SWABI: The Awami National Party (ANP) on Thursday staged a protest demonstration at Aman Chowk against prolonged and unannounced power loadshedding in the district.
The demonstrators blocked Jehangira Road for all types of traffic, causing long queues of vehicles and severe inconvenience to commuters.
ANP Swabi district president Asif Ur Rehman said that residents of Swabi were facing 18 to 20 hours of daily load-shedding, which amounted to injustice and discrimination against the people of the district.
He said the provincial government was not raising an effective voice for the rights of the people or for the resolution of their basic problems.
Expressing solidarity with journalists of the Swabi Press Club, he said that journalists were being deprived of a government grant and an official building on political grounds, which he strongly condemned.
He demanded that the provincial government and the deputy commissioner immediately hand over the press club building to journalists and provide the press club with an official grant.
ANP district general secretary Nawabzada said that unannounced load-shedding of 18 to 20 hours had made people’s lives miserable and badly affected business activities in the district.
He demanded that the government and Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) authorities immediately end unannounced load-shedding and provide relief to the public.
Nawabzada also announced that the ANP would convene an all-parties conference before Eidul Azha, while a public gathering would be held in Swabi after Eid, to be attended by ANP central president Aimal Wali Khan.
ANP leader Saleem Khan Advocate said that electricity generated from Tarbela Dam was being purchased by the federal government at Rs2 per unit but supplied back to the people of Swabi at Rs56 per unit. However, despite this, the district was facing severe load-shedding.
He said PTI elected representatives claimed that electricity was under the jurisdiction of the federal government.
He questioned that if electricity was under federal control, then why transformers and electricity poles were installed at the residences of elected representatives.
Meanwhile, the sit-in being held by the Action Committee inside the PESCO office against power load-shedding entered its fourth consecutive day. Protesters locked several government offices, severely disrupting official affairs.
