Friday, May 26, 2017
By
Shakeel Farman Ali

Load shedding woes: PTI workers barge into grid station in Peshawar

By
Shakeel Farman Ali
|
PTI workers were led by MPA Fazal Elahi. Photo: Geo News screen grab 

PESHAWAR: Tired of the constant load shedding, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers barged into a grid station on Friday.

The workers, under the leadership of PTI MPA Fazal Elahi, entered the station and opened the closed feeders on their own, which led to restoration of electricity in 23 areas. 

The workers also chanted slogans of ‘Go Nawaz Go’ inside the grid station.

Elahi is a Member of the Provincial Assembly from Peshawar. 

Speaking over the matter, Elahi remarked that the Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (PESCO) had assured the protesters earlier that the electricity crisis will be resolved soon, but lamented that people are still facing 20-hours-long load shedding.

Elahi entered the station and opened the feeders on his own. Photo: Geo News screen grab 

“If they [the government] do not provide us electricity, then we will get it ourselves,” he stressed. 

Responding to the incident, Pesco spokesperson said that load shedding occurs in areas where they are facing 70 percent losses.

If people just removed kunda-system and put up proper meters then load shedding would stop

On May 17, charged PTI workers led by the party's MNA from South Waziristan, Ayesha Gulalai Wazir, and local district leadership, stormed the WAPDA House in Peshawar during their protest against power cuts.

"The federal government receives taxes from the citizens but does not provide basic facilities in return," Gulalai said, as party workers chanted slogans against the federal government.

She further alleged that PESCO [province's power company] is run as per the directives of Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) leader Amir Muqam and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl president Maulana Fazlur Rehman

"The protest shall continue till unannounced load-shedding ends," Gulalai said.

However, later in the day, the protesters split into two groups with one initiating negotiations with the PESCO management and subsequently calling off their protest.