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PESHAWAR: Fearing mob attacks amid widespread street protests, the Peshawar Electric Supply Company has ordered an immediate removal of government number plates from its vehicles.
It also directed drivers not to put “non-essential” vehicles on the road to prevent possible damage to them by angry protesters.
“It is to inform all concerned that due to prevailing law and order situation, non-essential vehicles may not be put on roads and green number plates may be removed immediately till the normalisation of the law and order situation to avoid any untoward incident and damage to the government and Pesco assets,” read a circular issued by the public utility here with the approval of its chief executive officer.
In another notification, the Pesco asked its employees to respond to power protests nicely and report protesters to authorities, including police, in case of violence.
Asks its drivers to keep ‘non-essential’ vehicles away from roads
“Keeping in view the protest rallies against the increase in power tariff, they [Pesco employees] should deal with such occurrences in an empathetic manner by listening to the people’s problems and try to pacify their anger by acting in a civilised manner.
“In this testing time, they must not enrage people further and rather, they should try to alleviate the pains of the consumers. If the situation gets out of control, then they should seek help from the district administration and relevant police,” the notification read.
Spokesman for the Pesco Usman Saleem told Dawn that the public utility took those measures for the protection of its employees and assets from protesters.
He said the Pesco had nothing to do with power rates and just followed the instructions of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority about billing.
The spokesman rejected reports about “possible” negotiations by Pesco officials with power protesters as incorrect.
Meanwhile, residents of Peshawar protested soaring electricity prices for the fourth consecutive day here on Saturday and set power bills on fire.
The protests were staged in the Ganj Gate area and on the GT Road with participants setting fire to power bills shouting slogans against the government and Pesco.
They announced that they wouldn’t pay “inflated” power bills unless the latter were corrected.
The protesters said the federal government should take immediate notice of people’s misery caused by an exorbitant increase in power tariff.
They warned if the people’s grievances weren’t addressed, they would expand their street protests.
The protesters urged all political parties to join hands with them to support their cause and said if that didn’t happen, people won’t vote for them in the upcoming general elections.
Traders, workers of the Jamaat-i-Islami and Pasban organisation also participated in the demonstrations.
Meanwhile, the Peshawar Qaumi Jirga, an alliance of Peshawar’s trader bodies, said street protests against exorbitant electricity bills would continue for an indefinite period.
Jirga chairman Khalid Ayub told Dawn that authorities hadn’t approached protesters for talks.
“We have already conveyed our demands to the government and will petition the Peshawar High Court tomorrow (Monday) for relief from inflated power bills,” he said.
He said that besides over-billing, the residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were also subjected to exploitation through the constant denial of natural gas, cheap electricity and other basic facilities.
Meanwhile, Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Sherpao, in a statement, said most people, especially those living in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, couldn’t afford to pay “inflated” power bills.
He said the province produced low-cost and surplus hydel electricity but even then, exorbitant power bills were issued to its residents.
Mr Sherpao asked the caretaker federal government to provide relief to the people from skyrocketing inflation and said the rising prices of essential commodities had squeezed the people’s buying power.
He said that the constant devaluation of Pakistani rupee, unprecedented increase in petroleum prices and the frequent increase in electricity tariff had made life literally a hell not only for have-nots but also for those doing white-collar jobs.
The QWP leader complained about prolonged power cuts in the hot and humid days.
Our correspondent in Mansehra adds: Power protesters blocked the Karakoram Highway in the district for over an hour.
They shouted slogans against the government and Pesco over exorbitant electricity bills and demanded an immediate withdrawal of the recent power tariff hikes.
The road closure suspended traffic between Mansehra and Shinkiari.Chairman of the Malkal neighbourhood council Rizwanul Haq told protesters that the people didn’t have money to pay inflated power bills.
Elder Maulana Mohammad Israel claimed that the people earning Rs15,000 a month received Rs50,000 power bills.
He said the peoplewere struggling to make ends meet amid record inflation, especially soaring prices of essential goods and utilities.
The protesters dispersed peacefully after Shinkiari SHOMudassir Zia showed up and promised to take up the issue with authorities for an immediate resolution.