LOWER DIR/SWAT: Scores of power consumers from different villages of Lajbok Dara in Lower Dir staged a protest rally against Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) outside Timergara Press Club on Thursday.

Led by Jamaat-i-Islami local leader Advocate Imranud Din, the protesters chanted slogans against Pesco executive engineer and demanded his immediate replacement. The rally was also addressed by former tehsil councillor Saiful Islam, Ikramud Din, Adnan Ahmad and others.

They alleged that electricity was supplied to thousands of villagers in Lajbok Dara for only four hours. Later on speaking at a news conference, they said that duration of power outage was increased to 20 hours a day.

They said that consumers were facing hardships in the chilly winter due to prolonged power cuts.

They said that they were paying their electricity bills regularly and none of them had any outstanding amount.

They said that they would again take to streets if the problem was not resolved soon. They also threatened to besiege Pesco offices in Timergara if power loadshedding didn’t end by January 8.

In Swat, the residents of various areas and local businessmen said that prolonged power outages were badly impacting routine life.

They said that they were dealing with unannounced and prolonged power outages. They said that business activities were also affected badly by prolonged power loadshedding.

Amir Zada, a tailor in Saidu Sharif, said that it was nearly impossible to operate sewing machines without smooth power supply. He said that he could not fulfil the orders, placed with him owing to power outages.

“We have many orders but we cannot repair a single appliance in a day because of unannounced and prolonged power outages,” Iqbal Khan, a local electrician, said.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2024