KP Assembly passes resolution against power cuts

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly unanimously passed another resolution here Tuesday against excessive power outages in the province and asked the federal government to stop loadshedding and replace the chief executive of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco).
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MPA Nighat Orakzai presented the resolution signed by Sikandar Sherpao and Aneesa Zeb Tahirkheli of Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Aurangzeb Nalotha of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Awami National Party (ANP)’s Yasmin Pir Muhammad and JUI-F’s Shah Hussain.
The resolution read, “The province is daily facing 12 to 22 hours electricity loadshedding. Faulty transformers are not repaired in weeks and consumers are forced to get their transformers repaired from private workshops on their own expenses. Despite protests staged by all the political parties in Islamabad and assurance given by the federal ministers, neither the loadshedding duration was reduced nor the province provided electricity according to the agreed formula. The province is not even given the money that is its due on account of its share from hydel net profits and the federal government is creating a situation of hate against it among the people of KP. This assembly recommends to the provincial government to ask the federal government to immediately stop the unannounced loadshedding and transfer the Pesco chief executive from the province.”
Before the resolution, Mufti Fazal Ghafoor of JUI-F on a call attention notice asked the government to take action against the police for resorting to baton-charge against the protesters in Buner.
He said the consumers peacefully held protest as they were fed up with the hours long power outages but the police resorted to severe baton charge. He alleged that a child lost his eye in the baton-charge and even elderly men and patients were not spared.
He said the PTI staged a sit-in in Islamabad for 126 days and condemned the Punjab Police’s atrocities at Model Town and also lodged FIR against K-Electric in Karachi, but its own police were allowed to violate all norms.
“I am compelled to raise the slogan of KP Police Murdabad,” he declared while condemning the cops. He also called for a judicial enquiry into the incident.
Minister for Law Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi assured that an inquiry would be conducted into the incident.
Nawabzada Wali Muhammad from Battagram also complained of excessive loadshedding in his district.
JUI-F’s Noor Salim Khan complained of the deteriorating law and order situation in Lakki Marwat and said some people were murdered the other day at a distance of half a kilometer from the offices of the deputy commissioner and the district police officer, but the culprits couldn’t be arrested.
He said the police and district administration had badly failed in maintaining law and order in Lakki Marwat.
Law Minister Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi promised an inquiry into the triple murder case and the police failure to nab the culprits.
Speaker Asad Qaiser ruled that inquiry should be conducted and report presented in the House within a week.
PML-N dissident MPA Wajihuzzaman on a call attention notice diverted the attention of the House towards flood damage in Oghi and called for giving compensation to the affectees.
He said the flood affectees were yet to be paid. He added that 60 to 70 shops were gutted in the area a few days ago and the poor people ought to be compensated.
Aneesa Zeb Tahirkheli demanded making arrangements for the education of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from North Waziristan and other tribal agencies.
She said the children of IDPs were deprived of education and the quota reserved for them in different institutions in the province last year has been withdrawn.
Minister for Education Atif Khan assured that the quota would be restored.
Earlier two bills were presented in the House.
Minister for Irrigation Mahmood Khan presented the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Canal and Drainage (Amendment) Bill 2015 while Law Minister Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi presented the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government III (Amendment) Bill 2015. The Speaker adjourned the session till August 13.