Residents and traders across Peshawar have gone a week without mobile network service, while up to 16 hours of daily power loadshedding has further disrupted life in the city.
Mobile signals have been unavailable in the walled city, GT Road, Hashtnagri, Charsadda Road, Warsak Road, Dalazak Road, University Road and Hayatabad, according to residents. They said the prolonged power outages, running up to 16 hours a day, have affected routine activities in these areas.
Small traders said the continuous absence of mobile connectivity has damaged business activity. Online transactions, courier services and day-to-day communication have been disrupted, leaving many traders facing financial losses.
On Tuesday, residents of Hayatabad demanded the restoration of internet services in Phases 6 and 7. Speaking to the media, residents Saadullah Khan and Ibrahim Khan appealed to the district administration, the Home Department and mobile network operators to take immediate notice and restore services without further delay.
“This is not merely a matter of internet connectivity, but it concerns the education of children, the livelihoods of people, emergency communication and the fundamental needs of ordinary citizens,” they said. They urged the authorities to listen to residents and bring the situation to an end.
They said mid-term examinations are under way in schools, and teachers send most assignments through WhatsApp, which students cannot open without internet access. They also urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor to take notice and direct the authorities concerned to restore services in the two phases.
Residents added that the authorities have yet to take effective action on either the network outage or the prolonged power cuts.