PESHAWAR: The excessive power outages amid heatwave marred Eid celebrations in different parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Residents of several villages near the provincial capital on Monday demonstrated on the Ring Road near Dir Colony against the unscheduled power cuts and criticised the Pesco for failing to keep its promise of ensuring smooth power supply during Eid days from June 7 to June 9.

Residents of the Garhi Atta Mohammad, Garhi Hayat Khan, Usmania Town and Dir Colony also blocked the busy Ring Road, complaining about power suspension for 22 hours daily.

The road closure from 11am to 2:30pm troubled commuters and motorists.

Villagers block Peshawar road, flay Pesco, lawmakers

The protesters shouted slogans against Pesco officials and PTI MPA Fazal Ilahi over power outages.

A demonstrator alleged that MPA Ilahi had connived with Pesco for the prolonged power suspension.

He said that the MPA had done nothing for the people of his constituency and was using the issue of power outages as a “tool to maintain his importance.”

“First, the MPA asks Pesco to cut power supply to consumers and then, the consumers request the MPA to force Pesco to restore electricity in their respective areas.”

The residents announced they had planned to demonstrate outside the Adiala Jail to bring the issue to the notice of detained PTI founder Imran Khan.

The MPA was not available for comments.

Amid scorching heat, residents of the interior city areas, including Asia Gate, Guldara, Sarki Gate, Karimabad and Qauidabad, also suffered from power cuts.

“In the summer season, we pay over Rs50,000 power bill every month, but even then, electricity is not supplied to us,” a resident of Qaidabad told Dawn.

He said that Pesco officials falsely used line losses, load management and theft as a justification for power outages.

InSwabi, too, residents complained about excessive power outages during Eid days and said that all that happened despite their “sacrifices” for the construction of Tarbela Dam.

They pointed out that the government had declared uninterrupted power supply on the occasion of Eid, but Swabi people got electricity for a few hours, to their frustration.

The PTI leaders blamed the issue on Wapda, while its rival parties insisted that the Peshawar Electric Supply Company was responsible for the power crisis.

People feared that excessive power outages would spoil the meat from animals sacrificed on Eid as refrigerators didn’t work.

Mayor of Razaar tehsil Ghulam Haqqani said that the PTI leadership’s “true face” had been unmasked by power cuts, which tormented people in the scorching heat.

Residents said that they had sleepless nights and mosquito bites during Eid days in the absence of power supply.

They insisted that most Pesco officials either switched off their mobile phones or didn’t take consumers’ calls.

When contacted, the Pesco officials claimed that power suspension was caused by an “electricity fault” in Burhan area of Punjab and power supply would be restored soon after the fault was rectified.

In Charsadda, power protesters blocked the Dadukle Mandani Road and criticised Pesco over the excessive loadshedding.

They also had heated exchanges with staff members at a local grade station and even beat them up.

The protesters came down hard on Pesco over failure to ensure smooth power supply on Eid despite formal announcement.

They also shouted slogans against the local MNAs and MPAs over failure to ease their misery.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2025