KARAK/PESHAWAR, Aug 7: Hundreds of residents of union councils Bahaderkhel and Nari Panos staged a sit-in outside the offices of district coordination officer here on Tuesday against prolonged power outages, while traders took out a protest procession in Peshawar city circular area of Ganj and threatened complete shutter down strike if loadshedding problem was not resolved.

In Karak, the protesters, led by former nazim union council Nari Panos Rasheed Nawaz and former nazim union council Bahaderkhel Master Zardad, reached the district headquarters in a big vehicular procession and marched to the DCO office where they staged a sit-in protest against 20-hour daily loadshedding in their areas.

The protesters also chanted slogans against the authorities of Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco), Karak.

Speaking on the occasion, the rally leaders alleged that the Pesco officials cut power supply to the two union councils to ensure smooth supply to crush machines in the area in return for heavy bribes. They said that heavy power loadshedding was carried out in their villages throughout the year.

They said that the other day the Pesco officials and Latamber police station SHO had promised with the protestors that deputy manager operation of Pesco, Karak, Mohammad Sadiq would restore normal supply of electricity besides visiting these areas to listen to the complaints of people, but nothing like this happened.

Acting DCO Ali Mohammad went to the protestors and called Mr Sadiq, who apologised for not visiting the area and promised that he would hold an open kutchery in the area today (Wednesday). He promised that genuine problems of people concerning Pesco would be resolved, while extra power supply to crush machines would be stopped immediately.

In Peshwar, traders took out a protest procession on Tuesday against excessive power outages in Ganj area and threatened to observe complete shutter down strike if the problem was not resolved.

President of traders Shahid Khan and general secretary Mian Syed Bacha were leading the protesters, who proceeded from main Ganj area towards G.T. road and on their way more shopkeepers joined the protest. The protesters blocked the road by burning old tyres to protest against inefficiency of the Pesco and the government.

Holding banners and placards inscribed with anti-government slogans, the protesters lamented that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was producing more electricity than its consumption, but still its rulers failed to ensure smooth power supply to its people.

Mr Shahid said that the government was making economic murder of people through prolonged daily loadshedding. He said that 47 main bazaars would be closed down in protest if immediate steps were not taken to reduce loadshedding.