Pakistan: Protest erupts in Mardan over gas loadshedding during Sehri and Iftar

Mar 05, 2025

Mardan [Pakistan], March 5 : A significant number of individuals organized a demonstration against gas load shedding, which persists even during Sehri and Iftar, in Mardan, as reported by ARY News.
The demonstrators, which included frustrated women, obstructed Malakand Road in Takht Bhai Tehsil, resulting in severe traffic congestion and long lines of vehicles. The protesters demanded that gas pressure be restored and that loadshedding be halted in the tehsil and adjacent areas, as reported by ARY News.
The protesters stressed that the ongoing gas loadshedding during critical times like Sehri and Iftar is intolerable. The participants threatened to encircle the Sui gas office if the gas loadshedding persists.
In the meantime, Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Faisal Karim Kundi, on Tuesday sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, requesting immediate measures to eliminate electricity and gas loadshedding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as stated by ARY News.
Kundi expressed serious concerns about electricity and gas loadshedding in the province during the holy month of Ramadan, mentioning that KP is a region that generates a substantial amount of electricity and natural gas, yet it is deprived of its own resources.
He condemned the ongoing power and gas cuts, stating that they have rendered life miserable for the citizens of the province.
The report from ARY News also indicated that he noted the disparity between the Prime Minister's promise of uninterrupted power and gas supply during Ramadan and the actual situation on the ground. Load-shedding during Sehri, Iftar, and prayer times has created significant hardships for residents, he added.
"The dignity of Ramadan necessitates that citizens be given a tranquil environment," the Governor asserted. He emphasized that addressing these concerns would permit the people of KP to concentrate on their religious duties like the rest of the nation, as quoted by ARY News.