One killed as Pakistanis protest power cuts

At least one protester has been killed and many others injured in a series of violent demonstrations against power cuts in several towns across northwestern Pakistan.

The deputy commissioner of Malakand district, Zafar Ali Shah, said that hundreds of protesters had burned and rampaged through government offices and police checkpoints across the troubled region on Monday.

The angry demonstrators also snatched valuables and police weapons. They tried to burn a main power station in the town of Dargai in Malakand district.

"We have complained to the power distributors to end the unscheduled outages, but they're not listening to us," media outlets quoted the deputy commissioner as saying.

Similar clashes also took place in northwestern cities of Peshawar, Charsadda and Swat.

Police official Nasir Khan said protesters poured into the streets for the third day of rallies and set roadblocks in Peshawar. He added that at least two offices of the power supply department were ransacked during the fierce clashes.

 Provincial lawmaker Fazl-e-Rabbi said in Peshawar that the protests would continue until the federal government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ends disparity in the power distribution.

The protesters have been angered by the daily 10-12 hours of power cuts in the summer heat during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Pakistan is dealing with a major energy crisis. But in recent years, the problem has gone from bad to worse.

People in some parts of the country have to deal with 18 to 20 hours of power outages. Ordinary Pakistanis are now calling on authorities to come up with urgent plans to tackle the problem. 

SS