KHYBER: Scores of Tor Khel tribesmen held a protest demonstration in Jamrud here on Saturday against prolonged electricity loadshedding and resultant water shortage in their area.

The protesters set up a camp along the main Peshawar-Torkham Highway holding black flags and banners and chanting slogans in support of their demand to curtail the loadshedding duration.

They said power supply to Gharreza locality remained suspended for almost a week which had also resulted in acute shortage of drinking water.

They said that a number of children and women were affected with water-borne diseases as they were compelled to consume rainwater accumulated in ponds.

The Tor Khel tribesmen warned of blocking the Peshawar-Torkhum Highway and boycotting the anti-polio vaccination campaign in the coming days if their demand was not met by the authorities.

Meanwhile, the Akkakhel tribe of Dars Jumaat locality in Tirah valley also announced boycotting the polio vaccination drive till completion of damage assessment survey of their militancy affected houses and payment of compensation to them.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2021