RAWALPINDI, Oct 23: More than half of the Cantonment and one-fourth of city areas remained without power supply for five hours on Thursday, making the life paralysed.

The electricity supply went off at 7.30am and remained suspended till 12.30 pm, affecting the work badly in academic institutions, government offices, financial institutions and business activities.

An official of the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) said the power supply to Cantonment grid from the Rawat transmission line suddenly disconnected in the morning for the reason known to the National Power Control Centre (NPCC) in Islamabad which controls the supply of electricity.

The post of general manager NPCC is still vacant despite the fact that the control centre plays a major role in the distribution of power. The NPCC is the authority which suspends and restores power supply. No official of the control centre was available for comments on quite a long power breakdown, affecting major part of the Cantonment and city.

Due to the power breakdown business activities remained lull, while work in the offices, including public dealing offices, remained suspended during working hours.

Educational institutions in the Cantonment areas were particularly hard hit by the power outage. Business community and residents expressed anguish over the situation and poor response of the concerned authorities to the problem.

There are 35 feeders in the Cantonment areas for the supply of electricity. The feeders of the Mall Road, Bank Road, Haider Road and Kashmir Road receive power supply through the Cantonment grid. The entire Saddar area remained without electricity during that period.

And the situation belies the claim of the Ministry of Water and Power that there would be no breakdown in power supply, except the scheduled loadshedding.

According to the ministry, the local Iesco office would be responsible for any power breakdown, but an official of the company in Rawalpindi said the Iesco officials or the sub-stations are not aware when the power supply would be suddenly disrupted.

The problem is in fact testing the patience of the general public who in spite of the prolonged of loadshedding and unscheduled power breakdown have not taken to the streets. But if this situation continues and further deteriorates in the coming weeks, the authorities fear they may face the wrath of the affected people.

An Iesco offical when asked whether the company has taken any measure for the security of its offices anticipating the public anger said the company had no force to stay in front of the charged public.

The power supply companies in Lahore, Multan and other cities have already tasted the public reaction on protracted power supply suspension with inflated electricity bills.