PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party-Wali on Thursday urged all political parties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to join hands for agitating against State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali’s threat of shutting down some feeders in the province over high line losses.

ANP-W central general secretary Farid Toofan told a news conference at Peshawar Press Club that the state power minister was playing negative politics, which could harm national integrity.

He said by issuing provocative statements over power theft, the minister was making the people in the province take to the streets.

“(Minister) Abid Sher Ali should admit that power theft is very common in all parts of the country, including Punjab,” he said.

The ANP-W general secretary said all political parties in the province should unite to agitate against the state minister’s threat.

Accompanied by former MPA Arshad Tandar, ANP-W Peshawar district president Atifur Rehman, he said calling Pakhtuns power thieves was totally unjustifiable and highly deplorable.

“Electricity and gas are produced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but even then, local residents are denied them,” he said.

Mr Toofan said power theft was high in different parts of the country, so the government shouldn’t discriminate against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa only by threatening it with power suspension.

He suggested that political parties call a joint meeting to discuss the minister’s provocative statement and finalise future course of action against it.

The ANP-W general secretary urged the prime minister to step in and resolve the issue.

He said the centre had long denied power and gas payments to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, so it should pay arrears to the province instead of threatening it with power suspension.

Mr Toofan criticised ANP for ‘failing to serve Pakhtuns during five-year government in the province.’

“I do not have any personal clash with ANP central chief Asfandyar Wali and other leaders but only want their accountability for damaging Bacha Khan ideology and the party,” he said.

The ANP-W leader said Asfandyar Wali was the real heir of Bacha Khan’s property but not his ideology.