THE duration of loadshedding is increasing with each passing day in the country … in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particular. As in the past, this year too the people are enduring prolonged, unscheduled power suspension. As a result, business activities have almost come to a standstill in industrial estates and bazaars. The people are right to hold peaceful protest demonstrations and to apprise the government of their grievances. No doubt it is the responsibility of the government to ensure the smooth supply of electricity to consumers. As compared to the increasing demand, power generation is very low.

The use of electricity both in the urban and rural areas [is] very common. The citizens have a right to power connections and the government is also duty-bound to devise an effective strategy for controlling power theft. The consumers should also extend cooperation to the power companies and stop getting illegal connections and the unnecessary use of electricity.

…Sometimes streetlights too remain on due to the negligence of the concerned staff. It is the need of the hour to check such misuse of power. If everybody felt the responsibility of a patriotic citizen and used resources judiciously then the crisis could be overcome very easily.

Similarly, the government should construct new dams and increase the power supply to meet growing demands. The government is well aware that the people, hit hard by terrorism and flash floods, have suffered a lot and they are in dire need of government assistance. If the government cannot support them it should at least facilitate them to resume business activities and overcome the financial crisis. The country is facing many problems and one of them is unemployment. The power crisis has further added to the joblessness. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a number of sites have been identified for the construction of hydel power generation but the government is yet to take pragmatic steps for a solution to issues. — (Jan 31)

Selected and translated by Ali Hazrat Bacha