CM KP Gandapur Raids Grid Station, Restores Power Amid Loadshedding Dispute
The power loadshedding dispute in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) escalated as Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur stormed a grid station and restored power himself, announcing his own loadshedding plan, Geo News reported on Wednesday.
Gandapur visited the Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) grid station to ensure electricity restoration, setting a new loadshedding limit of 12 hours.
“No area will face loadshedding beyond 12 hours. Assembly members should visit grid stations in their respective areas to ensure compliance with the loadshedding schedule,” he said.
Earlier, Gandapur criticized the federal government for withholding approximately Rs1,600 billion in dues and revenues owed to the provincial government and expressed frustration over unresponsive federal officials.
“This means you (the people) and we are free,” he declared, urging adherence to his policy and avoiding damage to Wapda assets.
He instructed the KP police chief not to register cases against anyone at Wapda’s request and emphasized following his instructions as the province’s chief executive.
Gandapur also announced plans to reduce the national power supply from the province and criticized Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s request for provincial support to secure an IMF deal without addressing the province’s financial needs.
MPA Fazal Elahi of the Sunni Ittehad Council forcibly entered the Rehman Baba grid station in Peshawar and restored power to ten feeders, leading to a financial loss of Rs2.64 million for PESCO.
PESCO officials noted high line losses in Elahi’s constituency, resulting in 16-hour loadshedding, which resumed after the feeders were shut down again.
