KARAK: The residents of upper Chountra here on Thursday held a protest against prolonged electricity outages and shortage of drinking water in the area.

The protesters resolved to launch a protest movement in the district if the Peshawar Electric Supply Company failed to decrease duration of the outages. They claimed that Pesco had been resorting to over 20-hour loadshedding daily.

The villagers, led by former councillor Mohammad Ishaq Khattak and Lal Badshah, marched on Karak-Palosa Sar road and held a protest demonstration at Saratkhel bus stop. They also shouted slogans against the Pesco, Karak.

Addressing the protesters, the speakers said that the people of entire Chountra were facing prolonged loadshedding, resulting in several problems for the dwellers. They complained that women and children had been the worst sufferers of power outages.

The speakers said that they had been paying Rs1,000 a month per house to the Pesco according to the formula devised by them, but if the loadshedding persisted they would be left with no other option but to stop paying the monthly bills.

They recalled that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government had promised with masses to rid them of power loadshedding within first nine months, but despite lapse of one and a half years the federal government failed to deliver on its promise. They claimed that the loadshedding had paralysed life in the district.

The speakers claimed that the people were facing acute shortage of drinking water and the women had to bring water from remote areas.

They demanded of Pesco to ensure power supply according to a schedule or disconnect it completely.

They warned that they would not tolerate the unscheduled outages anymore.

Meanwhile, a first year college student was crushed to death by a speedy bus in Latamber area of Karak district.

Police sources said here on Thursday that a speedy passenger bus going to Bannu hit a first year student Hidaytullah, resident of Charpara, in Latamber area of Karak tehsil.

The student was seriously injured and later died on way to hospital. The local people said that the incident occurred due to speeding of the bus. Police later arrested the driver.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2014