Steel, marble factories lose power to NADRA

Manufacturing plants’ power to be suspended in daytime.

SHABQADAR: The Mohmand Agency political administration has decided to suspend power supply to steel and marble factories to ensure there is uninterrupted electricity for NADRA and passport offices.

Upper Mohmand Agency APA Haseebur Rehman raided NADRA offices in Ghallanai and checked processes. He was told locals from far-flung areas of the tribal region came to Ghallanai to make CNICs, but the slow procedure meant they had to stay in hostels. A local named Muhammad Hassan Waleed Khan and others said they belonged to Ghanam Shah, Soran and Mettai, near the Pak-Afghan border, and had arrived with women of their family. However, they faced much difficulty in making ID cards as officials had their own agents who were unwilling to budge without a bribe. If the demanded amount was not paid, dates could be deferred to another week.

Those wanting ID cards might have to spend nights in hotels. Some of them complained about the lack of drinking water and fans.

NADRA officials claimed to have told the APA they are running their own generator and this has created a host of problems.

Based on these claims, the APA ordered TESCO officials at the Ghallanai grid station to suspend steels mill and marble factory power supplies during the day to help the NADRA and passport offices.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2016.