Anti-loadshedding protesters shut Peshawar Motorway

People of Peshawar came out on the streets against the heavy load shedding of electricity and blocked the motorway for traffic on Tuesday morning.

According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, due to the sit-in of the protesters in a big number the Motorway M1 from Peshawar Toll Plaza to Charsadda Interchange was closed to all traffic.

The channel reported that the people of Akbarpur and Badhai areas are included in the protest against load shedding and blocked Motorway M1 from Peshawar Toll Plaza.

As per the channel report, Peshawar Motorway Police and district administration officers reached the spot and started negotiations with the locals to end their protest.

Yesterday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur along with Energy Minister Awais Leghari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held a joint press conference regarding solving the issues of electricity load shedding.

The energy minister said power theft was a national issue and the Centre would be able to overcome load shedding and other issues with the help of the provinces, especially KP province.

The Energy Minister announced working together with the KP Chief Minister, adding, “We will solve the problems of electricity theft and load shedding together”.

The federal minister said that he and the KP chief minister will be going to hold another meeting and hoped that they would resolve the due demand of the people of KP.

Three days ago on May 25, amid prolonged load shedding, people took to the street and got into Rehman Baba Grid Station in Peshawar and restored electricity.

A member of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly (MPA) Fazal Elahi belonging to PTI led a protest against power outages in Peshawar, forcing the grid station officials to restore electricity.

The protesters, accompanied by Elahi, forcibly entered the station and switched on nine feeders, which are considered high-loss feeders due to extensive electricity theft and unpaid bills.

"The feeders activated include those in Hazarkhwani, Yakatoot, Akhunabad, New Chamakani, Surizai Bala, Shalozan, and Qalandarabad," the Pesco spokesperson said.

Later, the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) has sought a first information report (FIR) against PTI MPA Fazal Elahi for forcibly activated feeders at the grid station.

Reporter: Amir Shehzad