KOHAT: Enraged by prolonged power outages the people and local councillors of Junglekhel blocked the old Kohat-Peshawar road in protest against the Peshawar Electric Supply Company here on Thursday.

MPA Ziaullah Bangash also joined the protesters and condemned the prolonged loadshedding in the area. However, he stopped them from ransacking the local Pesco offices.

The protesters while chanting slogans against the local officials said that loadshedding of 18 to 20 hours had made their lives miserable in the scorching summer and despite their complaints there was no respite in it.

They marched towards the office of the deputy commissioner and staged a sit-in in front of it. During negotiations with DC Zahir Shah Mohmand the MPA on behalf of the protesters was able convince him to bring down loadshedding from 20 hours to 10 hours.

SDO Altaf Hussain, when contacted, said that there was 75 per cent power theft in the area and the feeder of Junglekhel was showing similar loss which forced them to resort to excessive loadshedding.

Answering a question, he said that over 500 theft cases had been detected whereas 60 FIRs were lodged in the police station against the stealers.

MURDER CASE: The city police solved the murder case of a 20-year-old man from Hangu and arrested two accused on Thursday.

DSP city Sona Khan told mediapersons that during investigations of the case one of the accused Jibran, who had been nominated in the FIR, and Ayaz were arrested. He claimed that the two revealed that one Waheed had hired them on payment to kill Suleman of Hangu district so they killed him near Hafizabad and threw his body into an orchard.

The bullet-riddled body was found by police on April 25 last, he said, adding that search had been launched for the arrest of Waheed.

SEMINAR: Speakers at a seminar held in connection with the World Press Freedom Day demanded of the federal and provincial governments to approve journalists’ protection and safety bills besides plots for them.

According to a statement on Thursday, a seminar was held here under the auspices of an NGO at a local hotel which was attended by the local office-bearers of PPP, ANP, PTI and other political parties and local mediapersons.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Abid advocate said that without free press democracy could not be run therefore the government should stop pressurising media houses and workers. He asked the government to provide access to justice to journalists through provision of official prosecutors and separate budget for the purpose.

The local journalists through a unanimous resolution demanded of Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to announce plots for them as promised by his predecessor Ameer Haider Hoti during his visit to Kohat.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2016