MANSEHRA: The Oghi tehsil council has demanded of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) to end prolonged and unscheduled power outages in the area.

“This forum warns Pesco to immediately do away with the prolonged and unscheduled power outages in Oghi otherwise we will be left with no option but to initiate a wheel-jam protest across the tehsil,” Nawabzada Hassam, chairman of the Oghi tehsil council, told the session here on Friday.

The meeting, chaired by Mr Hassam, unanimously passed a resolution demanding the provincial government intervene to ensure an end to the prolonged power outages.

“Commercial and domestic consumers have been paying hefty utility bills every month, yet they continue to endure 10 to 12 hours of power outages,” he said.

Assistant Commissioner Fahad Zia, Deputy Superintendent of Police Waheed Khan Swati, Pesco’s Superintendent Mohammad Naveed, Grid Station In-Charge Nisar Khan, and heads of devolved departments also attended the session.

Speaking on the occasion Dr Wajid a tehsil council member and chairman of the Oghi neighbourhood council condemned power outages.

“People are frustrated with the unprofessional attitude of Pesco officials here and in Peshawar. Despite repeated commitments and announcements, the power outage schedule remains unchanged, causing immense distress to locals,” he said.

Dr Wajid warned that if prolonged and unscheduled loadshedding persisted, the people of Oghi would besiege Pesco’s offices.

Ijaz Ahmad, another tehsil council member, criticised Pesco for suspending power supply throughout the day.

“We will not allow Pesco to suspend electricity for the entire day under the guise of trimming tree branches along the Oghi-Mansehra and other roads in the tehsil,” he said.

INJURED: A police constable and a narcotics dealer suffered critical injuries on Friday when the accomplices of the latter opened fire on a police team during a raid.

“A policeman sustained critical bullet wounds when drug peddlers fired at the raiding police personnel,” DPO Shafiullah Khan Gandapur told reporters.

He said a raid was conducted in the Batdarian area to arrest an narcotics peddler Saifur Rehman, but his accomplices attacked the police party.

The DPO said that constable Mohammad Mushtaq was seriously injured and was rushed to King Abdullah Teaching Hospital.

“Saifur Rehman, who also sustained bullet wounds by fires of his accomplices, was arrested while fleeing and shifted to King Abdullah Teaching Hospital,” he said.

He said that the attackers fled.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2024