Tensions Flare in Utmanzai as Residents Storm WAPDA Office Over Prolonged Power Outages

The protest, led by Jamaat-e-Islami’s Fawad Khan and Village Council Chairman Junaid Khan, was triggered by what locals called a betrayal of a prior agreement.

Residents of Utmanzai in Charsadda erupted in protest on Tuesday afternoon, storming the office of the Executive Engineer (XEN) WAPDA in outrage over prolonged and unannounced power outages. Tensions escalated as demonstrators clashed with police inside the office premises.

The protest, led by Jamaat-e-Islami’s Fawad Khan and Village Council Chairman Junaid Khan, was triggered by what locals called a betrayal of a prior agreement. 

Community representatives reminded WAPDA’s XEN Engineer Qazi Faheemullah of a jirga held three days earlier, during which a 12-hour loadshedding schedule had been promised. 

However, the duration has since increased to 16 hours, compounding public frustration amidst intense summer heat.

Locals condemned the blanket punishment of the entire area for electricity theft, arguing that it was WAPDA’s responsibility to prevent theft rather than penalize all consumers.

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Residents. especially women, children, and the elderly, are reportedly struggling to cope with the harsh weather and prolonged outages, which are also accompanied by tripping, low voltage, and irregular power supply.

Engineer Qazi Faheemullah told protest leaders that 78% electricity theft was recorded on the Utmanzai feeder, necessitating 16 hours of loadshedding under existing policy. “Still, considering public hardship, I recommended to my superiors to reduce the duration, and we’ve now brought it down to 14 hours,” he said.

He highlighted the challenges WAPDA faces, including a severe manpower shortage—only 300 staff are working when 1,000 are needed—and non-functional vehicles. He urged political leaders, community elders, and religious scholars to support efforts against electricity theft.

The XEN also pointed out that Charsadda has seen the highest number of FIRs filed against electricity theft, but lack of judicial follow-up has stalled meaningful progress.

After Qazi Faheemullah assured the crowd that loadshedding would be reduced further to 13 hours, the protest ended peacefully.