Power outages protested

NOWSHERA: The angry residents on Tuesday protested the unannounced and prolonged power outages and besieged the gridstation in Pabbi

Holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the unscheduled and hours-long blackouts, the dwellers of Dag Besud, Wazir Ghari and surrounding localities gathered on the Cherat Road and blocked it for traffic for two hours by staging a sit-in there.

District councillors Anar Gul, Israr Nabi and tehsil councillor Karam Khan were leading the protesters. The speakers said up to 20-hour loadshedding was being carried out in parts of the district. They said the unannounced and excessive power cuts brought the business activities and routine life to a virtual halt in the area.

The protesters accused the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) of sending inflated bills to consumers. They alleged that Pesco employees were involved in power theft and were shifting the burden to consumers.

The protesters demanded the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to probe the corruption in Pesco to unearth the scale of corruption in the entity.Later, the Pesco officials held talks with the protesters to persuade them to end the protest.  The protesters dispersed but warned of staging another protest if their demands were not met. Meanwhile, the Pesco employees locked down the offices in Pabbi to protest the alleged indifferent attitude of sub-divisional officer.