Energy woes: ANP holds protests against unscheduled load-shedding

Opposition leaders said locals should not pay bills until issue is resolved

CHARSADDA: A protest was held on Farooq Azam Chowk, Charsadda on Wednesday over prolonged power outages.

The protest was organised by Awami National Party and attended by members from various districts. Political workers from JUI-F also joined the protest.

“If Pesco fails to address this issue, none of us will pay our bills,” an ANP leader said. More than 20 hours of load-shedding were witnessed in various parts of Shabqadar and Tangi even though residents had paid their bills.

While addressing at the protest, ANP leader Aiamal Asfandyar Wali Khan said K-P is the main source of energy production but other provinces get all the benefits.

“We will block all the supplies for Islamabad and Punjab if the situation is not addressed,” he said. “According to Pesco, the people of K-P have defaulted Rs56 billion,” he added.

Amid biases

According to the ANP leader, Pesco officials are biased against K-P.

“How can we be the biggest defaulters in the country?” he asked. “We do not even get any electricity?”

He criticised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak for not highlighting K-P’s real issues.

The ANP leaders said they will hold protests in the whole province if a solution was not provided by the federal government.

“After terrorism and industrial shutdown, this excessive load-shedding is shutting down the remaining handful of industries in the province,” he said.

Among prominent leaders, JUI-F leader Amir Maulana Hashim Khan and ANP district president and former provincial minister Arshad Abdullah also spoke at the protest.

They said Pesco had first deprived residents of electricity and have now termed them defaulters.

Inconvenienced

A large number of markets in Charsadda were shut down while the roads leading to Mardan and Tangi were blocked due to the demonstrations.

On Tuesday, locals blocked the main roads in Umerzai whereas similar protests were also organised in Shabqadar and Tangi as well.

Most people have been forced to migrate from Shabqadar, Swat, Galiyat and Naran to avoid the scorching heat. Similarly, thousands have resorted to electricity generators and solar panels for electricity.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2016.