PESHAWAR, June 20 : A simmering dispute over electricity loadshedding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has escalated into a public feud between provincial authorities and the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco), highlighting a persistent power struggle.
The conflict reignited when KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur issued a stern ultimatum on Wednesday, demanding that Pesco curtail power outages across all grids to a maximum of 12 hours per day. This directive follows a purported settlement reached just last month between federal and provincial officials aimed at mitigating the issue.
However, despite assurances from Energy Minister Awais Leghari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi during a previous agreement announcement, ongoing power cuts have continued to plague KP, prompting CM Gandapur to take matters into his own hands during Eid holidays. The CM, currently in Dera Ismail Khan, personally visited local grid stations and instructed staff to enforce the reduced outage schedule. Similar directives were issued province-wide, with several PTI lawmakers joining in to forcibly end loadshedding disruptions at various grid stations.
The standoff intensified as Energy Minister Leghari accused provincial lawmakers of illegal interference in Pesco affairs, alleging unauthorized directives to restore electricity supply in regions like Mardan, Charsadda, Tank, Bannu, and Peshawar. Leghari’s appeal to the interior ministry underscored the escalating tensions, urging intervention to prevent further disruptions at grid stations.
CM Gandapur, in a press conference at his residence, criticized the federal government for failing to honor financial commitments totaling Rs1.6 trillion owed to KP. He stressed the province’s cooperation in recovering electricity dues as requested by the federal government, yet lamented the lack of reciprocation and dialogue from Islamabad.
The situation deteriorated further with reports of increased interference at Pesco facilities, prompting Gandapur to instruct the KP police not to register FIRs against citizens involved in restoring power supply, despite Pesco’s complaints. The power utility cited incidents of grid tripping and subsequent blackouts following unauthorized interventions by lawmakers and local officials.
In response to these developments, lawmakers including Haji Fazal Elahi, MNA Zulfiqar Khan, Abdul Ghani, MPA Shafi Jan, and others have publicly defied scheduled power cuts, entering grid stations to manually restore supply, triggering further disruptions and public outcry.
As tensions mount and public frustration escalates in various parts of KP, including Charsadda and Swabi, over prolonged outages, the situation remains volatile pending federal intervention to resolve the ongoing dispute.