LAKKI MARWAT: Residents of around a dozen villages of Darra Tang union council closed the Bannu-Mianwali road to traffic here on Friday to protest disconnection of power supply to their rural localities.

The protesters reached Lakki city from their villages in vehicles and staged a sit-in at Qazi Ishfaq Chowk. They carried banners inscribed with their demand for restoration of electricity supply.

The busy road connecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Punjab remained closed for nearly three hours causing problems for the transporters and commuters. The public transport vehicles from Bannu and Tank districts also used this artery for going to Islamabad through the CPEC route.

Local government representatives and activists of political parties and civil society also joined the demonstration to express solidarity with the protesters.

Say several villages of Darra Tang UC without power for over a month

On this occasion, the elders said the residents of around a dozen remote rural localities had been facing numerous problems for the last over a month due to disconnection of power supply.

They said the local Pesco officials had disconnected the supply on the pretext of power theft in the rural areas.

They said the authorities concerned should launch action against the power thieves and defaulters instead of depriving the entire population of electricity.

The elders said that prolonged disconnection of power supply had also caused water shortage in the area as tubewells could not be operated. They said that people were forced to buy water.

They asked the government to direct the quarters concerned to immediately restore power supply to their villages.

SECRETARY’S VISIT: Provincial secretary irrigation Mohammad Ayaz Khan checked availability and prices of essential commodities during a visit to Ramazan Sasta Bazaar in Lakki Marwat city on Friday.

Additional deputy commissioner Anwar Khan, district food controller Aman Khan and other officials accompanied him.

Mr Ayaz also inspected the flour sale points and arrangements made by the administration there for provision of subsidised flour to people.

He asked the district to ensure provision of relief to citizens during Ramazan.

He also directed the authorities concerned to take stern legal action against those involved in artificial price hike and profiteering.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2022