Chief Minister K-P Pervez Khattak asked the water and power ministry to supply K-P with its full share of electricity. PHOTO: APP
PESHAWAR: Incensed by rampant blackouts, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government, led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, has given the federally-controlled Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) until tomorrow (Monday) to end power outages or else face a protests campaign.
“If the unjust load-shedding is not stopped by tomorrow, the chief minister along with his cabinet members and provincial legislators will stage a protest,” Chief Minister’s Special Assistant for Mineral and Mining Ziaullah Afridi told a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Sunday.
The federal government had promised there would be no load-shedding during Sehri, Iftar and Taraweeh timings in Ramazan. Contrary to the promise, the entire province – including Peshawar – was subjected to ‘unjust’ outages during the holy month. Afridi described it as a “conspiracy against the PTI-led provincial government”.
“The K-P produces more electricity than its demand. Still the federal government is not supplying us with our quota of electricity which results in prolonged outages in the province,” he lamented. He was referring to Tarbela Dam, the largest hydropower generation plant with a capacity of producing 3,478 megawatts of electricity.
Afridi demanded the removal of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company’s chief executive who “has failed to control power outages during Sehr, Iftar and Taraweeh timings.”
Chief Minister Pervez Khattak also asked the water and power ministry to supply K-P with its full share of electricity.
While addressing PTI workers and office-bearers in his hometown of Nowshera, Khattak demanded immediate steps to address the shortage of grid stations in the province or else he would lead ‘protest demonstrations’ against Wapda.
The frequency and duration of power outages has not decreased in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa where some areas are made to go without electricity for up to 12 hours daily. On Sunday, protest demonstrations were staged in different towns and cities of the province, including Dera Ismail Khan, Mardan, Swat and Peshawar.
No respite in Rawalpindi
The situation in other cities is no better. In some neighbourhoods of Rawalpindi and its suburbs, frequent power outages have led to shortage of water in the month of Ramazan.
In some areas, residents complained that they had no water supply for the past two days due to unannounced load-shedding. Tube-wells and pumping stations do not function due to load-shedding.
An official of the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO), who wished not be named, said that they had to carry out power outages due to shortfall. “Power consumption during these hours increase manifold which result in tripping of feeders,” the official said.
Cognisant of the situation, Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that the government would initiate many new power projects to get rid of load-shedding once and for all. He added that new transmission lines would be installed and the existing distribution system upgraded in the country.
Speaking to Associated Press of Pakistan in Gujrat, the minister appealed to the people to cooperate with the government and show patience and extend their support to improve the electricity supply across the country. “We already have managed to reduce the duration of load-shedding and people are seeing the change.”
The minister requested consumers in urban areas to reduce their consumption of electricity. He added that the government was increasing the power supply, but the consumers must also try to curtail their consumption.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 15th, 2013.
COMMENTS (16)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Same old story everytime. A few years ago, Shahbaz Sharif was protesting against unfair distribution with the PPP. Now its KPK protesting against the new Govt. An appeal (which would most probably be ignored) to the politicians, please stop politicking with peoples' lives!
@Aamer Khawaja ......Correct your Facts The most Surplus Gas is Produced by KPK If you go to the last dismissed govt of Mr. Nawaz Sharif .....He actually stopped the transportation of Wheat to KPK.... All i am saying the right of ppl to its own resources.......(Fedral Govt has yet to pay Royalties pending 30 years)
@Dr. Bill: In that case Gas should be free for Sindh & Wheat should be free for Punjab
Accept the right of ppl to use its own resources ....That's how you messed Balochistan.......Free Electricity is the right of ppl of KPK.....The distribution system(PESCO) should be under the control of Provincial Govt for effective management....
If KPK boasts about Tarbela, they should stop boasting about gold mines in Balochistan, these are not our assets then. As a matter of fact, pakistan is not the name of few autonomous states, we are not following UAE model. All resources and assets are shared between provinces. For loadshedding, the rule should be simple, the feeder which is experiencing most power thefts should have least electricity available.
I hope IK will give the honourable CM the same advice that he was doling out to the Punjab CM prior to the elections in somewhat similar circumstances....that provinces can generate their own electricity and overcome any deficits remaining after the federal allocation, under the 18th amendment. And that all responsibility lies with the provincial government and saying that the blaming the federation is nothing more that political antics.
Saying that KPK makes more energy than it needs is absurd, Tarbela dam is not a KPK project. If Imran is on board with the current strategy of the KPK government, then how the tables have turned. It appears he will live to eat his words in the coming days.
Yes protest cause only KPK is having load shedding and no where else in the country
PLEASE
PTI is not a national party it looks like.
Dear CM, You cant run away from your responsibilities to control huge power theft in KPK. Dont feel the heat of governance, just act against defaulters. Which change you have brought in first 60 days?
Only the areas that do not pay their electricity bills in full are experiencing load shedding during sehr and iftaar. It would be appreciated if KPK Govt took notice of the extremely high percentage of line loses in PESCO.
Good Asset Management, if only, can eliminate load shedding in Pakistan. But for that, you need political will from the top, not just new transmission lines and power plants. You need to reduce losses, and know where your power is going. All these things take time but the process must start now.
We should join protest at least to ease the wrath of Federal govt on KPK
PESCO has the line losses of about 45% which is one of the highest in the country. Would the chief minister KPK like to launch a campaign in the province to catch the thiefs and defaulter?
This was bound to happen.... it is only in PML-N's interest to squeeze the KPK gov. Regardless of politics, PML-N should fulfill it's promise of no load-shedding during Sehri & Iftari for all areas EQUALLY.
Why doesn't he boost the recovery drive for PESCO where 38% of the people do not bother to pay their electricity bills and consider electricity as their "free right". Point scoring will not work Mr Khattak, the people are watching!
One should also ask the WAPDA minister and the PM about the Iran-Pakistan gas pipe line, that pipe line was suppose to help run some of the power stations instead of costly oil or coal furnaced generation of power plants. I don't think this government of NS is serious about alleviating the power shortages and it will be the same corrupt outfit and the same old tricks that they know how to manipulate the citizens. CM of KP is justified to demand it's fair share of power since they are producing more than they are consuming. People should also ask if there are black outs in Islamabad specially those who are living on the public dole, namely all these politicians who are very comfortable in their subsidized abodes, and let us not forget the military officials, they are abusing the power supply too and I have first hand knowledge of that abuse.