BUNER, July 25: Scores of the people from around 35 villages of Gokand valley on Thursday took two Peshawar Electric Supply Company linemen hostage along with their official vehicle during a demonstration against the prolonged power outages.

Said Rasool and Behroz were seized when they were on a routine patrol. The protesters shifted the two to Shago Ban in Topdara area before staging a sit-in on the main road there.

They alleged that electric supply was suspended in the name of fault on transmission line only to benefit local marble factories.

The protesters accused local linemen Nisar, Hamayun, Said Rasool and Behroz of deliberately delaying the rectification of fault on transmission line.

After learning about the seizure of the linesmen, Pesco executive engineer Akbar Khan, additional assistant commissioner Mohammad Yousaf, DSP Ali Rehman and local elders first gathered at Bagra police checkpost and then went to the rescue of the linesmen.

The mob released the two and their vehicle after the administration assured it of early restoration of electric supply, transfer of linemen Nisar and Hamayun, and start of inquiry against them.

The protesters warned that they would again take to the streets if the prolonged loadshedding didn’t end.

BATON-WIELDING PEOPLE AGITATE: The baton-wielding people on Thursday marched through Oghi area of Mansehra against the prolonged and unscheduled power cuts in Tanawal and its suburbs.

Shouting slogans against Peshawar Electricity Supply Company and local MNA Mohammad Safdar, the protesters covered around 10 kilometres by foot to reach Milad Chowk in Oghi and block the road for hours. They also forced traders to close their shops and join the protest.

Speaking on the occasion, former MNA and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Nawabzada Salahuddin Saeed criticised the government for failing to ease energy crisis and said MNA Mohammad Safdar and his father-in-law, Nawaz Sharif, had promised during the election campaign to end loadshedding after coming to power but the promise later turned out to be false.

He said electric supply remained suspended in Tanawal during Sehri, Iftar and Taraveeh.

Mr Saeed warned that local residents would march on Islamabad in the next few days if there was no let-up in the prolonged and unscheduled loadshedding.

The protesters wanted to storm the Oghi grid station but agreed to disperse peacefully at the request of Mr Saeed and local assistant commissioner Abdullah Mehsud.

PROTESTS CONTINUE: Protest against prolonged power outages and delayed repair of power transformers continued on Thursday in different parts of Swat district.

The residents of Gunbat Miara, Mingora, Kokari and Islampur staged demonstrations in their respective areas.

The protesters from Gunbat Miara demonstrated outside Wapda offices in Saidu Sharif over the prolonged power cuts shouting slogans against Wapda and the government.

They later gathered outside the Swat Press Club to register their protest.

Leader of protesters Haji Shaukat said power transformer in the area had been out of order for 10 days but the local Wapda officials were indifferent to the people’s misery.

Also in the day, the people of Kokari and Islampur in Saidu Sharif area demonstrated outside Wapda offices in their respective areas against the delay in repair of transformers.

They demanded early repair of transformers and restoration of electric supply to their areas.