Power Restored
PESHAWAR: Enraged citizens of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s capital city, Peshawar, took drastic measures on Saturday to restore electricity by storming into the Hazar Khawani grid station. This bold action followed incessant loadshedding that had sparked widespread protests amid scorching weather conditions.
The residents, led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Fazal Elahi, gathered in large numbers outside the grid station, despite heavy police deployment intended to prevent any potential law and order issues.
The area’s elders and residents, determined to end their suffering, entered the grid station after staging a protest at its gate. Fazal Elahi declared that the community would take matters into their own hands and restore power at the grid station.
In an interview, Elahi stated that the protesters would ensure that electricity was restored across all affected feeders. “If our electricity is cut off, everyone’s electricity will be cut off,” he asserted, highlighting the frustration and resolve of the local populace.
Officials from the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) reported that MPA Elahi, along with the protesters, surrounded and entered the Rehman Baba grid station.
The protesters forcibly switched on nine high-loss feeders, including Hazar Khawani, Yaka Tut, Akhunabad, and Newchamkani. Pesco officials noted that losses due to power theft and non-payment of dues on these feeders exceeded 80%. They added that efforts were ongoing to reduce these losses through targeted operations.
Meanwhile, the situation in Lahore was similarly dire, with residents enduring continuous and unannounced loadshedding. Citizens reported that some areas experienced power cuts for an hour every hour during the day.
Affected localities included Batapur, Manawan, Shahpur, and Shahdara, while unannounced outages also impacted Kot Lakhpat and Ferozepur Road.
Sources from the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) disclosed that the demand for electricity in Lahore was 4200 MW, whereas the allocated quota was only 4000 MW.
Additionally, a fire at the Sabzazar grid station had caused tripping issues, further increasing pressure on other parts of the system. “Loadshedding on feeders in rural areas went on for several hours,” the sources mentioned.
The ongoing heatwave across Punjab and Sindh has exacerbated the situation, leaving Lahore residents particularly vulnerable.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s (PMD) daily weather forecast, Lahore was expected to experience maximum temperatures of 43°C, with daytime temperatures fluctuating between 42°C and 44°C and humidity levels around 30%.
This convergence of intense heat and severe power shortages has created a challenging environment for residents, leading to widespread unrest and desperate measures as communities struggle to cope with the compounded crises of extreme weather and unreliable electricity supplies.
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