CHARSADDA: Political parties have threatened to stage an indefinite sit-in outside the office of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company’s executive engineer here from Aug 13 if the company fails to provide at least two hours’ relief in prolonged power cuts in the district.

They met Deputy Commissioner Fazal Rahim Marwat here on Monday and apprised him of the decision regarding the protest taken during a multiparty conference the other day.

They told the DC that they had already held several protests and sit-ins against prolonged loadshedding in the district. They said the Pesco executive engineer had earlier assured them that two hours’ relief in power cuts would be provided to consumers, but to no avail.

The deputy commissioner sought an explanation from Pesco executive engineer Qazi Faheem, who was also summoned to his office, regarding the loadshedding schedule.

Mr Faheem told the meeting that around 70 per cent of electricity in Charsadda was being stolen, creating serious difficulties for the power utility.

The deputy commissioner questioned why the task force against power theft was not active in the district and directed the relevant authorities to take immediate action against electricity theft.

He assured the Pesco official that the district administration would extend full cooperation to the power utility’s teams in their operations against power theft and the so-called kunda (illegal connection) culture.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Shehzaduddin of ANP and Fawad Ahmad of JI said that Mr Marwat had assumed charge as deputy commissioner only a day earlier and, therefore, they had brought their concerns to his notice.

COUNTERFEIT MEDICINES: The health department has launched an inspection of several medical stores in the district following complaints about alleged presence and sale of counterfeit medicines.

Sources said the complaint was brought to the notice of health secretary Fayyaz Ali Shah during his visit to the District Headquarters Hospital here on Sunday.

Taking notice of the complaint, the health secretary directed the drug director to inspect the relevant medical stores and collect samples of the medicines for laboratory examination.

A team equipped with a mobile drug-testing laboratory subsequently visited Charsadda and inspected several medical stores. The team collected samples of different medicines, which will be sent for detailed laboratory analysis.

According to the health department, it would be premature to declare the medicines counterfeit until the laboratory tests are completed.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2026