Demonstrations have surged across various cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Peshawar, as residents express anger over prolonged and unannounced electricity load shedding even during Eid days.
In areas like Afridi Ghari and Umar Gul Road, people took to the streets in protest, shutting down Bara Road Customs Chowk to all traffic due to unbearable heat exacerbated by up to 20 hours of power cuts.
Similar protests were reported in Mardan, where residents endured a 20-hour outage, prompting protests where a tire was set ablaze on Swabi Road amid chants of grievances against severe load shedding on the festive days.
In Kirk, women joined the protests against unannounced load shedding, leading to the closure of Main Kirk Road to all traffic as frustration mounted over the lack of electricity during critical Eid celebrations.
Protesters voiced frustration, highlighting that the worst load shedding occurred precisely on the first and second day of Eid, while accusing WAPDA officers of enjoying holidays undisturbed. The situation remains tense as residents demand immediate resolution to the electricity crisis.
According to PESCO spokesperson Irfan Musa Zai, the situation in Peshawar continues to be monitored closely amid escalating protests against the ongoing power outages.