MANSEHRA: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader and former MPA from Upper Kohistan Abdul Sattar Khan on Monday urged the federal government to include the Kohistan region in the Hazara Electric Supply Company (Hazesco).

“The government should incorporate our region into Hazesco’s jurisdiction as it was mistakenly left out,” he said while speaking to media-persons.

Accompanied by a group of locals, Mr Khan said: “People from all the three Kohistan districts have been demanding of the government to resolve their issues with the Water and Power Development Authority to ensure the smooth execution of energy projects in the region.”

The former lawmaker said a delegation from Upper and Lower Kohistan and Kolai-Palas districts led by him had held talks with Hazesco officials and informed them about the problems faced by residents.

Ex-MPA also seeks rehabilitation of flood-hit roads

He also emphasised the need for the government to honour the agreements reached with locals following the devastating flash floods in the region in 2022. “We demand the reconstruction of all roads that Wapda committed to rebuilding through agreements signed with the locals, including one signed by the Wapda chairman,” he said.

The former lawmaker also stressed the need to resolve hurdles in laying of the 132KV transmission line from the Dasu hydropower project to the national grid and 111KV line across the four tehsils of the district in accordance with the affected people’s wishes.

“We urge the government to allocate 10 per cent of the royalties from various energy projects, including Dasu, Diamer-Basha, and Suki Kinari, for the welfare of the people in Hazara division,” Mr Khan said.

JIRGA CONDEMNS OUTAGES: People from different walks of life, including local government representatives and traders, during a jirga on Monday denounced the daylong power outages carried out by Hazesco on the pretext of maintenance of transmission lines in Shinkiari and its suburbs.

“This jirga demands that Hazesco end the daylong power outages on alternate days or we will block the Karakoram Highway,” Shabbir Khan, chairman of Shinkari neighbourhood council, said while speaking at the jirga held in Shinkiari.

The jirga, convened at the residence of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl leader Manzoor Mughal, formed a committee to take up the issue with Hazesco and the district administration.

Ahsan Allai, president of traders’ association, said both businesses and domestic consumers had been severely impacted by long blackouts.

Mumtaz Solaria, a local resident, told the jirga that residents of Shinkiari and its surrounding areas had been facing five to six hours of power outages daily.

“When Hazesco carries out maintenance, we are left without electricity for the entire day,” he added.

Siraj Khan, a former nazim, said locals had approached senior officials of Hazesco seeking remedial measures, but to no avail.

“The federal government should take notice of this situation, or we will block the KKH,” he warned.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2024