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| Excessive loadshedding sparks protests across Peshawar |
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Thursday, August 28, 2008
by Tauseef-ur-Rahman
PESHAWAR: Protest rallies continued across this provincial metropolis Wednesday as the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) failed to ensure an uninterrupted power supply to consumers on the third consecutive day.
The hours-long power shutdowns badly affected the daily life. The electricity breakdowns duration touched over 15 hours in different parts of the city and its suburbs. Complaints of power disruption were received from Hashtnagri, Sethi Town, Garhi Atta Mohammad, Garhi Qamardin, Kohat Road, Dilalazak Road, Saeedabad, Gulberg, Nothia, Lahori Gate, Karimpura and areas close to Ring Road.
The enraged protesters on Wednesday blocked the main GT Road at various points, including Hashtnagri, Gulbahar Chowk, Chamkani, Tarnab Farm and Lala Kalay. The residents of Hazar Khani blocked the Ring Road for over two hours, making the passengers to suffer.
The protesters burnt tyres and chanted slogans against Pesco, for making life miserable for them. Hundreds of people suffered due to blockade of GT Road as people from nearby Tarnab and Chamkani had to walk on foot all the way to the city.
The excessive, unfair and unannounced loadshedding deprived the people not only of electricity but also of drinking water. The protesters asked the Pesco authorities to immediately stop the unbearable power shutdowns or else the responsibility for any untoward incident would squarely rest with the Pesco high-ups, who were turning a blind eye to the sufferings of the people. They also warned, not to pay electricity bills if the Pesco failed to ensure a smooth power supply.
The hot weather added to the miseries of the people, not only affecting routine life but also paralysing business activity. Power outages also created acute water shortages in many areas. Children, students and the elderly people were the worst victims of the Pesco apathy, which has failed to overcome the problem.
When contacted after making several attempts, spokesman for Pesco, Shaukat Afzal could not explain cite cogent reason for prolonged power breakdowns. The official was totally blank about the cause of the unprecedented loadshedding that had forced the people into violent protests.
When requested for his comments again, the Pesco official said overloading might be the apparent problem, hastening to add that situation was not clear and he was not in a position to make a categorical statement.
Regarding suspension of power to five grid stations of NWFP, he said that the power supply was not suspended to the stations completely. The authority switches supply to the grid stations intermittently due to overload, he contended while defending the Pesco policies and actions.
Meanwhile, NWFP Minister Arbab Ayub Jan expressed anguish at the excessive loadshedding, saying the power breakdowns were creating law and order problem for the provincial government. He urged the Pesco authorities to take serious steps, to resolve the power breakdowns issue forthwith.
Peshawar District Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Sabir Hussain Awan termed the frequent loadshedding a conspiracy against the nation. He said NWFP generates electricity and thus has the right to have uninterrupted power supply. In a statement issued here, he said GT Road would be blocked Friday to register protest against the loadshedding.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
