PESHAWAR: Khalil Qaumi Jirga, an alliance of various political parties in Peshawar, has expressed serious concern over excessive electricity loadshedding in the metroplis and warned that if Peshawar Electric Supply Company failed to ensure smooth power supply within 48 hours then the political workers will besiege the Wapda House.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting held at the residence of Pakistan Muslim League-N local leader Arbab Khizar Hayat, according to a statement issued on Monday.

Activists of political parties, including Awami National Party’s former MPA Alamgir Khalil, Jamaat-i-Islami’s former provincial minister Kashif Azam, JUI-F’s Atif-ur-Rehman, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Pir Fida Advocate shared views on the occasion.

They pointed out that the residents of different localities, including University Road, Tehkal, Gharibabad, Jehangirabad, Shaheen Town, Palosai, Malakandher, Safed Dheri, Abdara, Navi Kili and Pawaka, were facing worst power outages for past over one month.

They said the power consumers had repeatedly approached the relevant Pesco officials to resolve the issue, but to no avail.

“We have time and again tried to lodge complaints with Pesco chief executive officer but he avoids attending our phone calls,” Khizer Hayat told Dawn after the meeting. He said the prolonged power outages seemed to be a well-planned conspiracy against the federal government. The PML-N leader said if the BRT was the main cause of outages then Pesco should avoid the routine loadshedding at least to minimise miseries of consumers.

Meanwhile, a Pesco spokesman said there was no additional loadshedding in the city.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2018