LAKKI MARWAT: The residents of Gandi Khankhel union council blocked the busy Indus Highway at Gandi Chowk here on Monday to protest the excessive power outages.

The protesters led by district councillor Pir Abdul Latif Zakori and Village Council-II nazim Malik Abdul Qayyum flayed the Peshawar Electric Supply Company for subjecting them to the prolonged suspension of electric supply and said power outages had virtually brought their life to a standstill.

Elder Haji Mashal Khan said the excessive power cuts had adversely affected business activities in the area.

ANP activist Inamullah said the people had to pay for the illegal acts of few power thieves.

He said the Pesco was in the habit of suspending electric supply to overcome line losses.

He asked the government to step in for corrective measures.

Other speakers said they had asked the Pesco officials to fix the problem many times but their requests fell on deaf ears.

They demanded smooth electric supply without delay.

The speakers also called for the removal of ‘illegal power links’ from the transmission line and strict action against power thieves and power bill defaulters.

They warned that the people would agitate if excessive power outages didn’t end.

The protesters dispersed after additional assistant commissioner Israr Khan, Naurang circle DSP Yousaf Khan and Gambila subdivision Pesco SDO Qazi Abid Noor showed up and assured them of early resolution of the problem.

WOMEN KILLED: Two women were killed and two people, including a woman, suffered injuries in separate firing incidents in Behramkhel locality of Tajori town here on Monday.

The police said Waheedullah allegedly gunned down his sister Nausheen Bibi and injured her husband Gul Ahmad and mother-in-law Islam Bibi in Behramkhel village and fled.

The police said Ayub Khan and Imran allegedly killed Alaf Jan’s daughter Maryam Bibi in her house over an old enmity and fled.

They said they had registered separate cases against suspects and started investigation.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2018