Energy crisis: ‘PESCO, TESCO get only 16% of Pakistan’s total power output’

PESCO chief admits longer outages in rural areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, FATA.

PESHAWAR: The region’s power distribution companies receive only 16 per cent of Pakistan’s total production, thus people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Fata must conserve energy, Peshawar Electric Supply Company’s chief has said.

The province and tribal areas are powered by Pesco and Tribal Electric Supply Company (Tesco).

“Ending loadshedding is impossible without taking measure to save energy,” Pesco Chief Executive Muhammad Wali said at a reception held on Tuesday at the Peshawar Press Club to welcome the new governing body of Khyber Union of Journalists. “The government will launch a campaign to raise awareness among people on how to save energy, in addition to holding an energy conference soon.”

Wali admitted that there are longer power outages in rural areas. “We have a schedule for every area according to which urban areas face six to seven hours of outages and rural areas 12 to 14 hours.”

However, he said, areas where electricity theft is a routine, loadshedding duration is longer.