Akhunzada Gul Hamaad Farooqi
CHITRAL: An all parties’ conference (APC) was held in Mroi upper in Lower Chitral in which the participants demanded that the government should ensure supply of electricity to Koh valley without further delay.
Former MNA Shahzada Iftikharuddin was chief guest while the conference was presided over by former MPA Maulvi Abdul Rahman.
Speaking on the occasion, political representatives and local elders said the Koh area near the 107 MW Golen power house had over 25,000 population who have been without electricity for the last 11 months. This area was previously supplied electricity from the Reshun hydropower plant of the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO) but in 2015 the Reshun powerhouse was destroyed in flood and restored after six years, in 2021. In the meanwhile, the area was supplied electricity by Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO).
However, last year there was a dispute between the provincial and federal electricity department PEDO and PESCO – over line losses and tariff. As a result of this dispute, the area has been deprived of electricity for the last 11 months.
The elders of the area warned that if this issue was not solved as soon as possible, the local people will boycott and disconnect the electricity being supplied to the consumers for three hours in 24 hours.
Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, Pakistan Muslim League-N, Awami National Party, Pakistan People’s Party and other political and religious parties expressed their views at the all parties conference.
Talking to our correspondent, local people expressed their frustration and anger over the difficulties they have been facing due to absence of electricity.
They warned that if the political leaders do not solve this problem, no candidate in this area should ask for votes next time. We will not cast our vote for anyone. They warned that if the problem was not solved, the public will launch protest.