Whatever might be the government’s justifications for frequent and hours long power outages in the country but the issue is definitely taking a toll on the Awami National Party’s political standing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
People of the province severely criticise the ANP for the recurring load shedding. The fact, that the power generation of the KP is much more than its consumption, only aggravates the people’s anger against the ANP-led provincial government. The official data reveal that over 4000 MW of electricity is being produced in province while the demand is on 600 MW. On these grounds, a judge of Peshawar High Court in early June had directed the Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (PESCO) to exempt the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from the power cuts; but the PESCO high-ups are yet to take action on the court order.
The line losses and the power pilferage in parts of KP, FATA and AJK are usually cited as the justification for power breakdowns but the fact remains that the people who pay their electricity bills also suffer.
When seen in the backdrop of problems like militancy, terrorism and economic slowdown, the power outages add up to people’s disquiet over ANP-led provincial government’s performance.
And despite the fact that KP Chief Minister Amir Haider Hoti enjoys a good repute and even the opposition in the provincial assembly supports legislations presented by treasury benches; yet the power outages are brining a bad name to the ANP.
Compared to other regions, the power outages are more frequent in the ANP-dominated districts and constituencies and hence it could be seen as if the WAPDA authorities are willfully harming ANP’s vote bank.
The residents of Swabi and adjoining areas of Buner complained against outages up to 18 hours a day and because of recurrent voltage fluctuations, the consumers there remained without electricity for the last two weeks. Hence it is no wonder that the ANP workers are seen protesting against its own government.
Although the ANP leaders know that their constituencies are WADPA’s target for power cuts, the provincial government is working on construction of more dams instead of any confrontation with the department. According to government officials, the construction work on at least seven small dams is likely to start soon.