Power tussle: PESCO workers protest against PTI MPA for allegedly supporting electricity theft

Say the MPA forcefully freed electricity thieves from the custody of police.

PESHAWAR: All Pakistan Wapda Hydroelectric Workers Union Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) accused MPA Fazal Ilahi for supporting electricity theft in his constituency (PK-6). An FIR was also registered against the MPA for interfering in affairs of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) and allegedly torturing one of its employees.

The workers union protested outside the Peshawar Press Club (PPC) on Tuesday against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA. The demonstration was led by the union’s provincial president Haji Muhammad Iqbal and central chairman Gohar Taj. The protesters called the MPA “a hurdle in the way of eradicating the kunda culture”.



Addressing the demonstration, Taj said on Monday, Pesco workers and police arrested six electricity thieves in a joint raid in Sarband and Pishtakhara. “MPA Ilahi and a contingent of armed men attacked the team and released the arrested thieves using force,” alleged Taj. The same MPA attacked another Pesco team in Achr village on October 23 to release electricity thieves in the team’s custody, added the union’s president.

The protesters were angered by PTI’s “tall claims” of curbing corruption, as according to them, its leaders have been busy freeing electricity thieves who had been caught red-handed.

Rebuttal

After the protest, MPA Fazal Ilahi held a press conference at the PPC to share his side of the story. Ilahi accused Pesco workers of corruption, adding he would take them to court.

The MPA revealed people of his constituency had an agreement with Pesco authorities by which all arrears will be recovered from consumers in return for installing electricity meters. This measure, he insisted, will bring transparency to the electricity distribution process. Pesco workers have started arresting people for the purpose of extorting money from them in spite of the agreement, claimed Ilahi.

“The teams ask those arrested to pay them Rs15,000 to Rs30,000,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2013.