RAWALPINDI: With a change in the weather, electricity loadshedding increased from seven to 10 hours a day in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Fayaz Hussain Siddiqui, the general manager of the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco), however, told Dawn that there was still a routine five to six hours’ loadshedding. He claimed that the National Power Control Centre was conducting ‘forced loadshedding’.

In the cantonment areas, the residents said if the power cuts continued the PML-N would get a setback in the forthcoming cantonment elections.

“We are already facing problems of gas shortage and the excessive electricity loadshedding started in March. One can imagine the situation in April and May,” said Mohammad Manzoor, a resident of Allahabad.

“We will have the option to not vote the PML-N as it failed to resolve the energy crisis despite repeated promises,” he said.

Khalid Ahmed, a resident of Chaudhry Bostan Khan Road near Chaklala Scheme-III, said the problems of the residents had multiplied in the tenure of the PML-N as CNG, natural gas and electricity were being supplied to the industrial sector while the residents were being kept on false promises.

He said it was strange that the government did nothing for the welfare of the citizens and expected votes from them.

“The petrol prices were reduced but the prices of food items remained unchanged. The government made tall claims to provide relief to the residents who are unable to manage their kitchen budgets,” said Farid Ahmed, of Gowalmandi.

He said gas was not available in the winter while electricity disappeared in the summer.

“The government wasted billions of rupees on the metro bus project and failed to resolve the energy crisis. We are not running air-conditioners but need electricity to operate our water motors and light at night so that our children can study,” he said.

PTI MPA Arif Abbasi was of the view that the prices of crude oil had come down as compared to the last year but the government failed to resolve the electricity crisis.

“Natural gas was supplied to the industries in the winter keeping the residential areas unattended. The government again started supplying electricity to the industrial units and resorted to forced loadshedding in the residential areas,” he said.

PPP local leader Nasir Mir said the PML-N had claimed to resolve the energy crisis within two months but it even failed to make a plan to resolve the crisis.

“In democracy, people kicked out those parties in elections who failed to resolve their problems. In the coming elections in the cantonment areas, the ruling party will face the wrath of the people,” he said.

Former MNA Malik Shakil Awan of the PML-N told Dawn that the party leadership had been informed about the issue which would be resolved soon.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2015

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