KOHAT: The power consumers from the Kohat city and Miangan Colony on Wednesday protested against the Peshawar Electric Supply Company for subjecting them to prolonged loadshedding in the extremely hot weather.

The protestors led by elders, Haji Khan Mir and Abdul Manan said Pesco’s local staff had been resorting to inhuman loadshedding without any let-up under the pretext of carrying out maintenance work on transmission lines.

The protesters, who gathered outside the Kohat Press Club building, said excessive power cuts had caused acute water shortage.

On the occasion, Khan Mir said power supply was suspended from 10pm to 11pm, 12am to 1am, 2am to 3am, 4am to 5am, and 6am to 7am, troubling residents in the hot and humid weather.

The protesters said Pesco had issued a power outage schedule for putting high tension lines to the textile mills, thus affecting the whole of Kohat. However, he said the loadshedding schedule was not being followed.

Later, the protesters met assistant commissioner Usman Ashraf, who summoned the sub-divisional officer of Pesco, who assured them of getting smooth power supply.

Separately, robbers deprived two people belonging to Shapur area of their motorcycle and mobile phones at gunpoint near the Tanda Dam on Wednesday.

A complainant, Noor Islam, told the Saddar police that he along with his friend, Mustafa had gone to the Tanda Lake to take a bath. He said when they were going to Suleman Talab area three men came from behind on motorcycles, held them at gunpoint and snatched their mobiles and motorcycle.

The police registered a case and started making efforts to arrest the robbers.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2023