SWABI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders and workers on Monday staged a sit-in near the entrance to Tarbela Dam to protest prolonged power cuts in the district.

Led by provincial minister Aqibullah Khan and MPA Rangaiz Ahmad Khan, the PTI leaders and workers marched towards the Tarbela Dam in a rally.

Insiders said that the protest was called to demand the implementation of the agreement reached with Peshawar Electric Supply Company in May to help end long power cuts.

Chanting slogans against Pesco for ‘forced’ loadshedding and overbilling, the protesters said that the federal government was responsible for their woes.

Addressing the protesters, Aqibullah said that Tarbela Dam, situated in Swabi, provided cheap electricity to the entire country, but residents were made to brave hours-long power cuts in sweltering summer heat. He said that the residents of Swabi faced 18 hours of power cuts daily.

“People are facing severe difficulties due to prolonged power outages,” he added.

Rangaiz Khan said that they would expand the protest and continue holding the sit-in outside the Tarbela Dam if the issue of electricity loadshedding and overbilling was not resolved.

The protesters held talks with the dam officials and handed them a charter of demands that sought reducing the duration of power cuts, repairing the faulty transformers, replacing old transmission lines and doing away with overbilling and low voltage.

The officials assured the protesters that they would spare no effort to resolve the issues.

Later, the protesters dispersed peacefully.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2026