Special Meeting Held at Pabbi Police Station to Address Public Outrage Over Prolonged Load Shedding.
Special Meeting Held at Pabbi Police Station to Address Public Outrage Over Prolonged Load Shedding.
By M.Ilyas Mullakhel
Peshawar – On the special directives of District Police Officer (DPO) Nowshera, Abdul Rasheed, a high-level meeting was convened at the Jamia Masjid of Pabbi Police Station to address the escalating public outcry over prolonged electricity load shedding in the region.
The meeting was held under the supervision of DSP Pabbi Circle, Adnan Azam, and included senior officials from PESCO Nowshera, field staff from multiple PESCO sub-divisions, and elected public representatives from the affected feeder areas, including Wazir Garhi Feeder, SCARP Feeder, and others.
The participants included SDO Uzair Khan from PESCO Pabbi Subdivision-III, SDO Ehsan Khan from PESCO Pabbi Subdivision-I, along with other field officials from PESCO Pabbi Subdivision-II. A large number of elected representatives, including local Councillors and Nazims from the affected areas, were also present.
Prominent among the special invitees were Muhammad Ilyas, senior Journalist and special Correspondent of Daily Independent (English) for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Afghanistan, and Journalist Fazal Nabi.
During the meeting, participants held detailed discussions regarding the deteriorating law and order situation due to prolonged power outages, which in some areas exceeded 12 hours, exacerbated by the extreme summer heat. Local representatives strongly voiced their concerns over public unrest and the possibility of widespread protests.
In a unanimous decision, it was agreed that the duration of load shedding on the mentioned feeders would be reduced from 16 hours to 12 hours, taking into account the on-ground realities and the grievances of the local population.
Furthermore, a coordinated strategy was devised for the recovery of outstanding dues and the elimination of electricity theft (“Kunda” Culture).This plan will be implemented under the supervision of public representatives, PESCO officials, and the local police. It was decided that FIRs would be lodged against those involved in electricity theft and serious steps would be taken to ensure bill recovery.
In a significant development, public representatives agreed to defer their protest campaigns and pledged support for bill payments, provided the agreed load shedding schedule is implemented in letter and spirit.
All stakeholders were officially informed of the consensus decisions, and it was clarified that any failure to comply with the agreed-upon measures could result in criminal proceedings against the responsible parties.
This collaborative initiative aims to restore harmony between the public and PESCO, ensuring mutual cooperation for a more sustainable power distribution system in Nowshera.
