KHYBER/BAJAUR: Protesters in Jamrud and Bara tehsils on Saturday ended their protest against the excessive loadshedding after officials of the Tribal Areas Electric Supply Company (Tesco) and district administration promised to restore power supply for six hours daily.

The tribal elders assured them that the people won’t use high-voltage electric appliances, especially heaters for cooking at home, during those hours.

Kukikhel elder Malik Naseer warned that if the electric supply company flouted the agreement, the people would resume street protest and boycott anti-polio campaigns and won’t hold dialogue anymore.

The agreement in Jamrud was written on a stamp paper and signed by 10 Kukikhel elders, the Tesco SDO and Jamrud’s assistant commissioner and SHO. The Bara sit-in was called off afterwards.

Tesco promises to restore power supply for six hours daily

Chairman of the Bara local body Mufti Kafeel confirmed the development and said loadshedding for 18 hours daily would be notified next week.

However, power protesters in Landi Kotal refused to end their sit-in and linked it to the issuance of notification by the Tesco.

Leader of protesters Shah Hussain Shinwari, who was also part of the dialogue, said people didn’t trust the Tesco and administration and needed a proper notification for six-hour electric supply to them daily.

Tesco recently announced it would suspend electric supply 22 hours daily due to the federal government’s refusal to provide them with “subsidy in lieu of free electricity for domestic consumers in tribal districts.”

It has already installed digital power meters at all commercial centres and government buildings and installations and wanted to do so for domestic consumers as well.

Tribesmen have opposed the installation of power meters at their homes.

Meanwhile, confusion prevailed about the resumption of commercial supplies to Afghanistan via Torkham border after protesters cleared the main road in Jamrud tehsil after four days of blockade.

However, protesters in Landi Kotal stayed put at their Hamza Baba Chowk camp.

Also in the day, residents took to the streets in Utmankhel tehsil of Bajaur tribal district against prolonged power suspension and blocked the main Bajaur-Mardan Highway for around two hours.

Demonstrations in Bandagai and Gardai areas attracted people in large numbers.

The participants shouted slogans against Tesco over the suspension of electric supply to their areas for several weeks.

They said besides Utmankhel tehsil, the areas located along the main Bajaur-Mardan Highway had no electricity for several weeks with no technical fault in transmission lines.

The protesters said the prolonged power outage had paralysed life and if the issue wasn’t resolved as demanded by the residents, they would stage more rallies.

However, they dispersed peacefully, reopening the highway after a team of district administration and police led by additional assistant commissioner Sanaullah promised them an immediate resolution of the issue.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2023