Agreeing with Shahidullah, MPA Ahmedzai said they have helped Pesco in recovering outstanding dues and managed to reduce power theft through jirgas. PHOTO: FILE
Hundreds of enraged residents took to the streets in Kohistan and Charsadda districts on Monday to protest against the government and Wapda officials over prolonged power outages.
Led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Muhammad Arif Ahmedzai, protesters in Shabqadar marched to Peshawar Electric Supply Corporation (Pesco) offices on main Peshawar-Charsadda road, locked all the offices and camped outside the building.
At the occasion, former provincial assembly candidate and PTI leader Shahidullah alleged Shabqadar XEN Arif Khan was a corrupt officer who took electricity dues from residents and provided electricity to marble factories and textile units in the area.
Agreeing with Shahidullah, MPA Ahmedzai said they have helped Pesco in recovering outstanding dues and managed to reduce power theft through jirgas. “At one time, Pesco was suffering from a loss of 50%. They are now incurring zero losses,” he said, adding load-shedding in their area still lasts for more than 20 hours a day.
PTI’s Shabqadar President Ghafarullah Sheikh also blamed the Pesco XEN and demanded an enquiry be launched against him and the sub-divisional officer. He said the sit-in will continue till excessive load-shedding comes to an end. He then handed a schedule to the protesters informing where demonstrators from the 12 union councils of Shabqadar will assemble daily.
MPA Ahmedzai, who is also the district development committee chairman, has called a meeting with the district administration officer in which the three XENs of the district will also participate.
Meanwhile, residents of upper and lower parts of Kohistan district marched towards Pattan and blocked Karakoram Highway for all kinds of traffic.
Led by MNA Maulana Abdul Haleem, protesters shouted slogans against the government. They moved towards Dobair Power Project and surrounded the building, complaining that the government initiated the project in their area but was not providing electricity to the residents.
Addressing the protesters, Haleem said they were suffering from 20 hours of power cuts in their area on a daily basis, which has paralysed routine life. “We will not move unless the government ends unannounced load-shedding.”
In the afternoon, district government authorities visited protesters and assured them there will be no unannounced power cuts after three days and load-shedding will be minimised to eight hours a day. Following this, the protesters dispersed.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2014.
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