Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL: Political leaders and civil society members voiced their alarm over the deteriorating situation, urging immediate action to alleviate the suffering of residents and provide maximum hours of electricity. The escalating power crisis in Landikotal has taken a grim toll on the community, with harsh winter conditions leaving hundreds of children hospitalized due to chest infections.
Speakers, including members of the National Issues Committee(Qaum Masail Committee) head Kaleemullah Shinwari, Malik Zahid, Amir Nawaz, JUI leader Maulana Aqib Darvesh, PPP’s Gul Bahadur Afridi, Tehsil Council members Haji Sher Afridi, Bazaar Acting President Attaullah Afridi, Akhtar Ali Shinwari, Iqbal Afridi and other highlighted the severe hardships faced by residents due to the unavailability of electricity.
The speakers noted that the power outage has created an acute water shortage as most tube wells in the area operate on electricity.
Referring to a 2023 agreement with TESKO officials, which assured four hours of uninterrupted power supply and an end to voltage fluctuations, they questioned why electricity was not provided to residents now, as all other feeders were functional when the local grid station was activated by residents.
The leaders accused grid staff and linemen of colluding to mislead residents by citing “technical faults” as excuses. They demanded the replacement of all local grid staff and condemned unauthorized power cuts. They pointed out that electricity is supplied for only one hour in 24 hours, with lengthy gaps between intervals.
“This is not a problem of one tribe, political party or tehsil but it is a collective issue that requires a united response from Jamrud, Bara and Landikotal,” they emphasized.
The speakers also accused the grid staff of corruption, alleging they collect bogus meter bills from shopkeepers for personal gain. They demanded a thorough investigation into the disappearance of 24 transformers, poles and equipment worth millions from the Landikotal market during the installation of the commercial feeder.
Referring to a recent tragic incident, they stated that a transformer malfunction in Fatmikhel resulted in one young man losing his life and another being critically injured. They blamed the grid staff for keeping feeders unbalanced and called for the equitable distribution of electricity, asserting that this would resolve the long-standing power issues in Landikotal.
Concluding the session, they appealed to the MNA and MPA to fulfill their responsibilities and resolve the electricity crisis. They expressed disappointment in the lack of support from elected representatives despite the people’s overwhelming votes during the elections.
