Residents stage protest against power outages

HARIPUR: The residents of Khalabat Township on Wednesday took out a rally to register their resentment against the unscheduled loadshedding here on Wednesday.

Led by PMLN’s leader Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan advocate and president Hazara chapter of Awami Tehri’s Dr Jehangir Abbasi, the protesters took out a rally from Khalabat Township and assembled outside the Pesco office near Central Jail Chowk.

Speaking on the occasion, Zulfiqar Khan said that the residents of Khalabat Township in particular and people of Haripur district in general had rendered sacrifices of their ancestors’ land but in return what they received was a long story of deception and disappointment. “Instead of recognizing our sacrifices, we are forced to face unbearable loadshedding,” he added.

He said that the residents of Haripur and Khalabat Township were paying their bills regularly with heavy taxes and the arrears against them were almost zero level but they were facing hours-long loadshedding that had not only made the life of consumers miserable but also brought the commercial and industrial activities to almost standstill.

The speakers demanded uninterrupted power supply and threatened to repeat protest rallies if the Pesco failed to stop forced loadshedding. On this occasion, protesters dispersed peacefully after the Pesco officials assured them of not carrying out unscheduled loadshedding in future.