MANSEHRA: Residents, including members of the business community, on Thursday took to the streets and blocked the main artery to protest prolonged and unscheduled power outages in Khaki and its suburbs here.

“Our businesses have adversely been affected due to prolonged and unscheduled power cuts, along with daylong loadshedding every alternate day under the guise of transmission line faults,” district president of the Flour Mills Association Mohammad Bashir Awan told protesters.

The demonstrators, holding banners and placards, marched through roads in Khaki and its adjoining areas, shouting slogans against the government and the Hazara Electric Supply Company.

Mr Awan said concerns about the frequent and excessive power suspension were raised frequently but officials often justified them due to the trimming of tree branches, so their pleas went unheard.

Threaten to block KKH if issue not addressed

“Our mills have remained non-operational for entire days over the past several weeks, rendering labourers and staff jobless. We cannot even meet our overhead expenses in such circumstances,” he said.

Saifur Rehman, president of the traders’ body in Khaki, also condemned the prolonged power outages in Khaki and Perhana, saying both the business community and households were suffering.

“The government has made tall claims about addressing electricity-related issues of traders, but nothing has changed. We are still facing the brunt of these outages,” he said.

Meanwhile, the district administration on Thursday announced multiple measures for the welfare of prisoners and resolution of water, electricity and sanitation issues at the Upper Kohistan district jail.

“It rarely happens here that a deputy commissioner visits the jail and listens to the problems of inmates, but I believe in ensuring better accommodation and other services for prisoners serving their terms,” deputy commissioner of Upper KohistanTariq Ali Khantold an open forum held with prisoners at the district jail in Dasu, the district headquarters.

The prisoners raised issues regarding the unavailability of clean water, electricity and even lavatories.

“I understand the points you have raised as this facility doesn’t even have a boundary wall, but I am going to order the preparation of a PC-I to ensure foolproof security here,” Mr Khan said.

He added that while police efficiently ensured the facility’s security, the jail’s security would be further strengthened after the construction of a boundary wall.

Meanwhile, on the orders of the deputy commissioner, the communication and works department launched the reconstruction of the central bridge and a section of road washed away by flash floods three weeks ago in the Uchar Nullah area of Upper Kohistan.

The road link of dozens of villages with the Karakoram Highway had been suspended after the floods swept away the bridge and a section of the road.

Published in Dawn, August 22th, 2025