LAKKI MARWAT: The elders of Sookari area of Bannu have threatened to launch a protest movement if the unscheduled gas and electricity outages do not end forthwith.

The warning came at a meeting held here on Friday.

The participants, including Malik Moeenullah Khan and others, blasted the police for registering cases against the people for blocking roads over gas and electricity outages.

The elders said under an agreement the Pesco and SNGPL authorities had assured them of not carrying out unscheduled loadshedding in the area, but to no avail. They said the excessive outages had added to their troubles.

The elders said women were confronted with numerous problems due to long electricity and gas suspension.

They warned of coming onto the roads again if gas and electricity outages were not stopped.

TRAFFIC PLAN: The police on Friday issued a traffic plan for Bannu city to facilitate motorists and avoid traffic mess in the urban locality.

“The traffic plan was prepared in consultation with the business community, journalists and civil society on the directives of regional police officer Syed Ashfaq Anwar,” district police officer Imran Shahid told mediapersons.

He said the city had been divided into three sectors, where sector in-charges along with wardens had been deployed to regulate traffic.

Additionally, he said, motorcycle squads would patrol the area to ensure implementation of the traffic laws and issue tickets to violators. He said several routes had been declared one-way and forklift trucks had been provided to each sector.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2022