SWABI: People belonging to Topi city and its adjacent areas blocked the TopiTarbela road here on Monday to protest against Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) for resorting to prolonged loadshedding on Sunday, thus depriving them of watching the Pakistan-India ICC Champions Trophy final.

The protesters were led by Mohammad Younas Khan, Topi Tehsil Naib Nazim, and Usman Sher, member of the district council.

Announcements were also made on loudspeakers at Sehar appealing to the people to participate in the protest demonstration against the excessive power loadshedding. They were chanting slogans against the Pesco and the government for their utter failure to provide them an opportunity to watch the final match. They questioned the announcement of the prime minister that no loadshedding would be carried during the course of the match.

They demanded that those who were responsible for shutting the electricity supply should be punished.

Addressing the protesters, Mr Younas said the people had given tremendous sacrifices for construction of Tarbela Dam and Ghazi Barotha hydropower project, but despite that they remained in darkness.

`Topiis situatedunder the nose of Tarbela Dam and despite that we confront prolonged loadshedding even in Ramazan,` he deplored.

The protesters dispersed af ter Pesco of ficials assured them that unannounced loadshedding would be done away with. In a related development, police said they had arrested four people for resorting to firing in the air after Pakistan won the Champions Trophy final against India.

Meanwhile, the district police seized 17 kilogramme charas and arrested three alleged smugglers. The arrested people were named Zahid Khan, Niaz Ali and Jamshad Khan. One of them identified as Hasham escaped. The police registered FIR and started investigations. Correspondent