Daily Times

In a session of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Energy (Power Division), elected member Iqbal Afridi from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa proposed charging a fee of Rs10,000 per meeting with former prime minister Imran Khan to resolve domestic issues effectively.

The session, chaired by Committee Chairman Muhammad Idris, saw additional officials from the Energy Ministry’s Power Division briefing the committee on pertinent matters. Federal Energy Minister Sardar Awais Leghari was also present. During the session, Afridi highlighted the severe electricity shortages in many areas of FATA, questioning the ongoing injustice faced by tribal communities. He emphasized the urgent need for separate electricity provisions, noting that residents often endure week-long waits between power supplies, with some divisions receiving electricity only every other week.

Officials from the Power Division responded by stating that a budget of Rs. 65 billion has been allocated for FATA this year, with Rs. 39 billion earmarked for free electricity distribution. They reported that electricity is currently being provided for up to four hours daily to 410,000 domestic consumers in FATA. Afridi, known for his affiliation with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), criticized the lack of progress in addressing electricity shortages in FATA, asserting that not even one billion of the allocated funds had been spent effectively. He stressed that FATA has been without adequate electricity since Pakistan’s independence. Adding this, Afridi suggested a solution, stating “Do not sell the dams and instead impose Rs10,000 tax on meeting with PTI supremo Imran Khan. This will culminate in a substantial amount that will resolve all the issues.”