PESHAWAR: The residents of various localities here on Monday blocked Warsak Road to traffic to protest prolonged power outages.

The protesters were chanting slogans against Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) and federal government. They alleged that authorities were intentionally subjecting Pakhtuns to prolonged power outages.

They said that daily 20-hour power loadshedding had made their life miserable. They said that prolonged loadshedding also caused shortage of drinking water in their areas.

The protesters dispersed peacefully when Pesco officials assured them that duration of loadshedding would be reduced and the local feeders would be upgraded. However, the protesters threatened to launch a full-fledged agitation movement if the problem was not resolved permanently.

Later, addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club, ANP leader Liaquat Ali criticised Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali for his remarks about power theft in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that Punjab was on top in power theft but Nawaz Sharif was not taking action against power thieves there for sake of votes.

Representing the protesters, he said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was generating more electricity as compared to other provinces but its people were suffering from prolonged power outages. He said that electricity was generated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but head office of Wapda was set up in Lahore. He said that Wapda House should be shifted to Peshawar.

The ANP leader said that consumers could not steal power without the support of Pesco employees. “The people, who pay bills regularly, are also subjected to severe loadshedding,” he added.

Mr Ali said that more than 33 villages, from Regi to Chagharmati, faced 20 hours loadshedding in the hot weather. He said that prolonged loadshedding had not only disturbed common people but also affected business activities in the province as industrialists were shifted their industries to other provinces.

The ANP leader said that power consumers had given last warning to the government to resolve the issue otherwise they would take to streets.

Pesco director general of public relations Shaukat Afzal, when contacted, said that the line losses in Chagharmati, Darmangi and adjacent areas had reached 92 per cent. He said that Pesco was carrying out loadshedding in a state of compulsion.

“We have asked the people to install power meters and pay dues regularly so that the loadshedding can be reduced. Our feeders are overloaded owing to illegal connections and as result the ‘good consumers’ also have to suffer,” said the official. He said that Pesco always tried to facilitate its consumers but people should also cooperate with it.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2016