SWABI: The protest against prolonged and unannounced power outages continued for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, as demonstrators staged a sit-in inside the office of Peshawar Electric Supply Company in Swabi.
The protesters also blocked government employees from entering their offices, bringing official work to a complete standstill. Despite four rounds of negotiations between the protesters and the PESCO administration, the talks failed to produce any breakthrough.
Speaking to reporters, Action Committee Swabi spokesperson Saleem Khan blamed PESCO and the provincial government for the ongoing unannounced load-shedding. He alleged that PESCO was operating under the influence of the provincial government, while elected public representatives had remained silent on the issue.
He urged former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, MNA Shahram Khan Tarakai and provincial minister Aqibullah Khan to join the protest and support the people in resolving the issue.
Saleem Khan Advocate alleged that 18 megawatts of electricity generated from the Gadoon Power Station was being supplied to three industrial units, while certain officials were allegedly receiving Rs400 million per month in return. He claimed that if Asad Qaiser was not involved in the matter, he should stand with the protesters and support efforts to stop electricity supply to the industrial units.
He warned that the Action Committee would continue its protest and sit-in until its demands regarding excessive loadshedding were accepted.
