Centre (PDC) for loadshedding for five hours a day. When he was asked that if Wapda exercise this practice of loadshedding in other parts of the country may be they face shortage of power but Chitral have sufficient electricity and about 15 megawatt power is extra from consumption they failed no response of the question.

Fazal Rahim Advocate contacted head of PDC on phone and asked that why they torturing people of Chitral through loadshedding despite that Chitral have sufficient electricity. The PDC officials denied having directed Zaheeruddin SSO of Grid Station for loadshedding.  The lawyers and representatives of all parties in their speeches said that it means that the country have sufficient electricity but Wapda or some hidden hands deliberately compelling the people to come to roads by continuing unscheduled loadshedding. 

They said that Prime Minister Shahid Haqqan Abbasi has announced that there would be no loadshedding at Chitral on the inauguration of 107 Megawatt Golain powerhouse when its first phase of 35 megawatt completed this year.

The speakers given deadline of three days that if Pesco and GSO staff does not stopped loadshedding at Chitral they will come to roads once again and will lock Pesco and Grid Station office.  Those who spoke on the occasion where Sajidullah Advocate, Niaz A Niazi Adv, SP retired Saeed Khan Lal of JUI, Sifat Zareen of PML-N, chairman Fazal Rehman Booni of ANP, Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Moulvi Jamshed, Alam Zeb Adv,  Raizuddin of PTI, Kosar Advocate of PML-N, MI Khan Sarhadi Adv, Abdul Wali Khan Adv of PTI, Khurshid Hussain Mughal president of DBA. Later, the protestors disbursed peacefully. A large number of people belonging to all walks of life attended the protest.