SWABI, Feb 28: Protest demonstration against inclusion of fuel surcharge in the power bills continued on fifth straight day on Tuesday as Pesco termed the protests uncalled-for, saying the fuel surcharge was charged countrywide.

Power consumers in Sard Cheena area staged a protest demonstration against the fuel surcharge vowing not to pay the bills until the government withdrew the ‘unjust surcharge’.

The angry protesters were led by the leaders of different political parties, who were chanting slogans against the Wapda and Pesco.

Meanwhile, various delegations met Akhtar Hameed, Pesco Executive Engineer, and apprised him about the people’s problems.

Mr Hameed told the people that actually the decision to include the fuel surcharge in the electricity bills was made by National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) in December last.

However, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government approached the court, adopting the plea that the power produced in the province was hydro and the thermal electricity was not used by the people.

The apex court stayed the inclusion of fuel surcharge in the bills of consumers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. But later the court gave its verdict in favour of Nepra after that the fuel surcharge was included in the bills.

The Pesco officials told this correspondent fuel surcharge had already been transferred to the consumers in Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab. The officials, however, suggested that the fuel surcharge should be divided in easy installments spanning over many months so that consumers could easily pay instead of forcing them to pay the amount in just two months.