MARDAN, Aug 24: Angry residents of Bakhshali in the district observed a strike and staged a protest against unscheduled loadshedding in the area and blocked the main Mardan-Bakhshali road for vehicles here on Friday.

The procession was led by nazim Union Council (UC) Bakhshali and president of traders Qazi Bashir and Zulfiqar Ali respectively who also raised slogans against authorities concerned.

They said that loadshedding was a curse for the common man and condemned authorities for not taking action to rectify the situation. They said that electricity supple was available for only a few hours and voltage at many homes was low that had damaged electrical appliances.

They lamented that loadshedding was affecting their businesses and their children’s studies.

The protesters said that they would not tolerate further suffering and warned that if loadshedding was not stopped, then they would raid the Pesco office in Mardan, the responsibility of which would lie on authorities.

Police contingents remained present on the occasion. However, when the SDO and XEN Pesco Mardan reached the spot and assured the aggrieved men that their concerns would be conveyed to the concerned authorities, they dispersed peacefully.