PESHAWAR: The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has linked participation in the Awami National Party (ANP)-convened All Parties Conference (APC) on the energy crisis to consultations with other opposition parties.
An ANP delegation led by its provincial president Senator Afrasiab Khattak on Tuesday visited the provincial headquarters of the JI to meet its provincial leadership and invite it to the APC scheduled to be held on August 9.
The delegation included Senior Minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour, Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain and provincial general secretary of the party Arbab Tahir. It met provincial president of the JI Prof Mohammad Ibraheem Khan and general secretary Shabbir Ahmad Khan.
The meeting continued for about an hour as they discussed the situation arising from the unjust power outages in the province. The leaders of the two parties later addressed a joint press conference. Prof Ibraheem said the JI holds ANP equally responsible for the sorry state of affairs along with the Pakistan People’s Party as it was part of the government both at the centre and the province.
He said the JI had already started a protest movement against loadshedding and demonstrations had been held across the province, including the provincial metropolis. He said the JI would take a decision to participate or otherwise in the APC after consultations in the party and with other opposition parties.
ANP president Afrasaib Khattak said the province was passing through an unusual situation and it was time for all the political forces to unite and find out solutions for the pressing problems faced by the people including power outages.
He expressed serious concern over the indifferent attitude of the federal government and Wapda, saying that Tarbela Dam alone could fulfill the electricity needs of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but it was not given its due share in power.
He said the performance of Wapda was disappointing. “The Wapda has increased the problems instead of overcoming issues relating to electricity generation, distribution and management,” he said.
Afrasiab Khattak maintained that they would not sit silent on the issue and would soon convene session of the provincial assembly to work out a joint strategy for resolving the problem. He said they would also chalk out strategy to dissolve Wapda and the demand for its dissolution would be made in the provincial assembly.