ATTOCK/BUREWALA
Protracted electricity loadshedding in the humid and scorching hot weather has made the life miserable while businesses have almost come to a standstill.
Because of prolonged power outages, neither water at homes nor ice in the market are available. On the other hand, Iesco officials are least bothered to inform the public about the schedule of loadshedding, nor attend the telephone calls made by the consumers. The officials if attend phone calls use disgracing language with the consumers.
Monday was the worst day for the residents of Attock and surrounding areas as load shedding started from Sehr and kept continued till noon. Because of the prolonged loadshedding, domestic life was badly disturbed while the businessmen and the people working in government and private sector faced a lot of problems. Contact numbers of Iesco executive engineer and subdivisional officer printed on electricity bills are never responded by the officials.
This correspondent tried to contact the Xen on his Cell No 03328561597 and the SDO on 0332 8561065 but both the officials did not respond. In response to text message sent on both the cell numbers, the SDO responded but in a disgraceful manner. When asked about the prolonged loadshedding, the SDO said he knew nothing and disconnected the phone call. A resident of Jand City has already approached the court regarding disgracing attitude of the Iesco officials.
In Burewala, the unscheduled loadshedding continues unabated in urban and rural areas, also during Sehr, Iftar and Taraveeh timings.
The federal government had announced that there would be no loadshedding  during Sehr, Iftar and Taraveeh timings in the Ramazan but the situation is contrary to it. According to sources, Mepco officials are obliging industrialists and cotton factories regarding supply of electricity after taking bribes. Local consumers said that Mepco sends inflated bills to them to meet the line losses. Consumers including Azam, Bashir, Bilal, Sadaf Raza, Young Lawyers President Iftikhar Ahmad and Shafiquz Zaman demanded that the power sector high-ups and the government should take notice of the situation. They also demanded immediate transfer of Mepco Sheikh Deputy Manager M Sharif.
When contacted, the deputy manager denied the allegations, and said that the overload on feeders was the major cause of unscheduled loadshedding.