MANSEHRA: Traders on Thursday urged the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) to do away with the prolonged power outages in Shinkiari and adjoining areas here and warned if that didn’t happen, they would observe a shutter-down strike and block the Karakoram Highway.

The warning was issued by trader leader Zohaib Khan during a jirga in Shinkiari, where Pesco chief engineer Attaur Rehman, deputy superintendent of police Jehanzeb Khan Tanoli and other officials were also in attendance.

Mr Zohaib said the excessive power cuts and line maintenance permits by Pesco had badly hit businesses.

He said the Pesco chief engineer had promised to suspend power supply as scheduled by the main office in Peshawar but if the promise wasn’t kept, the traders would observe a complete shutter-down strike and block the KKH.

Sarafa Association president Mazhar Bashir Awan told participants that daily line maintenance permits should be issued by the Pesco and that the maintenance should take place on six days only.

He said power cuts coupled with hot and humid weather kept customers from shops and trader centres.

Pesco official Attaur Rehman said prolonged power outages won’t happen in Shinkiari and adjoining areas, while the line maintenance permits would be valid for seven days with reduced duration.

He said the public utility had planned replacement of old power lines and the shifting of transmission load from the city through installation of over a dozen heavy transformers.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2023