The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly lashed out against the federal government and Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) on Monday over prolonged, frequent power cuts, mirroring the unrest and resentment amongst people throughout KP.
“The federal government and WAPDA are just for defaming the PTI- led coalition government,” remarked a number of PTI members, including provincial ministers and advisers to the chief minister on a point of order.
The issue of frequent and prolonged electricity load shedding was raised in the August House by Adviser to Chief Minister for Higher Education Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani when the opposition walked out of the House.
During the special session of the KP Assembly held in connection with the upcoming presidential elections, Jamiat Ulema-e Islam’s Lutfur Rehman on a point of order strongly protested over the appointment of the District Development Advisory Committees chairmen. He said the opposition was not consulted nor were its members of the Provinicial Assembly (MPAs) posted against such posts.
Rehman said the government had appointed those female MPAs who were selected not elected, to represent the ruling party in the House.
He was supported by Pakistan People’s Party leader Syed Muhammad Ali Shah and Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha. They also walked out from the House but were later brought back by MPAs from the treasury benches.
Amidst the opposition’s boycott on the issue of DDAC chairmen’s appointment, Ghani diverted the attention of the House towards a violent protest at Bannu where angry protesters ransacked a Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) office.
He said that hours-long load shedding, frequent power breakdowns and trippings were common all over KP, making the peoples’ lives miserable.
He was backed by other PTI MPAs from different parts of the province.
Public Health Engineering Minister Shah Farman termed the prolonged and frequent power cuts as a conspiracy against the PTI-led coalition government.
Many PTI MPAs insisted on the formation of a House Special Committee for discussing the issue of prolonged and frequent power breakdowns.
Public Health Minister Shah Farman said it was now time for the KP chief minister to fulfill his promise to stage a protest against power load shedding.
He said the ministers were ready to lead the protest demonstrations.
The PTI MPAs have threatened to protest against their own party’s government in this respect.
The discussion on the issue, however, terminated without reaching a logical conclusion.
