SWABI, Feb 13: Leaders of various political parties have demanded that since the country's largest water reservoir, Tarbela Dam, is located in the Swabi district the locals should get the electricity at concession rates.

Speaking at programme here on Sunday the politicians said that people of the district rendered sacrifices for the construction of Tarbela and Ghazi Barotha dams but despite that the locals confronted prolong outages and excessive electricity bills.

The gathering was addressed by PPP-S provincial deputy general secretary Masood Jabar, former education minister and leader of Jamait Ulema-i-Islam-F Maulana Fazal Ali, Awami National Party MNA Pervez Khan advocate, former district nazim Shahram Khan Tarakai and Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf leader Shah Wali.

The leaders were highly critical of the Wapda and the local staff of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) who they alleged always carried out unscheduled loadshedding and sent inflated bills to the consumers.

They even didn't spare poor widows and orphans. Besides, the behaviour of the Pesco staff was rude with the consumers. They pointed out that the Pesco was also imposing unjust fines on consumers.

In a unanimously adopted resolution the political leaders demanded that instead of making consumers to go to Mardan to submit fines, the Pesco should open such facility at the local level.DEATH ANNIVERSARY: The second death anniversary of the founder of the Swabi Qaumi Mahaz (SQM), Dr Muhammad Saleem Khan, was observed on Sunday. Leaders of SQM vowed to work for the completion of his mission.

Family of Dr Saleem who died on Feb 7 had maintained long association with Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan's Khudai Khidmatgar movement and then Awami National Party.

However, differences with the ANP leadership forced him to found SQM in 1997, devoting his life to the cause of the Pakhtuns and working for the progress and prosperity of the district.

His son, Babar Saleem, incumbent chairman of the SQM, criticised the ANP-led provincial government for failing to come up to the expectations of the people.