CHARSADDA: The workers of different political parties staged a sit-in and blocked Mardan Road here on Thursday to protest excessive power loadshedding.
Call for the protest was given by a local alliance of political parties. The protesters staged a protest sit-in outside the office of executive engineer. Several protesters reportedly fell unconscious due to intense heat during the protest. They were shifted to hospital for treatment.
The protest was addressed by Awami National Party leaders Shahzaduddin, Taimur Khan Khattak and Gohar Ayu; Qaumi Watan Party leaders Qaiser Jamal Hashtnaghari, Yahya Jan Mohmand and Wahdat Khan; Jamaat-i-Islami leaders Fawad Ahmad and Naveed Ahmad; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl leader Syed Haleem Shah Bacha; Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders Aziz Khan, Haji Zafar Khan, Asad Khan and Gul Nawaz; Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders Saleem Khan and Irfan Khusro Khan and other political figures including Malik Sajjad, Sajjad Khattak, Ashiq Umarzai and Jahangir Khan Kodakhel.
They said that 18 to 20 hours loadshedding was observed in the district. They said that prolonged power outages amid severe heat had made life of people miserable.
They said that power outages badly affected domestic routines, business activities and water supply. They alleged that Charsadda faced discriminatory treatment in distribution of electricity. They demanded an immediate end to unannounced loadshedding.
Later, the district administration conveyed to the protesters that, on the directives of the chief of Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco), two hours of additional relief would be provided to consumers on each of 33 electricity feeders in Charsadda.
Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2026