Peshawar protesters take to streets

The exasperated power consumers on Monday came out on different thoroughfares, created hurdles for vehicular traffic by pelting stones, burning tyres which also led to exchange of fire between police and public on Ring Road. Entire main roads including Ring Road, Motorway, Charsadda Road, Namak Mandi Road and Dalazak Road remained closed for hours by the emotionally charged power consumers who continuously shouted slogans against Awami National Party and Pakistan People Party.
The situation at Ring Road became very tense when some civilian and police exchanged fire shots at a time while police tried to open the one lane of the road leading to Hayatabad. The residents of various localities including Achini Bala, Achini Payan, Haji Banda, Sango, Landi Bala, Sarband, Shaikhan created hurdles by placing boulders in middle of the roads from 7am to mid day. The areas' elders including former Sango Nazim Waheed Khan Khalil, Haji Nazar Khan, Haji Saeed, Haji Abid, Haji Masoom Shinwari and Arbab Imdad led processions.
While speaking on the occasion the elders said that power supply remained suspended for 18 to 20 hours and restored in intervals for such short times that they could pump up water from the wells. "We are forced to fetch water from far-off areas where the people have personal generator arrangement on their tube wells," they said.
Haji Waheed said no body wanted to stand under the scorching sun for protest but the people had been left with this option because no one was there to listen to them. "We held meeting with the relevant officials of Peshawar Electric Supply Company and they assured us of solution to the problems but to no avail," he said.
Similarly, Jan Mohammad of Warsak Road said that loadshedding in Sehri and Iftar was in violation of the government order and the area people had decided to besiege the office of Pesco Chief. The long protest also caused immense problems for the transporters and private vehicles as they had to remain in long queues on both sides of the road till disperse of the protestors.