Speaking up: MQM airs concern over WAPDA ending KESC supply

Sattar spoke to the PM on Sunday over Wapda ending its supply of 600 megawatts of electricity to KESC, Karachi.

KARACHI:

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) Deputy Convener and Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Dr Farooq Sattar has brought up the decision to have Wapda end its supply to the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) with Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

Sattar spoke to the prime minister on Sunday on the directions of MQM chief Altaf Hussain over Wapda ending its supply of 600 megawatts of electricity to KESC and Karachi. He expressed the party’s concern over the move. Based on past precedents, said Sattar, the ministry for water and power was not authorised to make such decisions and the MQM will not only condemn this, but will also take the issue up at all levels.

Sattar called the move unfair and said that the government’s energy committee had also not called for such a step. In a statement issued by the party, Sattar was quoted as saying that if the ministry for water and power takes such a step it would exacerbate the issues in Karachi.

Prime Minister Ashraf reportedly told Sattar that no such decision has been made, and no step will be taken which will rile people to protest. He directed the ministry to not take a step that would add to the security problems in Karachi.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9^th, 2012.