Several injured as protesters, police clash

NOWSHERA: Several persons were injured Tuesday when the police and protesters clashed during an anti-loadshedding protest in Rashakai town.
The residents of Rashakai and surrounding villages took the streets to protest the unannounced and excessive power outages and blocked the busy Nowshera-Mardan road for traffic for two hours.
The charged protesters were chanting slogans against the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco), Wapda and federal government for subjecting the consumers to unscheduled blackouts.
A student leader Moeez Khan was leading the protesters. The protesters blocked the road for traffic for two hours and this resulted in long queues of vehicles on both side of the road.The protesters said that unannounced power cuts were being carried out in Rahshakai and surrounding localities in the sweltering heat. They said they cannot run electrical appliances due to low voltage.
The protesters turned violent after a security guard of the Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Jamshed Khan Mohmand, who was on way to Peshawar, fired warning gunshots and tried to reopen the road by force.
The enraged protesters circled the vehicle of the lawmaker and snatched weapons from his security guards.The violent protesters deflated the tyres of Jamshed Mohmand’s car and made him and his security guards hostage at the hujra of Awami National Party (ANP) district general secretary Khushal Khan.
The protesters also beat up cops and Station House Officer (SHO) of Jabar Police Station in Jamal Garhi and snatched weapons from them as one of the gunmen fired shots to break up the protest and reopen the road.
The SHO and his gunmen were returning after appearing before a court in a case. The protesters also made hostage the cops and the SHO for four hours.Several protesters were injured due to the stampede after the firing incident and the clash with the cops of the Jabar Police Station. Some of the injured were identified as Ali Khan, Abid Khan, Kashif Khan, Sheraz Khan, Tahir Khan and Hamad Khan.
Police officers from Nowshera city and cantonment reached the spot to control the situation. They held talks with the protesters and assured that their demands would be taken up with the Pesco and other officials.The protesters released MPA Jamshed Mohmand, his guards and cops after they tendered apology.