Peshawar, May 29: Fed up with the long hours of load-shedding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has threatened to cut off half of Pakistan’s energy supplies if the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) does not immediately cease its load-shedding in KPK.
“We will press a button at the Tarbela Dam and will shut down the power supply to half of the country,” Gandapur declared during the inauguration of the first phase of the Pehur High-Level Canal (PHLC) extension project; a three step project aimed at irrigating 30,000 acres of land.
However, he did not elaborate on how he planned to proceed with the action.
“We want an end to power outages,” he said.
As temperatures soar, power outages are becoming increasingly frequent across Pakistan, with some cities experiencing up to 14 hours of load shedding.
In the capital of KPK and its largest city Peshawar, frustrated residents took to the streets to protest against the prolonged electricity outages. Demonstrators blocked Motorway M1, causing significant traffic congestion and long queues of vehicles.
The protesters declared they would not clear the road until officials came to negotiate, and also voiced anger over the duration of load shedding which had reached “unbearable” levels.
Earlier, the chief minister inaugurated the PHLC extension project which will irrigate the arid land of Malikabad and Pabini in Gadoon Amazai region, some parts of Jhanda Union Council, and the entire Maini Union Council
The Chief Minister also announced that his party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), would begin a movement for the release of its incarcerated leader, Imran Khan, after Eid, likening the movement to a fight for independence against Britishers.
Stating that the PTI’s “ultimate goal” was to achieve “true freedom”, Gandapur said “Imran Khan is in jail for our future generations. His release is our duty. Imran Khan is on the side of truth, and we will continue to support him as Almighty has commanded us to stand by the truth.”
He and his supporters, which included several MPA’s and PTI workers, went on to dismiss the charges against Khan as fabricated, demanding his immediate release. “Our struggle will continue until Imran Khan is free. Despite all oppression, we stand with Khan and will remain steadfast. We will claim our rights just as we won freedom from the British.”
Gandapur’s comments came a day after a meeting with Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Minister for Energy Awais Leghari, where he vowed to address the load-shedding issue through consultations.
