ISLAMABAD: The federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments have agreed to jointly work to overcome power losses and recover areas, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi asserting ‘major breakthrough’ in meeting with KP Chief Minister (CM) Ali Amin Gandapur, ARY News reported on Monday.
The development was announced during a press conference following meeting between Ali Amin Gandapur and Mohsin Naqvi. Federal Minister for Energy Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari and the federal interior secretary also attended the meeting.
The KP government and the Centre had been at odds over multiple issues, including the loadshedding in the province with CM Gandapur even threatening to take control of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco).
Moreover, the KP chief minister was also demanding to clear its dues to the province owed to the province by the federal government.
Addressing a joint press conference, KP CM Gandapur assured that his government will play its role in unison with the Centre to reduce electricity losses. “A drive with the cooperation of the public representatives and the community members will be launched to create awareness in this regard,” he added.
The Chief Minister said it was also agreed to provide immediate relief to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa till the strategy to overcome losses starts yielding dividends.
He said the provincial government will also go for solarisation in different parts of the province so that “electricity losses can be controlled”.
“We have conceived a strategy to make Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a load-shedding-free province”, Gandapur said, thanking the federal government for its support and cooperation.
In response to a question about the meeting, the Chief Minister said, “We have given each other some targets, and we have made some commitments to each other. We will work together to provide relief to the people of the province.”
The Chief Minister added that the outcomes of the meeting would soon come to light, and that the aim of the government is to provide relief to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Read More: CM Gandapur ‘tables’ KP demands in SIFC meeting, calls for releasing funds
For his part, Minister for Power Division Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari said a comprehensive plan has been devised in collaboration with Chief Minister Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to sort out issues related to power pilferage, load-shedding and recovery from the defaulters.
Leghari said the plan would be finalized by tomorrow, adding the model which was devised for KP would also be replicated in the other provinces. He said line losses and power theft issues in the country would be addressed jointly.
Lauding the Interior Minister for playing a key role in this regard, he said the federal and provincial departments would jointly work to sort out issues pertaining to load-shedding, power theft and recovery. The power load-shedding could be over-powered through elimination of power pilferage, he said.
The minister said PTI, PML-N and allied parties jointly took a step to revive the country’s economy.
Praising the CM KP, he said that today all political parties have recognised the Pakistan’s agenda. Under the plan, parliamentarians and general public would be involved to create awareness among the masses about elimination of power theft and payment of outstanding dues.
‘Major breakthrough’
Talking to journalists, Mohsin Naqvi said that the meeting concluded with a “major breakthrough”, without specifying details.
However, he said, the meeting was held in a pleasant atmosphere, with matters related to public relief came under discussion.
“The government and the Ministry of Energy have been engaged in positive talks over the past few days”, he said.
Read More: CM Gandapur meets Mohsin Naqvi to discuss KP situation
Naqvi stated that the discussions between the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the Ministry of Energy have been productive, and both parties share the common goal of providing relief to the public.
He emphasised that the government is committed to minimising the sufferings of the people and providing them with relief. He also acknowledged that the federal government also has a responsibility to address the issues in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly the law and order situation.
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