PESHAWAR: The PML-N activists, who intend to contest the local government elections, face embarrassment when they address public meetings in their respective areas and people start shouting slogans against power loadshedding and ban on gas connections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Several PML-N candidates, belonging to various union councils, said that they made preparations for the elections and were hopeful to win the polls but prolonged power outages could cause upset for them.

Talking to this correspondent, they said that the people of different areas like Umeedabad, Bara Gate, Shaheen Colony and Chamkani were facing the worst kind of loadshedding despite the fact that they were paying the monthly bills regularly. Besides, they added, ban on gas connections was another problem because the issue was related to the federal government.

They said that voters in many areas were demanding installation of power transformers but they were unable to resolve the issue because the leadership of their party was not taking serious steps for the purpose.

Party leadership urged to resolve the issues to get votes in LG polls

Urging the PML-N leadership to take notice of the unscheduled and prolonged power loadshedding, the candidates said that they would be unable to compete with their opponents if Peshawar Electric Supply Company did not stop the excessive power outages.

PML-N district president Abdul Sattar Khalil, when contacted, said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his recent visit to Haripur had assured the party workers of lifting ban on gas connections. He said that the ban created many problems for the consumers.

However, he said that power loadshedding was a serious issue and could harm PML-N in the local government elections. He admitted that delegations of party workers apprised him of the prolonged loadshedding in the suburban union councils like Surizai, Arbab Landi, Bara Gate, Shaheen Colony and Chamkani but the sub-divisional offices concerned were least bothered to pay attention to the office-bearers of PML-N.

“We have issued some 56 tickets for the district council so far and are trying to win maximum of the seats,” Mr Khalil said. He added that he had always raised voice for special funds so that they could also play role in the development of their areas to secure votes.

The coalition partners in the provincial government, he said, were using official funds to get votes in the local government elections. The illegal practice should be stopped immediately because schedule for the elections was already announced, he added.

The PML-N leader said that the local government elections had been scheduled at such a time when the weather would turn hot. The voters would not vote for PML-N candidates if loadshedding was not stopped or minimized, he said.

“We have requested Eng Amir Muqam to take notice of the situation and help to control the power outages,” Mr Khalil pleaded. PML-N provincial general secretary Rehmat Salam Khattak could not be contacted for his comments.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2015

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