CHARSADDA: The residents of Charsadda Rajar area once again took to the streets on Wednesday, staging a major protest against persistent electricity and gas load shedding.
The demonstration, backed by political workers and local traders, caused a complete blockade of traffic in the area and highlighted deepening resentment against the responsible authorities. This is not the first time residents of Charsadda have protested these issues. In previous weeks, similar protests were held, demanding the restoration of uninterrupted power and gas supply. However, this most recent demonstration was notably larger in scale and more organized.
The protest saw significant participation from members of the Awami National Party (ANP), local leaders from other political parties, business owners, and residents. The main road was blocked for all types of traffic, causing disruption but drawing widespread attention to the severity of the crisis.
Senior police officials, including DSP City Zardad Ali Khan and DSP Traffic Wilayat Khan, arrived on site to calm tensions and initiate dialogue. The negotiations were initially unsuccessful, with protesters refusing to back down until firm assurances were made. The situation began to resolve only after the intervention of local elder Tariq Bacha, who facilitated a formal negotiation process. A legal document was drafted and signed on official stamp paper — a first-of-its-kind event in the area.
One key demand from protesters was the registration of an FIR against WAPDA’s Chief and the local Executive Engineer (XEN), accusing them of rerouting electricity from Rajar’s feeder to other areas. In response, a written agreement was signed by the XEN, assuring residents that electricity from the Rajar feeder would no longer be diverted. The agreement also stated that if the duration of load shedding exceeds eight hours, citizens would have the right to pursue legal action.
The protestors also raised concerns over prolonged gas shortages. In response, Masood Khan, a senior official from Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), addressed the crowd via phone call, promising improved gas supply in the area and an end to unannounced outages.
The agreement was viewed by the residents as a historic milestone — the first time a formal, written commitment was obtained from government authorities on stamp paper. It sets a new precedent for peaceful civic pressure and accountability through lawful means. With their demands addressed, the protesters peacefully dispersed, reopening the roads to normal traffic and ending what many now consider a model protest in terms of impact and resolution.
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