Protesters ask govt to ensure power supply to Upper Chitral

Speakers at the protest gathering warned that if power supply to Upper Chitral was not ensured at the inauguration of the 108 megawatt powerhouse by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi next month, the people of Upper Chitral would expand their protest. Earlier on Saturday, elected members of the local government at a meeting also attended by MPA Sardar Hussain and tehisl nazim Maulana Muhammad Yousuf supported the THA on its protest campaign against non-provision of power to Upper Chitral. The meeting was informed by the tehsil nazim that the matter had been raised at a meeting held a day after the National Assembly Standing Committee on Power in Chitral directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO) and the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) to sign an agreement by Jan 5 to supply power from Golen Gol to Chitral. But it seemed that the supply of power to Upper Chitral was not a priority of the government and the MNA Chitral seemed non-committal to make any pledge to ensure the provision of electricity to Upper Chitral next month. According to the tehsil nazim,  the MNA told the meeting that the supply of power to Upper Chitral would be considered at a later stage. It may be noted that Upper Chitral has been without electricity since the Reshun powerhouse was destroyed in 2015 floods. The THA said it would arrange another protest in Booni and would expand it to other areas if the government fail to provide electricity to the area by next month.]]>