After thumbing PML-N, NA-4 left ‘powerless’

Constituency’s residents have been without electricity since the by-polls on October 26

PESHAWAR: When residents of the National Assembly constituency 4 (NA-4) in Peshawar went to the polling booths a few weeks ago, they thought they were exercising the power of their vote.

But all it seems to have done is to literally leave residents of the area ‘powerless’



On October 26, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) retained its seat in a landslide after Arbab Amir Ayub bagged 45,734 votes, compared to Awami National Party’s Khusdil Khan who got 24,874 votes and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Nasir Musazai with 24,790 votes. The seat had fallen vacant after the demise of PTI’s MNA Gulzar Khan.

While power in the area remained uninterrupted until the election results were announced, residents have been wondering if the switch, turned off ever since, was a form of punishment for exercising their right to franchise.

It compelled local residents to finally take to streets earlier this week, creating a law and order situation for local police.

Religious leaders on Thursday urged people to march towards the grid station located near the Matani police station.

The people, it seemed, were waiting for some authority figure to motion towards an agitation and rushed towards the grid station. While officials managed to block the path of around 300 angry residents in the local market, 200 others managed to reach the gates of the power station.

People chanted slogans against the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) as police took up positions to thwart any untoward situation at the station — the station was burnt to the ground by angry locals a few years ago. Moreover, officials were deployed to keep the Indus Highway open.

“Yes, it is true that we used to request Wapda to provide uninterrupted power supply to Koh-e-Daman [five union councils of provincial assembly constituency PK-10] and we thought that the people had realised their mistake by voting for PTI in the 2013 general elections,” Musazai said.

He added that during their election campaign, they told the people that if elected, they would try and resolve the issues of the people, including talking to departments of power and gas. But the people had once again elected a candidate from the PTI.

“Now, since we are left with nothing, the people should ask the person they have elected [PTI’s Ayub] to resolve their issues,” Musazai frankly told The Express Tribune, adding, “We cannot face them anymore [party leadership which once ordered uninterrupted power supply].”

“This is nothing but politically victimising innocent citizens who again rejected the PML-N,” PTI MNA Ayub said, adding, “Believe me there was no power suspension until October 26.”



Ayub claimed that the PML-N was deliberately punishing residents of NA-4 since they were defeated.

“If you are rejected in NA-4, it does not mean you start creating problems for innocent citizens,”  Ayub complained.

“I have raised this issue with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi since it [power] is a federal government subject,” Ayub said, warning that “if the power supply is not resumed, the PTI will agitate.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2017.