Prolonged power cuts trigger protests in Peshawar People block roads

PESHAWAR: Fed up with hours-long unscheduled power outages, people in different localities of the provincial capital continued to take to streets and blocked some main highways to press the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) to stop the outages, but to no avail.

A big protest demonstration was arranged on the main Charsadda Road and the road was blocked for several hours for all kinds of traffic. Despite efforts by the authorities, the road could not be reopened to traffic. A severe traffic jam was seen on the road. The people were demanding uninterrupted supply of electricity.

The protestors said that the hours-long loadshedding has made life miserable for them. The Pesco authorities were not even listening to their complaints, they added. Asif Iqbal Daudzai, a former minister and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) leader from the area, told The News that scheduled loadshedding in the area was 12 hours.

“We have one hour cut in supply of electricity after each hour. But the hour in which the electricity supply is supposed to be ensured, it is interrupted frequently on different pretexts,” he said.

The worst situation, he said, was observed during and after the Eidul Azha. He said that whenever they lodged a complaint with the Pesco authorities, they were told that the power supply was suspended due to some fault. “These perpetual faults have made our life miserable,” he remarked.

He said the people of different constituencies have planned protests on different days and the series would continue. The JUI leader said they have convened a meeting of all the leaders of different parties and public representatives and would soon stage a big demonstration.