PESHaWAR - Furious over hours-long power outages in the scorching heat and holy month of Ramazan, protesters on Saturday staged protest demonstration outside Wapda office blocking roads and pelting stones on Pesco office.
The enraged protesters also stormed the car of Adviser to Prime Minister Engn Amir Muqam when he tried to convince them.
The sticks-carrying angry residents blocked main roads in front of Wapda House and started pelting stones at Pesco office. The demonstrating community stated that their areas were facing power breakdowns for more than 22 hours which created immense difficulties for the people in the holy month of Ramazan.
The protesters were led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Member Provincial Assembly Ishtiaq Omar.
They demanded of the government and authorities concerned to take notice of the issue and warned against intensifying their protests. They said government would be responsible for any untoward situation.
Meanwhile, addressing a news conference here at Wapda House on Saturday, Adviser to Prime Minister Engineer Amir Muqam said federal government was well-aware of load-shedding problem in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but damaging government property was totally unjustifiable and not a solution to the problem.
"The incumbent federal government is providing comparatively more electricity to masses than before while PTI-led provincial government is doing politics on power issue,” said Amir Muqam.
He said damaging govt properties was by no means justifiable, and the incompetence of PTI govt couldn't be covered through such negative tactics.
The adviser said that due to increasing mercury level demand of electricity also went up and so did the load-shedding. He said he was visiting the area on the directive of PM Mian Nawaz Sharif and directed Wapda authorities to bring improvement in situation. He informed that in this connection a high level meeting had already been convened on June 24 in Islamabad. Amir Muqam regretted that protesters outside Wapda House politically motivated. He said public property was asset of masses and attack to damage it was totally unfair and unacceptable as it was neither the property of Premier Nawaz Sharif nor that of PML-N.
The adviser further said that electricity demand went up during last one weak, and that's why a meeting was convened in Islamabad on June 24. All the circle superintending engineers were directed to hold meeting after Iftar, in their respective circles on emergency basis and ensure implementation of all the decisions taken in interest of the masses.
He said the concerned Pesco staff was directed to ensure repair and maintenance work forthwith, otherwise stern legal action would be taken against the officials. He urged Wapda employees to perform their duties as a worship in the holy month of Ramazan.
Criticising the PTI leadership, Amir Muqam said the federal government was ready to handover Pesco to PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government but the provincial government was reluctant to do so.
"People are damaging their own properties, which he termed shameful, adding the PTI sit-in destroyed masses and level of Imran Khan also came down."
Earlier, owing to sudden increase in mercury level the weather turned hotter, which doubled the worst unscheduled and excessive power load management that infuriated the fasters forcing them to take to streets in provincial metropolis Peshawar.