Traders demand halt to prolonged load-shedding

MANSEHRA: Traders have demanded the government to stop prolonged and unscheduled load-shedding, otherwise they would observe a complete shutter-down strike and stage demonstrations.

“The business community has already been suffering the brunt of the coronavirus lockdown for the last one year and ongoing 10 hours daily load-shedding has devastated our businesses,” Sheikh Kamran, the president of local traders union, said on Sunday.

Led by Kamran, a group of traders said that Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (Pesco) suspended electricity in the city and its suburbs from 8am to 2pm and four more hours intermittently. “The government says that there is no electricity load-shedding in the country but contrary to its claim, Pesco is observing 10 hours long load-shedding a day. If Pesco doesn’t mend its ways, we will observe a shutter down strike,” said Kamran.Also in the day, a group of domestic consumers from the city union councils-2 and 3 told reporters that they were suffering multiple problems because of prolonged load-shedding. “We will take to the streets if Pesco doesn’t end the prolonged power outages in the city and its suburbs,” said Mohammad Jibran, a local resident. He said that children, women and elderly people couldn’t stay at homes amid scorching heat because of the electricity suspension.