Students perturbed over power loadshedding during night times

Rawalpindi
As annual examinations drawing near, including Rawalpindi Board and Federal Board matriculation examinations, the candidates are finding it hard to prepare for them only because of excessive loadshedding of electricity by Iesco particularly in night hours.
At present, people of twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad are facing 6 to 7 hours of power loadshedding which is being done after every two hours in the day and night time. The process of power suspension starts from ‘Fajr’ prayers exactly at 6 a.m. and continues till late night i.e. at 11 p.m. The students after attending their educational institutions reach home at about 3 p.m. and after having two to three hours rest start preparations for their examinations scheduled to commence in March, this year. Ironically, they face the problem of power breakdown done at Maghrib prayers timings lasting for one hour, which stops the candidates from preparing for their exams. Similarly, the process of continuous break downs continue after every two hours which means at night time four hours of students are wasted, making them impossible to study.
A large number of students having no facility of UPS and generators have voiced concerned over the schedule timings of power loadshedding at night time which wastes their precious time.
Rabab, a tenth year student residing at New Lalazar, expressing her annoyance over power breakdowns after every two hours particularly at night time and said that the final examinations of Rawalpindi Board are commencing in 2nd week of March but they are getting little time to prepare due to loadshedding. Lots of chapters of different subjects are still left to study but the Iesco while resorting to loadshedding at night timings is making the situation very difficult for us to study, she said.
Maryam Khan, a student of 10 class in a private school and candidate of matriculation exam also voiced concern over timings of power shutdowns. At day time, we after returning from school find no time to prepare for examinations because of household chores. Similarly, after relaxing for one to two hours, when she begins to study from Maghrib timings, power supply is suspended because of loadshedding. Because of not having UPS and generator, she fails to make preparations because of darkness.
Other school students whose annuals examinations commencing in March made similar views over loadshedding at night time.
Besides the students, their parents as well as teachers said that the current breakdowns of power at night hours is causing hardships for students making them unable to prepare properly and give time to studies.
Representatives of All Punjab Teachers Association and Punjab SES Educational Institutions including Saghir Aalam and Shafiq Bulawaliya called upon the concerned authorities in the governments and Iesco to realize the situation and in the interest of the students end loadshedding at night times, enabling them to prepare for the examinations properly.