Karachi power failure: PPP to take up blackouts issue in parliament
Four MNAs submit adjournment motion in NA secretariat
A view of the city after a breakdown in KE power supply system. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
As the electricity crisis seems to be worsening, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has decided to take up the issue of persisting power blackouts in Karachi and other parts of the country in both lower and upper house of parliament.
Four PPP lawmakers – Dr Nafisa Shah, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Shazia Marri and Ejaz Jakhrani – on Monday submitted adjournment motion in the National Assembly secretariat to discuss the matter in the next session.
PPP is the largest party sitting on the opposition benches in the National Assembly where it holds an important slot of Leader of Opposition. Similarly, it is the biggest party in the upper house of parliament having the coveted office of Senate chairman.
In their written motion, the PPP members said the people of Karachi continue to suffer electricity breakdowns due to what they termed “callousness” of the Ministry of Water and Power and failure of K-Electric.
“What is a matter of concern is that Nepra [National Electric Power Regulatory Authority] headed by the prime minister had utterly failed in holding the K-Electric to account for power failures…in the city,” the draft of the motion said.
Without naming them, the PPP MNAs said two ministers, federal and state, who are normally vociferous on their achievements have become invisible during this time and no one has come out to give statements as to why Karachiites suffer repeated blackouts.
The lawmakers asked the speaker to direct relevant ministers to brief parliament on real reasons for power outages and what remedial steps the government was taking. The PPP also plans to take up the matter in the Senate.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2015.
As the electricity crisis seems to be worsening, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has decided to take up the issue of persisting power blackouts in Karachi and other parts of the country in both lower and upper house of parliament.
Four PPP lawmakers – Dr Nafisa Shah, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Shazia Marri and Ejaz Jakhrani – on Monday submitted adjournment motion in the National Assembly secretariat to discuss the matter in the next session.
PPP is the largest party sitting on the opposition benches in the National Assembly where it holds an important slot of Leader of Opposition. Similarly, it is the biggest party in the upper house of parliament having the coveted office of Senate chairman.
In their written motion, the PPP members said the people of Karachi continue to suffer electricity breakdowns due to what they termed “callousness” of the Ministry of Water and Power and failure of K-Electric.
“What is a matter of concern is that Nepra [National Electric Power Regulatory Authority] headed by the prime minister had utterly failed in holding the K-Electric to account for power failures…in the city,” the draft of the motion said.
Without naming them, the PPP MNAs said two ministers, federal and state, who are normally vociferous on their achievements have become invisible during this time and no one has come out to give statements as to why Karachiites suffer repeated blackouts.
The lawmakers asked the speaker to direct relevant ministers to brief parliament on real reasons for power outages and what remedial steps the government was taking. The PPP also plans to take up the matter in the Senate.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2015.