LAKKI MARWAT: Residents of rural areas of Bannu blocked the DI Khan Road on Sunday to protest excessive electricity loadshedding.

Residents of Sokari Dandeykhel, Hinjal Noorbaz and Wakilabad areas gathered in front of the Wapda colony on Bannu-DI Khan Road and closed it for vehicular traffic.

The elders said on the occasion that their localities were hit hard by long electricity outages. They alleged that Peshawar Electric Supply Company’s local officials were deliberately carrying out ‘illegal’ power loadshedding in the rural areas.

The said power breakdowns also caused water shortage in the localities as tubewells couldn’t run, and asked the government to take notice of electricity loadshedding.

Later, the protesters opened the road after the officials of Pesco and police held talks with the local elders in the Saddar police station and assured them of cutting the loadshedding time.

PROTEST: The sacked employees of the University of Lakki Marwat staged a demonstration on Monday to demand their reinstatement.

Holding banners and placards, the protesters assembled at the Qazi Ishfaq Chowk and raised slogans in favour of their demands and against the varsity administration.

The sacked employees’ union president Anwar Kamal and others claimed the employees were sacked ‘without’ any reason.

ARRESTED: The Bannu administration arrested seven butchers and confiscated ‘dead’ animals on Monday.

An official said the administration launched the action on information that butchers were taking dead animals to the slaughterhouse.

A team led by additional assistant commissioner Attaullah Khan raided the place on the directives of deputy commissioner Aun Haidar Gondal and arrested the butchers with dead animals, he added.

The official said a case was registered against the butchers.

The additional assistant commissioner said only those butchers having their names in the list issued by the management of the slaughterhouse would be allowed to sell meat in the city bazaars.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2022