Daylong power outages: Traders threaten to observe shutter down strike

MANSEHRA: The traders on Wednesday warned Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) to end the daylong suspension of electricity under the pretext of repairs and tree trimming, otherwise, they would observe a complete shutter-down strike.

“Pesco imposes daylong power outages every alternate day, severely affecting our business activities. If these prolonged power cuts are not stopped, we will observe a shutter-down strike and take to the streets in protest,” Sheikh Kamran Iqbal Rajput, president of the traders’ body, told reporters here.

Accompanied by a group of traders, he said that for the past two weeks, Pesco had been suspending electricity supply in Abbottabad, Channia, and other parts of the city causing disruptions to businesses and daily life.

“Pesco officials had assured traders that electricity would not be suspended between 8am and 5pm, yet the city and its surrounding areas continue to experience prolonged blackouts,” Rajput said.

Another traders’ leader, Iftikhar Afzal Jehangiri said that Pesco had also imposed daylong power outages on February 11 and 13.“Our businesses are already struggling due to record-high inflation, and these additional challenges are making survival even harder,” he added.

Jehangiri further stated that businesses reliant on electricity remained completely shut due to the prolonged outages.“Both domestic and commercial consumers have regularly been paying their electricity bills, yet we are still subjected to these daylong power cuts.

This is nothing but an attempt to deprive traders of their livelihoods,” he went on to add.Zakat committees: Meanwhile, the electioneering to elect chairmen for local Zakat committees in 168 areas has been completed, and the distribution of charity will begin shortly across the district.

“We have yet to schedule elections for local Zakat committees in the snowbound Kaghan Valley and 20 other areas where the process could not be completed due to local issues,” Zulfiqar Khan Swati, chairman of the District Zakat Committee told reporters here.Zulfiqar Khan Swati said that for the first time, an election process was initiated to elect chairmen for as many as 190 local Zakat committees in the district.