DERA ISMAIL KHAN/LAKKI MARWAT: Traders of Topanwala Bazaar and East Circular Road in Dera Ismail Khan city on Wednesday staged a protest demonstration against unannounced power outages and blocked the road for several hours, while members of the tehsil council in Bannu asked the government to take notice of prolonged outages in urban and rural localities of the district.

In Dera Ismail Khan, the traders protested against the Pesco for unannounced outages and tripping at Topanwala feeder and closed the road to traffic by erecting barricades and setting fire to old tyres. The protesters also chanted slogans against the Pesco.

Local body representatives of nearby neighbourhoods, residents of Mohallah Jogianwala, Liaquat Park area, Gali Neemwali and adjoining areas and traders of East Circular Road took part in the protest besides a large number of people led by neighbourhood council, union council-I, chairman Asif Khan.

They blocked the road in front of Liaquat Park to traffic.

Bannu tehsil council asks govt to take notice of outages

Addressing the protesters, the speakers said the duration of loadshedding had been increased during the Sehr, Iftar and Taraveeh times. They claimed that the Pesco was observing over 16-hour outages daily.

Former MPA Mazhar Jamil Alizai, PML-N leader Roshan Zameer and other political activists participated in the protest.

The traders and residents ended their protest with a warning that if loadshedding was not reduced, a bigger protest would be held tomorrow (Thursday).

According to our Lakki Marwat correspondent, members of the Bannu tehsil council have asked the government to take notice of the prolonged power outages in the district.

The council met at Bacha Khan Hall in Bannu city on Wednesday. Tehsil council chairman Irfan Durrani and TMO Almar Khan were also in attendance.

Taking part in the debate on various public interest issues, the members said the urban and rural areas were hit hard by the electricity loadshedding.

They said power supply remained suspended at Iftar, Sehr and Taraveeh times and the loadshedding was being carried out by the local Pesco authorities. They said the outages had virtually brought routine life and business activities in the district to a standstill.

Mr Durrani said the local government would make efforts to provide civic amenities to the people. Malik Shakil Khan, Sharif Zaman, Mohammad Wakeel Khan and others also spoke on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2022