SWAT - The people of Swat staged a protest demonstration against the excessive power loadshedding in the valley. The enraged protestors blocked the Watkay Shahdara Road for all kind of traffic.
While a few days back, people also blocked Saidu Sharif Road for traffic due to prolonged and unscheduled power outages. The protesters chanted slogans against WAPDA, PESCO and both provincial and federal governments.
The speakers said that the prolonged power loadshedding had affected business activities and disturbed the daily routine life of people. They said that power outages had led to serious shortage of potable water in different localities.
A protester Arshad Ali told The Nation that the elected members of Swat MNA Murad Saeed and MPA Fazal Hakim are spending their luxurious lives and they have nothing to do with the worries of local population.
Fazal Rahman Nono, leader of Qaumi Watan Party, told The Nation that the power shutdown duration was being increased with every passing day in the city. "Housewives, students, elderly people, children and patients have been suffering a lot due to power outages but the wapda authorities have no concerns with the worries of locals," he added. Bakht Sher Ali, a businessman, told The Nation that people could not properly take rest at night due to loadshedding, which also affects their physical and mental health.
When XCN Swat Sher Rehman was contacted to get his version about the excessive loadshedding, he did not pick up his cell phone.
People of Swat warned if the government did not improve the electricity condition in the area then they would be compelled to prolong their protest.