In the dark: Shabqadar to suffer through 20 hours of daily power outages

Residents threaten mass protests against prolonged load-shedding

SHABQADAR: PESCO has announced load shedding of 20 hours in Shabqadar tehsil. Power supply will be cut all day to fulfill the government’s promise to supply electricity during Sehri and Iftar.

Locals are planning a large scale protest against PESCO and the ruling PTI.

Faheem Khan, a hemophilia patient and youth councillor Shabqadar, told The Express Tribune that, “Due to no electricity, I have to keep my blood plasma in the freezer of a marble factory as only they receive uninterrupted electricity. I have contacted a local LG councilor to organise a protest against heavy load shedding in the area.”

According to a resident of Shabqadar, “MNA Aftab Sherpao, MPA Arif Ahmad Zai and PESCO officials live in Islamabad and Peshawar and have left the locals without power supply.” Like Faheem, many Shabqadar youths have directed their anger towards authorities and have announced a protest against PESCO officials.



PTI Charsadda student wing president Kamran Khan Haleemzai said, “We have summoned a party meeting under the MPA to find a solution to prolonged load shedding”.

According to officials at the Shabqadar Grid station, Ramazan timings for load shedding are from 3 am till 7 pm. However, as promised by the authorities, power will be available during iftari and sehri. As a result, there will be electricity available from 7pm to 10 pm and 2:30 am to 3am.

Residents are facing issues like the shortage of water at mosques and houses due to power failures. Some of the men choose to head to River Kabul and Swat, while the women and children are left to suffer at home.

Mian Mirrajuddin, an ANP tehsil council member, said, “before Ramzan, Shabqadar used to have 18 hours of load shedding and the local political leadership already announced timings for Ramazan.” He added the tehsil council nazim has called on LG members to help PESCO recover power supply. However, the power utility’s actions go against the solution to the power failure. “We have no other option apart from taking over the grid station to provide uninterrupted power.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2016.