Daily Times

In a bid to mitigate power outages in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), the federal and provincial governments on Monday decided to undertake collaborative measures to provide relief to the masses.

The meeting was held two days after enraged protesters, led by PTI MPA Fazal Elahi, forced their way into a grid station in Peshawar and activated feeders, prompting the city’s power utility to seek an FIR against him. According to a spokesperson for the Peshawar Electric Supply Corporation (Pesco), the PTI MPA and a group of protesters surrounded the Rehman Baba Grid Station.

CM Gandapur had also threatened to take over the system if the federal government failed to meet his demands of ending load-shedding in the province.

K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur met with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Energy Minister Awais Leghari at the Ministry of Interior. The meeting focused on addressing the electricity issues in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Following the meeting, the three officials held a joint press conference, announcing their commitment to jointly resolve the province’s electricity issues.

“Ali Amin Gandapur and Awais Leghari had met before, and it was perceived that a major crisis was imminent. Today, a major breakthrough has been achieved with the aim of providing relief to the public,” said Naqvi.

Gandapur expressed pride in the province’s electricity production capabilities. “All institutions will work together to address the load-shedding problem. We have made efforts to find a solution collaboratively and have decided that both the province and the federation will work together. However, resolving these issues will take time, and until then, relief will be provided to the public.”

He also mentioned plans to encourage the public to adopt solar energy systems. “I thank the federal government for addressing our province’s issues. Our goal is to make Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa load-shedding free,” Gandapur added.

Leghari highlighted the importance of collaboration despite differing political agendas. “The interior minister played a key role in this meeting. We discussed our issues with the K-P CM. The model we created today will also be implemented in other provinces to reduce electricity theft.” “This is a significant step taken collectively by PTI, PML-N, and other parties, which will take the country towards betterment,” Leghari said.

He said that under the plan, parliamentarians and the general public would be involved to create awareness among the masses about the elimination of power theft and payment of outstanding dues. Meanwhile, sources revealed that during the meeting, CM Gandapur raised concerns about the 18-hour power outages in the province.

In response, Leghari pointed out the rampant electricity theft in the province, stating, “Stop the electricity theft, and we are ready to provide power 24 hours a day.”