LAKKI MARWAT - The residents of several villages blocked Lakki-Mianwali road in front of the District Headquarters Complex, Tajazai, on Wednesday to protest excessive power loadshedding and low voltage problem.      
Villagers of Abdulkhel, Kattakhel, Eesakkhel, Shah Hasankhel and other villages reached the district headquarters complex by vehicles to record their grievances against unbearable power outages with the officials of district administration.
They got infuriated and assembled on Lakki-Tajazai road when elders failed to meet district coordination officer who was engaged in other officials meetings.
The protesters closed the road for all sorts of vehicular traffic.
The road remained closed for nearly half an hour causing suspension of traffic between Bannu and Mianwali.
The closure of road caused problems and inconvenience for motorists, transporters and commuters.
Elders said on the occasion that their villages and hamlets were hard hit by prolong power outages causing numerous problems for the rural population.
They told that the rural localities were under the grip of shortage of water, as tube well could not run due to excessive power breakdowns.
“The loadshedding, low voltage and scarcity of water have added to the miseries of area people,” they maintained, making it clear that the peaceful protest of the villagers can turn into a violent one if Pesco and district administration authorities failed to overcome the problems of electricity load shedding and low voltage problems.
The elders called on the district coordination officer Nisar Ahmad at his office and apprised him of the electricity related problems faced by rural population.
DCO assured that he would take up the matter with the officials of Pesco to minimize the duration of load shedding and improving electricity voltage.
The protesters later opened the road and dispersed peacefully.