The fate of the ruling Awami National Party’s proposed all-parties conference (APC) on energy crises and unprecedented electricity load shedding has become uncertain after three opposition parties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, including the Jamaat-e-Islami, have refused to attend it.
“The government needs to take action to resolve the issues,” said JI provincial chief Prof Mohammad Ibrahim Khan while announcing to boycot the scheduled APC on Wednesday. High-ranking ANP leaders had met JI leaders in Peshawar on Tuesday, wherein the JI leaders said a decision would be made after discussion and consulting leaders of other parties.
Opposition leader in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Akram Khan Durrani, Pakistan Muslim League-N provincial general secretary Rehmat Salam Khattak and Pakistan People’s Party-Sherpao leader Sikandar Hayyat Khan Sherpao also announced their opposition to the scheduled APC during a joint press conference. PML-N Senior Vice President Amir Muqam has already opposed the APC and called it an eyewash on part of leaders who were part of the ruling alliance. While opposing the scheduled APC, leaders of the four main opposition parties demonstrated similar and identical tones against the ANP leadership. “The ANP being a major partner in the coalition government is responsible for the existing energy crises.” Similarly, the opposition leaders expressed concern over the stock of issues, saying leaders of the ruling coalition had failed to run the affairs of the country, therefore, instead of convening the APC, they should resign.
Two days ago, the ANP high command while opening up on load shedding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had demanded dissolution of WAPDA and transferring affairs of electricity transmission and distribution to the provinces according to the 18th Amendment. In this respect, the ANP leadership announced taking leaders of other parties into confidence through the APC on August 9. Arbab Tahir, provincial secretary general of ANP, said efforts were still underway to ensure participation of all political forces in the APC. He said, “We believe that the energy crisis and electricity load shedding is a serious issue, therefore, provincial government intends to take politicians into confidence regarding future line of action.”
“Unfortunately, certain elements within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are toeing lines of a particular lobby which is familiar for its step mother attitude towards smaller provinces, particularly with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he added.
According to Tahir, leaders of the PML-Q, PPP and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party had assured their participation in the scheduled APC, while contacts were being made with leaders of JUI-S, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf and others. He was hopeful about a shift in the decision of the JUI-F, JI, PML-N and others.
