Prolonged loadshedding: KP people being punished for supporting PTI, says Asad

SWABI: Criticising the federal government for prolonged power outages, former speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser on Tuesday said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were being punished for voting supporting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

“The Constitution and law give the people the right to choose their representatives, but today the country is under a government that is a product of Form 47 and has only secured 17 seats,” he told reporters here.

The severe and unjust loadshedding of electricity in Swabi continues unabated, he said, adding, he had also raised the issue of the electricity crisis and public hardship in Swabi at the floor of the National Assembly, but no relief was provided so far.

He said that Pesco was facing a 57percent shortage of staff and there were no meter readers and linemen in some areas.He said that both Pesco and the federal government had failed to fulfill their responsibilities. He said that according to NEPRA’s records, Pesco’s recovery rate was 91percent, yet loadshedding was still being carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He demanded that the federal government immediately release the dues of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that Rs123 billion were owed by the federation under Net Hydel Profit, while Rs 478 billion in Fata funds have still not been disbursed, despite commitments. He said that after the merger of Fata, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s share in the NFC Award increased from 14percent to 19 percent, yet the province is still not being given its rightful share. He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa made the greatest sacrifices in the war against terrorism, yet it continues to be ignored.

He warned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that if Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was not given its constitutional rights, then no one should complain about the consequences. He rejected the imposition of new taxes on tribal districts, stating that a 10percent tax was being imposed on the region, which is completely unacceptable.

He demanded that the government immediately end the oppressive loadshedding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, pay the net hydel profit dues, and fulfill the promises made at the time of the Fata’s merger.