PESHAWAR: The Pesh­a­war Electric Supply Com­pany (Pesco) on Saturday filed a police complaint against PTI lawmaker Fazl Elahi for allegedly interfering in its work and forcefully resuming the electricity supply.

The complaint, a copy of which is available with Dawn, was signed by Pesco’s Peshawar executive engineer.

The request was made against Mr Elahi after he allegedly led a mob into the 132-KV Rehman Baba grid station and forcefully restored power supply to his constituency.

Announcements about the protest were made through mosque loudspeakers, and locals were asked to gather outside the grid station.

Dozens of area residents reached the grid station and chanted slogans agai­nst the federal government.

While talking to the media during the demonstration, Mr Elahi claimed that despite repeated requests, the power supply remained suspended during hot weather.

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He vowed not to tolerate “power outages for 18 hours a day”.

Mr Elahi even reques­ted public representatives of other constituencies to lead their voters and hold similar protests.

The protesters, while chanting slogans against the federal government, entered the grid station and restored the power supply on nine feeders.

The MPA further warned that demonstrators would take control of the grid station if their demands were not met. “We will close the power there and cut off the electricity supply to the whole area.”

The protest ended after Pesco held out the assurance to reduce the duration of power cuts.

In Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur while talking to reporters after the SIFC meeting said that the federal government had agreed to sit with him on the issue of unannounced loadshedding.

“We are also meeting with interior minister and some federal ministers on the matter.”

The complaint

Pesco officials wrote a letter to the Rehman Baba police station to lodge an FIR against Mr Elahi and another individual named Jameel, for “intervening” in its official duties and causing loss to the national exchequer.

The complaint stated that a mob of 400 to 500 persons, led by Mr Elahi, entered the grid station and forcefully restored the power supply of 11-KV Sorazai feeder, 11-KV Sorazai Bala feeder, 11-KV new Chamkani feeder, 11-KV Yaka Toot feeder, 11-KV new Hazar Khani feeder and 11-KV Qalandar Baba feeder.

The feeders remained ‘activated’ from 10am to 1pm and caused heavy loss to Pesco since all feeders were defective, the complaint added.

“[D]uring the above interval of time, approximately 70,000-units, worth Rs3.64 million, were consumed as per the data provided by the grid, due to the unlawful act of the MPA along with supporters,” the complaint read.

The two individuals “challenged the government’s writ”, Pesco claimed.

When contacted, Rehman Baba police confirmed to Dawn that they had received three applications for the registration of cases.

“We have received three different applications for registration of cases. The cases are being filed,” Amjad Ali, posted at the police station, told Dawn.

However, the cases were yet to be lodged till the filing of this report.

A senior Pesco official told Dawn that there are 3,627 connections on the Hazar Khani feeder of Chamkani sub-division with a total load of around 6,113KV.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2024