GT Road blocked in Nowshera against loadshedding

NOWSHERA: A large number of people from Kaka Sahib covered a 16-kilometre distance and staged a protest against the hours-long electricity loadshedding on the Grand Trunk (GT) Road at Shobra Chowk here on Tuesday.

Former naib nazims Mian Aneesuddin Kakakhel, Abdul Manan, Maulana Shahjehan, Imdadullah, Sadaqat Ali Shah, Mian Hanif and others spearheaded the protest rally.

The protestors, while holding banners and posters inscribed with demands, also blocked the GT Road for several hours for traffic at Shobra Chowk and chanted slogans against the government and Peshawar Electric Supply Company for frequent power outages.

The angry protesters later went to Bypass Road and also blocked it for traffic coming from Islamabad, Mardan, Peshawar and elsewhere to Nowshera.

The protesters flayed the Pesco officials for excessive load-shedding. They said the loadshedding had led to a shortage of drinking water and the situation could trigger violence in the area.

They alleged that Pesco linemen were going to a number of residences in the district and taking bribes from the power thieves.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader, Ikhtiar Wali also rushed to the spot and joined the protesters to express solidarity with them.

The protesters ended the protest after holding successful talks with the District Police Officer Najmul Hasnain, Assistant Commissioner Talha Zubair, Pesco Xen Shahid Afridi.

Meanwhile, commuters and passengers, including elderly people, men, women and children suffered great hardships due to roads blockade in the scorching heat.