Federal Energy Minister Owais Leghari has requested urgent support from Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to manage protests at grid stations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which provincial assembly members are leading.
In his letter, Leghari noted the failure of local police to file cases concerning these incidents.
The protests, driven by severe power outages, have hampered operations at grid stations in Mardan, Charsadda, Tank, Bannu, and Peshawar.
Leghari attached a report from Peshawar Electric Supply Company’s CEO detailing the disruptions caused by these protests.
The minister reported unauthorized directives from assembly members to grid staff to restore power, aggravating line losses and electricity theft. This compromised both grid security and staff safety.
He stressed the need for enhanced security at grid stations and strict measures against unauthorized entry and power restoration attempts.
Leghari called for immediate action to secure Khyber Pakhtunkhwa grid stations and to register cases against those disrupting operations.
On Wednesday, Naqvi and the province’s chief minister, Ali Amin Gandapur, discussed the load-shedding crisis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
During their meeting, they agreed to further consultations over two days to tackle the 12-hour load-shedding issue.
They committed to resolving misunderstandings through dialogue.
Minister Gandapur confirmed security measures for grid stations, while Minister Naqvi pledged prompt resolution of the load-shedding issue and emphasized federal facility security.
