PESHAWAR: A case was lodged on Monday against a member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly belonging to ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for creating law and order and storming a gridstation of the Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (Pesco).
A Pesco official had written to the police authorities for lodging a case against PTI MPA Fazal Ilahi and a number of others for trespassing and provoking public to block a road.
The first information report (FIR) against MPA Fazal Ilahi and others was lodged at the Rahman Baba Police Station under Sections 186, 148, 149 on the complaint of Rashid, Sub-Divsional Officer of Pesco, Garhi Naqibullah.
The FIR stated that the MPA and other people forced into the gridstation and shifted load to another feeder in violation of the Pesco SOPs. It added the commercial feeder tripped when the private people shifted the load to it.
The FIR said a large number of people also blocked a road to protest loadshedding that was being carried out because of power theft in the area. Interestingly, the station house officer of the Rahman Baba Police Station was present when the MPA entered the gridstation. No police official stopped the MPA if he was doing anything unlawful.
In a video, the MPA was seen asking the SHO to come and check personally that there was no fault in the system. This has not happened for the first time that Fazal Ilahi was booked by Pesco.
On a number of occasions, cases were lodged against him on complaint of officials of Pesco and the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited for interfering in official matters.
On the other hand, the people said Fazal Ilahi was among the very few lawmakers who stood by his people to stage a protest against ‘injustices’ meted out to them by Pesco or SNGPL.
Pesco official said there was line losses and power theft in the area. The consumers argued this was because of the incompetence of the staff and it did not justify suspension of power to thousands of those who paid bills.
On Saturday, MPA Fazal Ilahi as well as nazims and councillors joined the protestors after the villagers blocked the Ring Road.The villagers from Dir Colony, Garhi Qamardin, Usmania Town, Khun Abad, Hazarkhwani, Garhi Atta Mohammad, Bahader Kelay and other places were demanding restoration of power to the areas that were badly affected by the loadshedding.
Heavy contingents of police also arrived at the spot. They cleared the road while the MPA and elders were taken to the Pesco office and gridstation. The MPA in a video said the employees had disconnected the power supply to certain areas though there was no fault in the system.
