Fight for rights: Govt accused of ‘stealing’ electricity from K-P

CM threatens to close down PESCO office if demands are not met

MINGORA: The federal government has been accused of stealing Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s electricity by providing it a smaller share than the province is entitled to.

The allegations have been levelled by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak. He expressed these views while addressing a rally in Kabal tehsil, Swat on Sunday.

According to Khattak, the province produces a surplus of 1,000-megawatts of electricity every day and its consumption is much lower than the amount it produces.



“Since 2008, the federal government had been giving K-P a share of 10% of the overall power produced in the country,” he said. “Our legal share stands at 14%. This goes to show that the federal government is stealing our electricity and deliberately causing power outages in the country.”

Lashing out

Khattak also lashed out at Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. “The Nawaz-led federal government is usurping the rights and shares of smaller provinces,” he said. “These rights are legitimate and are also upheld by the Constitution of the country.”

He added, “The prime minister is the symbol of unity for a country. Unfortunately, the current premier is devising such policies that are benefitting Punjab. On Nawaz Sharif’s directives, at least 500 megawatts of electricity from K-P are being given to Punjab every day.”



The chief minister added Adviser to Prime Minister Amir Muqam is also responsible for the power crisis in the province as he is supporting the federal government and depriving K-P of its due share of electricity.

Khattak also threatened to shut down the Pesco office in Peshawar if the federal government does not pay attention to their demands.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2016.