LANDI KOTAL, Dec 14: Hundreds of women came out of their homes and blocked the main Peshawar-Torkhum road on Friday in protest against the continuous loadshedding in Landi Kotal.

The participation of women in the protest is a rare sight in tribal areas. But the unscheduled long hours of loadshedding compelled the baton-wielding Khugakhel women to stage a sit-in on the road linking Torkhum to Peshawar at Charwazgai.

The protesters raised slogans against local grid officials and political administration. The road remained blocked for almost half an hour. However, the political administration with the assistance of local elders managed to persuade the protesters to end their sit-in.

Meanwhile, students of the Bara Kohi Degree college and residents of Landi Kotal tehsil staged separate demonstrations in their respective localities. The Bara students reportedly also exchanged hot words with the Khasadar force and pelted stones on one of their checkposts.

Since the winter season began, the Tribal Areas Electricity Supply Corporation (Tesco) had been carrying out long hours of unannounced loadshedding.

Tesco officials and Fata residents had been at loggerheads with each other ever since meters were installed in their homes. While the tribesmen were resisting the installation of meters, Tesco officials argued that they could not supply uninterrupted electricity to tribal areas for free.

Officials at the Landi Kotal grid station said their machinery could not take excessive load and they had no option but to resort to loadshedding. However, local residents accused the grid employees of taking money from the influential in their areas in order to exempt them from loadshedding.

Loadshedding in Landi Kotal, Jamrud and Bara tehsils of the Khyber Agency was also causing water shortages in the areas.

Shopkeepers in Landi Kotal bazaar threatened to stop paying their monthly electricity bills if they were not provided with uninterrupted supply. Tahir Khan, a merchant, told Dawn that they had not only installed meters at their shops but were also regularly paying their bills. He asked the concerned authorities to exempt the bazaar from loadshedding.