By by Qaiser Khan Afridi
The frequent hours-long electricity breakdown and gas supply-drop and low pressure coupled with severe winter due to downpour have made life miserable for the residents of Peshawar and adjoining areas.
The residents of Gulbahar, Charsadda Road, Nauthia, Gulberg, Faqirabad, Hashtnagri and Hayatabad areas of Peshawar were either facing low gas pressure or complete suspension.
The domestic consumers came out of their houses across Peshawar and staged protest demonstrations against the unscheduled and prolonged loadshedding and low gas pressure.
The industries are also facing difficult situation as their production has witnessed a steep decline leading to the cancellation of export orders worth millions of rupees.
Viewing the president’s directives sarcastically, people from various walks of life said despite his orders to end the unannounced gas load-shedding across the country and ensure uninterrupted supply to domestic consumers, the people were still facing the worst load-shedding.
Former federal minister and provincial president of the Pakistan Muslim league-Quaid, Ameer Muqam said the people were bearing the brunt of the inefficient policies of the incumbent government.
He said during the previous government, the electricity production was 15,000 mega watts (MW), which plummeted to 5,000 MW under the present government and as a result the people were going through the ordeal of 20 hours power cuts daily.
The former minister went on to say that not only the commoners were hit hard by the energy crisis but also the local industry was on the verge of closure.
“I challenge the rulers for a face-to-face discussion that there was no dearth of electricity in the country and that all the problems were being created artificially.”
Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Sharafat Ali Mubarik told ‘The News’ Saturday that the government had so far failed to provide power and gas to the people.
Pouring scorn over the President’s directives, he said: “Even gas was not available at my home the entire day and my family had to face problems.”
About the current condition of the Frontier industry, he said electricity was suspended to the Gadoon and Risalpur industrial estates all the day, which badly affected the units.
“Wapda authorities should at least provide us one shift - eight hour - uninterrupted power so that we manage export target to some extent, if not fully,” he said.
He said they had formed a coordination committee at the SCCI level to devise their future line of action, including protest demonstrations against the power and gas shortage.
“The hours long loadshedding has disrupted my business. Wapda is bent on mentally torturing us despite the fact that there was no dearth of electricity in the country,” Saleem Khan, a shopkeeper at Saddar bazaar, told ‘The News’.
He criticised the government, which he said had failed on every count as it could neither control prices, nor could it protect lives and property of citizens and provision of gas and electricity.
“I was unable to wash clothes because of power outages all the day,” Mrs Zahid, a housewife, said and added that without electricity, home appliances like juicers, grinders, ovens, iron, etc did not work.
She said they could not cook food on chilly Saturday because of excessive power and gas load-shedding. She demanded of the government to have pity on the people and provide them at least the basic amenities.