PESHAWAR - Residents of various localities in the suburbs of the provincial capital on Friday protested against prolonged and unscheduled power outages.
The people belonging to a number of villages including Pir Bala, Faqir Killi, Charpariza, Khazana and Pejagi areas had announced the protest on loudspeakers and converged on the main Warsak Road. The protesters chanted slogans against the government and Wapda, and also tried to move towards the local grid station, but the police foiled their attempt.
The protesters said that power supply remained suspended for many hours daily, causing acute water shortage in the villages as they got water from tube-wells. They said that they had to fetch water from far-off areas in vehicles. The officials of Peshawar Electric Supply Company, they alleged were least bothered to take notice of their complaints which forced them to come on the streets. They said if Pesco failed to ensure smooth power supply to the villages then the people would give another protest call and the power company would be responsible for any mishap.
Meanwhile, reports of protest demonstrations against hours long power loadshedding in Charsadda, Dir Upper, Laki Marwat, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan were also received, where locals came out on roads against excessive loadshedding and blocked main roads in protest.
They demanded of the federal and provincial government to take notice of the unscheduled and excessive power break down in the extremely humid weather. They warned that if the Pesco authorities failed to end unscheduled loadshedding then they would be compelled to take extreme steps and Pesco officials will be responsible for any untoward incident.
