United in the dark: PTI, PML-N LG members condemn power outages

Threaten to protest against PESCO’s unscheduled load-shedding

HARIPUR: Joining hands in an unprecedented manner, Ghazi tehsil local government representatives from opposing parties threatened to protest if Pesco does not stop unscheduled power outages. This was decided on Wednesday at a meeting of tehsil councillors. The meeting in Hamlet in Ghazi, Haripur was also attended by district and village councillors.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz district councillor Saeed Khan Tahirkheli said even though the people of Ghazi gave up their land for Tarbela Dam and live at a stone’s throw from the hydroproject, they experience “the worst power outages”.

According to Tahirkheli, all the union councils of Ghazi were affected but Kotehra and Kherbara union councils were hit the worst. Kotehra and Kherbara were without electricity 14 hours a day, without any response from Pesco.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf member and Hamlet village naib nazim Haji Anwar Khan said he had informed Pesco several times about the unscheduled outages. Haji Anwar added the authorities did not pay heed, causing a damaging disruption in agricultural activity, business and daily life.

According to tehsil councillor Shabir Ahmed, “Tarbela Dam affected the population which meant they should have been exempted from the usual outages.”

He added, “Imposing 14 hours of load-shedding speaks volumes about the respect—or lack thereof—the government gives landowners who made sacrifices for Tarbela Dam.

Participants from both parties agreed if Pesco does not control unscheduled outages in Ghazi, especially in Hamlet, Kotehra and Kherbara, they would take to the streets. The LG representatives said any and all fallout of these protests would be the responsibility of Pesco authorities. Malik Zahid, Iqbal Riaz, Fiaz Ahmed, Malik Sarfraz and Sarfraz were among those who attended the meeting and addressed the participants.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2016.