PESHAWAR, Oct 25: The row between Peshawar Electric Supply Company and a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf member of the provincial assembly turned soar after the former moved a local police station to register a case against the latter for what it called ‘interfering in government affairs’.

A Pesco spokesman told Dawn that the company had written a letter to the Peshawar’s Bhana Marri police station for registering a first information report (FIR) against PTI MPA from PK-6 Fazal-i-Elahi for ‘interfering in government affairs.’

“We have made a formal request to the police station to register FIR against him,” said the spokesman.

When contacted, the PTI MPA denied the charges and said he could not be frightened by lodging police FIRs. “I did nothing wrong and am not afraid of FIRs,” said Mr Elahi.

In a press statement, Pesco has accused the MPA of ‘beating its staff’ and ‘whisking away at gunpoint’ from police accompanying the Pesco staff the offenders arrested for ‘illegal use of electricity.’

The spokesman, when contacted, said that the Pesco staff accompanied by a police squad was busy in routine checking, removing kundas (hooks), and recovering arrears from defaulters at Achar village, Ring Road, when the local MPA interfered in their working.

He said that the area had high incidence of electricity pilferage. Of the total electricity supplied to the area 96-97 per cent remained unaccounted for because of electricity stealing.

The MPA, on his part, denied that he either beat the Pesco staff or got anybody free from the police by using force. “I was accompanied by two official guards, the question arises how can they get freed people from the custody of senior police functionaries present on the occasion,” said Mr Elahi, accusing Pesco of ‘making up lies’ to cover up its failure.

He said Pesco’s action in his area was uncalled for and against the ‘agreement’ senior Pesco officers had signed with him on October 3 last.

The Pesco rejected that any agreement was signed with the MPA. He said the understanding reached with the MPA did not authorise anybody to continue electricity stealing. He said Pesco took the action in line with Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali’s instructions to end electricity theft, recover power dues, and install electricity metres by removing kundas.

“The Bhana Marri police station has not yet registered the case against him,” said the spokesman, adding “we have been told that they have forwarded our letter to their legal branch for ascertaining advice to know whether the FIR can be registered against a ruling party MPA or not.”

He said that Mr Elahi had also ‘unlawfully’ entered one of Pesco’s grid stations two months ago in his constituency and made the company’s staff to start supplying electricity from the facility that was switched off as part of load management plan.

“Pesco staff is not interested to end kunda culture from my area, which is adjacent to tribal areas,” said Mr Elahi, adding that Pesco did not honour its commitments made in the agreement signed on Oct 3.

According to the document, he added, Pesco was supposed to provide metres to the consumers at Rs2,200 per metre, collect 10 per cent of the dues in advance from defaulters and the remaining amount was to be collected in easy installments. Besides, a Pesco office was to established in the area to ensure early repairs when needed, the old metre reading card system was to be reintroduced, and metres be issued against national identity cards with applications verified by the local MPA.

“Pesco did not fulfill any of the conditions prior to taking action against people in my area,” said the MPA – a point rejected by Pesco spokesman. He said the company’s understanding with him did not allow the unabated power stealing in his area.