PESHAWAR: Reacting to the frequent search operations by police and prolonged power outages, residents of various localities of the provincial metropolis blocked different roads for several hours on Saturday and shouted slogans against the police and Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco).

The protesters had also thrown heavy stones at different places on the Ring Road and Bara Road, which resulted in suspension of traffic for several hours since early morning. It was observed that vehicles were stopped at Achini Bala and Peshtakhara Chowk, which also created hurdle to the flow of the Afghanistan-bound traffic.

The demonstrators said that on the pretext of search and strike operations the Peshawar police had been frequently harassing them and their families besides taking away valuable items. They alleged that people were picked up, declared suspects and then released after payment of bribes or on the intervention of local elders. They said that male police personnel were found searching women in the houses, which forced the people to come out on the roads.

The protesters said that during past few days the police conducted search operations for many times and tortured the people for no faults of theirs. “The police have also taken away cash and jewellery during the operations,” they alleged and urged Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to order investigation into the matter.

In the meantime, MPA Haji Fazl Ilahi also arrived to talk to the protesters and said that residents of various localities on the outskirts of Peshawar had been facing prolonged power suspensions, making lives of consumers miserable. He said that the federal government was discriminating against power consumers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa though they had been paying bills regularly. The protesters ended their protest on the assurance of the MPA that action would be taken against the police personnel concerned and grievances of the people would be removed.

Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police in the ongoing search and strike operation in the province rounded up 565 suspects and recovered arms and ammunition on Friday and Saturday. A police spokesman said that during the operation 611 houses and 222 hotels were checked and 13 cases had been registered against the violators.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2015

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