PESHAWAR: The residents of different areas took out processions and blocked main roads in the provincial metropolis on Monday to protest prolonged power outages.

The commuters faced hardships and transportation of goods to and from Afghanistan remained suspended as the protestors set up a camp right in the middle of Ring Road to record their protest against the power outages.

Following announcements through loudspeakers, the residents of Hazar Khwani, Dir Colony and Toor Baba, led by district councillor Sheikh Karim Jan, blocked Ring Road at Jamil Chowk at 7:30am which also led to suspension of transportation of goods to and from Afghanistan till 3pm.

Another procession, led by elected representatives of Town-IV blocked Ring Road and Kohat Road to protest unscheduled and prolonged power loadshedding in different areas including Wazir Bagh, Arbab Landi and Chamkani.

Despite scorching heat, the protesters burnt tyres and threw stones on the roads and chanted slogans against Peshawar Electric Supply Company for its failure to overcome unscheduled loadshedding.

The commuters including schoolchildren remained stuck in vans, auto-rickshaws and other vehicles for hours as all link roads were also blocked by the protesters. The parents of students complained that their children needed drinking water and food but they could not access them owing to long queues of vehicles on both sides of the roads.

The power consumers belonging to different villages also blocked Charsadda Road against the prolonged and unscheduled loadshedding. The protesters said that the 18 to 20 hours loadshedding had made their lives miserable. They said that shortage of drinking water forced them to come on the roads.

“We have time and again requested Pesco officials to install power meters and take action against power thieves but no attention has been paid to our suggestions,” said Sheikh Karim Jan.

PTI MPA Haji Fazal Ilahi also blamed Pesco for intentionally keeping power supply to suburban localities suspended for many hours because the people of the areas had voted for PTI.

However, the protesters opened the roads to traffic on the intervention of local police the elders when Pesco officials agreed to reduce the duration of loadshedding. The elders said that duration of loadshedding would be eight hours. They said that they would extend full cooperation to Pesco in taking action against power thieves and defaulters.

A Pesco official, however, alleged that elected representatives were backing power thieves and defaulters.

Meanwhile, power consumers belonging to Arbab Landi, Shaheen Colony and Umeedabad also announced to block Bara Road and Ring Road if duration of loadshedding was not reduced.

“We are paying monthly bills regularly but even then we are subjected to prolonged loadshedding,” the consumers said.

According to a statement, Pesco chief Anwarul Haq, in the meantime, took serious notice of the excessive and unscheduled loadshedding and warned the officials concerned not to create problems for customers.

“According to management’s decision loadshedding must be carried out according to the formula and given schedule. Anyone involved in increasing the hours of loadshedding will be dealt with iron hand,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2016