Jirga threatens to besiege gridstation if power cuts not reduced in Takhtbhai

TAKHTBHAI: A grand jirga of all political parties and civil society organisations on Wednesday announced to besiege the electricity gridstation and stage a protest sit-in in Jalala if excessive power loadshedding was not reduced by June 2.

Speaking at a press conference, convener of the grand jirga and Jamaat-e-Islami PK-60 leader Nauman Yousaf, Awami National Party’s Muhammad Ayub Yousafzai, Pakistan People’s Party’s Aurangzeb Khan, former lawmaker Mian Nadir Shah, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s Dost Muhammad Darvesh, Abdur Razzaq Mastkhel of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Youth Parliament founder Allama Muhammad Siddiq, Tahreek-i-Tahaffuz Takhtbhai chairman Sardaraz Khan, Takhtbhai Tehsil Council chairman Muhammad Saeed and others said that electricity was being generated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but the people here were experiencing excessive laodshedding in extreme heat while Punjab and Islamabad enjoying their electricity.

They said that in extremely hot weather, people were subjected to 12 to 18 hours loadshedding daily that had also severely affected businesses.

The speakers said that most electricity feeders in Takhtbhai had 90 percent recovery, but still the power distribution company was unfairly carrying out excessive loadshedding due to its own line losses, electricity theft, and failure to recover payments from other areas.

They said that this injustice was unacceptable, adding that officials concerned had pledged a few days ago to reduce power cuts but that did not happen.

They demanded that at least Rs1 billion out of the uncovered Rs500 billion mega scandal should be given to power supply companies to get the people rid of the excessive loadshedding.

They warned that if unjust loadshedding was not reduced by June 2, the grand jirga along with thousands of people would besiege the Jalala Gridstation and launch a strong protest sit-in for which all preparations had been completed.