Khattak sees conspiracy behind loadshedding in KP

Says Wapda stealing province’s share in electricity

NOWSHERA: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said on Friday that loadshedding was being carried out in the province under a conspiracy.

Speaking at a public meeting in Jehangira town of the Nowshera district, he said his government had assured cooperation to the Wapda in eliminating power theft from the province. However, he added, the federal government was not serious about the issue as the federation was stealing electricity share of the province.

The chief minister said that the Wapda was encouraging power theft. “Around 600 megawatt electricity share of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is being stolen from the province,” he said, adding that a thorough accountability of Wapda was needed.

He said the federal government had not considered the province’s demand of provision of its quota of electricity to end loadshedding from the province.“The federal government is receiving billions of rupees for transformers, gridstations and infrastructure from the province,” he added.

Pervez Khattak said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was producing more gas and petroleum products than its requirements. “We have asked the government to allow Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to generate electricity from the surplus gas for improving the industrial sector in the terrorism affect province,” he added.

Commenting on the removal of senior army officials, Pervez Khattak said that chief of army staff had started the accountability process from his institution.He said, “Other state institutions should follow him now to make Pakistan prosperous and strong. The prime minister must start accountability from his home.”

The chief minister criticized the Awami National Party leadership for demanding accountability. “Everyone knows about the Syed Masoom Shah and his misdeeds and people know that he was front-man of the ANP leadership,” he went on to say.

Pervez Khattak said the county could not afford more misadventures and the ruling elite should start thinking for the poor.He believed that the prime minister’s focus was Punjab while in fact he was the chief executive of the entire country. “The primer’s approach towards smaller province has alienated these units,” he added.

Pervez Khattak said all districts in the province were provided equal funds for improving the education and health sectors. He said that previous government had ignored schools and that his government had to establish 40,000 rooms in schools and recruit 40,000 teachers to make up for the past neglect.

The chief minister said the government had allocated eight billion rupees for tree plantation in the fiscal year to make the province safe from floods, adding that seven billion would be spent next year. Member National Assembly Dr Imran Khattak, Member Provincial Assembly Idrees Khattak, Minister for Excise and Taxation Mian Jamsheduddin, Nowshera District Nazim Liaqat Khan Khattak and others also addressed the public meeting.