CHARSADDA: Leaders of different political parties, civil society members and residents staged a demonstration here on Tuesday against prolonged and unscheduled electricity loadshedding and imposition of what they said illegal fines on people in Shabqadar.

Addressing the protesters, Awami National Party leader Syed Zakir Bacha, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz district president Rahmat Ali Khan Mohmand, Qaumi Watan Party’s Gul Yusuf Mohmand and Jamaat-i-Islami’s Amir Qari Shafiullah said despite crackdown on electricity thieves and recovery of millions of rupees from defaulters, duration of electricity loadshedding in Shabqadar tehsil had been increased.

They said over 20 hours of loadshedding was being carried out on all the feeders in Shabqadar, making lives of consumers miserable.

They said prolonged and excessive loadshedding at night had worsened security situation in the area as robbers and bandits were taking advantage of the blackout and robbing people in the streets.

They alleged local Peshawar Electric Supply Company officials put the burden on consumers just to save their skins for the line losses. They warned that Pesco officials would be held responsible for the bad law and order situation in the area due to blackouts at night. They said local Pesco officials and authorities were filing baseless cases against consumers on charges of default and electricity theft, but failed to bring the real thieves and defaulters to justice.

The protesters demanded of the Pesco chief and top officials of the Task Force to take action against incompetent Pesco officials in Shabqadar, demanding their transfer as soon as possible. The speakers asked the Pesco officials to improve their performance by taking action against thieves and defaulters, while refraining from ‘teasing’ consumers paying bills on time.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2023