BAJAUR: The residents of Utmankhel in Bajaur tribal district take to streets on Wednesday against suspension of power supply to the area for the last several days.

The demonstration was held in Qazafi, the main locality of the region. It was attended by scores of residents of various villages. The protesters chanted slogans against Tribal Electric Supply Company (Tesco) and burnt tyres.

They said that power supply had been suspended to the area for the last 10 days owing to unknown reasons. They said that they approached the local Tesco office but the officials neither informed them about causes of power suspension, nor restored the electricity.

They said that there was acute shortage of drinking water in the area owing to suspension of electricity. They also said that the quota of subsidised flour allocated to the area was insufficient.

The local traders also expressed concerns over the prolonged power breakdown and threatened to hold protest if the issue was not resolved.

GUTTED: A crockery shop was gutted after it caught fire due to unknown reason at Khar Bazaar.

The traders said the incident occurred in Arab Gul Market late on Tuesday night. They said that electrical fault could be possible cause of the fire eruption.

The affected shopkeeper, Nisar Badshah, said that goods worth Rs1million to Rs5 million were destroyed by the fire. He urged government and well off people to extend financial help to him.

Officials of district administration visited the affected shop and expressed sympathy with the shopkeeper. They pledged to make all out efforts to compensate the affected trader.

Meanwhile, the first ever shelter home in Bajaur tribal district has become functional as scores of people have started staying in it.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Fayyaz Khan said that the shelter home established at Jinnah Bus Terminal some two days ago was made functional on Tuesday evening. He said that beds, mats, food and clean dirking water were provided to homeless people in the shelter house.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2020