PESHAWAR, April 20: Parts of the NWFP, including the provincial capital, remain without electricity for hours daily, resulting in protest demonstrations by consumers.

Information gathered from Peshawar, Swabi, Nowshera and Mardan districts said that duration of power outages had increased with the advent of summer, multiplying problems of people.

Peshawar City District Nazim Haji Ghulam Ali said that most of the 95 union councils of the district remained without power supply for many hours daily.

The nazim said that the power breakdown had become a routine matter and rural union councils of the four towns were the worst hit areas.

The federal minister for political affairs had recently claimed that no unannounced loadshedding would be done anywhere in the province.

He had warned that disciplinary action would be taken against the officials of the area from where complaints of loadshedding were received.

“I ask the federal minister to take action against those officials, who are responsible for 10 to 12-hour daily loadshedding in Peshawar, otherwise, people would have no option but to opt for protest demonstrations,” the nazim said.

He said that Town III, IV and rural parts of the town I were the worst affected areas.

He said that on Thursday women and children staged a demonstration in Tehkal (lower) locality in protest against the power breakdown.

The nazim warned of a severe reaction from people in coming days if the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) did not stop unannounced loadshedding.

Swabi district, comprising 56 union councils, is another district facing hours-long loadshedding.

District Nazim Shahram Khan said that electricity supply remained suspended to the district in day and night, compelling people to come out on roads in protest.

He said that the district council had discussed the matter and it was noticed that the power breakdown would cause a serious law and order issue, if the authorities did not take immediate action.

“I agree that there is shortage of power, but Pesco should at least announce timings of power outages beforehand,” Mr Khan said.

Power supply remains suspended for three hours daily in most of the 45 union councils of the Nowshera district.

According to our Nowshera correspondent, unannounced prolonged spells of loadshedding prompted residents of Akora Khattak to block the Peshawar-Rawalpindi road for almost three hours on Thursday evening.

In the Mardan district, residents of Ghala Dher and Rustam union councils took to the streets on Thursday in protest against hours-long loadshedding.

The protestors blocked the Mardan-Nowshera road for five hours.