KHYBER: Vehicular traffic on the Peshawar-Torkham Highway remained suspended for over two hours on Friday as tribesmen blocked the road to protest long hours of power suspension in Wali Khel area of Landi Kotal.

The tribesmen chanted slogans against both the local grid station staff and the administration officials for failure to curtail the loadshedding duration.

They alleged that grid station staff was taking money from influential people to ensure power supply to them for longer periods, while subjecting the poor residents to almost 18 hours of power suspension and extremely low voltage.

They said the excessive loadshedding and low voltage had resulted in shortage of drinking water.

The road blockade was lifted after an assurance from police officials to look into their demand.

Meanwhile, a tractor fell into a trench at Naway Bagh in Malakdin Khel area of Tirah valley on Friday, killing the driver.

Local residents Talib Jan was working in his fields when he lost control of the tractor due to slippery surface and fell into a trench.

Also in the day, unidentified burglars broke into six shops in Tirah valley and Bara on Thursday night, taking away cash and valuables.

Police said thieves broke the locks of three shops in Lozaka Darra and decamped with cash and items.

Three shops were burgled in Misri Chowk locality of Akkakhel in Bara.

The police registered cases in both the incidents.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2020