Gandapur warns Centre against harassing KP people on power theft issue

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sardar Ali Amin Gandapur on Monday warned the federal government against harassing the people of the province over the power theft issue, vowing to take drastic measures if the Centre continued to ignore the province’s legitimate demands.

Speaking at a press conference at the Chief Minister’s House, he alleged that the federal government was adopting a discriminatory approach toward KP and that WAPDA was filing FIRs against the people of the province.

“If the federal government is serious about fixing the electricity theft issue in the province, then we are ready to sit with them and talk, but it is not acceptable in any case that our people should be harassed unnecessarily,” he said.

Gandapur raised the issue of the province’s outstanding arrears of Rs1510 billion, saying the federal government had never talked about these arrears and only cheated the people of the province.

“I have offered many times to the federal government to discuss the issue of payment of electricity arrears as these are the right of the people of our province and we will continue efforts to take this right in any case,” he said.

The chief minister expressed his surprise over the low turnout in the recent by-elections in Punjab, saying that it was less than 50 per cent compared to the general elections.

He congratulated the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for participating in the by-elections. Citing the results of the by-polls in Bajaur, he said the provincial government had not interfered in these elections.

Gandapur touched on the issue of the reserved seats in the province, saying allotting the reserved seats of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to other parties was an unconstitutional and illegal act. “We will adopt the political and legal recourse and claim our right,” he said and hinted at moving the apex court to get the seats reserved for women and minorities.

The chief minister voiced concerns over the health of the party founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi. “The medical test reports have proved that there are risks to their health. A letter was written [by the KP government] for their medical examination but that was rejected, “ he said.

Gandapur said that the province had been facing a serious problem of law and order for a long time, and the police and security forces were fighting and laying down their lives. “ Everyone has to come together and adopt a plan of action for lasting peace in the country,” he said.

In response to a question, Gandapur said that the federal government neither gives us gives our rights, nor the officers of our choice. “I want to say that if this continues, I will fully use my powers under the 18th Constitutional amendment,” he said.