Agitated: Protesters take to Ring Road against outages

Locals says they pay bills and do not steal electricity, still they have to suffer

PESHAWAR: Although the provincial government and Peshawar Electric Supply Company are claiming to have reduced the duration of outages, residents continue to be hassled by long hours of load-shedding in the city.

On Friday, scores of angry residents of Hazar Khwani and Surizai took to Ring Road and blocked it for traffic, leaving vehicles stranded on the thoroughfare.

“People are forced to come on the roads and do such things that create problems for commuters,” said Akbar Khan, an elder of the area who was leading the protest. “We have done so as our patience has reached the brim.”

The protesters claimed they pay bills on time and do not steal electricity hence their areas should not be subjected to long hours of outages as according to Pesco, the area where thefts are high and recovery is less only those will have longer power cuts.

Khan said they will stop paying bills and block GT Road in protest if unannounced load-shedding is not stopped.

One of the protesters, Muhammad Ikram, said the chief minister’s statement regarding reducing load-shedding on dozens of feeders is completely false. “The CM House might be receiving uninterrupted power supply but rest of the people in the city are left to suffer for most part of the day.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2015.