Unfulfilled promises: Another standoff erupts between MPA, PESCO

PTI lawmaker’s guards allegedly assault PESCO staff, MPA bars company’s employees from PK-6.

PESHAWAR:

Another MPA of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has locked horns with the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) regarding matters of electricity supply and connections in his constituency.

Following a tussle between MPA Shah Farman and Pesco chief Tariq Sadozai earlier this year, a similar standoff between MPA from PK-6 Fazal Elahi and Pesco officials surfaced in Peshawar on Friday over the installation of electricity meters in Elahi’s constituency.



The sitting MPA of the PTI has vowed not to allow any Pesco officials to enter his constituency until the utility fulfils its promise of installing meters in the constituency, while Pesco claims the MPA and his guards attacked its officials when they were doing routine work in his area.

Elahi told The Express Tribune that no Pesco official will be allowed to enter PK-6 until they bring with them the electricity meters they had promised to install in every household of the locality.

“After PTI came into power, Pesco chief Tariq Sadozai, during a public meeting, promised that 3,000 meters will be installed in PK-6 and in return I had assured him that there will be no illegal connections in the area. However, Sadozai is yet to fulfil his promise,” said Elahi.

The MPA accused Pesco officials of being corrupt and selling electricity. “They take money from people in certain localities and in return there are no outages there,” claimed Elahi, adding even the Pesco chief has a share in the illegal money.

According to Elahi, Pesco officials had made several promises of conducting an open kacheri in PK-6 but they never turn up to such gatherings and the problems of the people remain unaddressed.

“Pesco officials are taking stern action against the public by lodging FIRs and putting them in jail, but they turn a blind eye to the corruption within their ranks,” claimed Elahi.

Utility’s staff allegedly assaulted

Pesco, on the other hand, has accused the MPA of assaulting its employees. Spokesperson Shaukat Afzal said Pesco staffers of Kohat Road subdivision along with police officials were removing illegal connections and recovering arrears from residents of Javedabad Achar on Kohat Road when Elahi’s guards attacked them.

“A few culprits had been arrested for illegally using electricity and a large numbers of kundas were removed when MPA Elahi and his armed guards showed up and began assaulting the staff and police,” claimed Afzal.

The official added Elahi forcibly got the arrested culprits freed from their custody and forced the staffers to reconnect the illegal connections at gunpoint.

Afzal further said the MPA also threatened the staffers of dire consequences if they entered his constituency.

“Pesco has written a letter to the Bhanamari police station requesting them to register an FIR against Fazal Elahi for creating hurdles in the duties of government officials,” said Afzal.

Furthermore, Pesco demanded the provincial government and senior police officers to provide security to Pesco staff so that they can achieve positive results in the campaign against power theft currently being carried out in the district.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2014.