The escalating power crisis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has taken a dramatic turn, with the Federal Minister for Power Awais Leghari requesting security intervention from the Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

In a letter addressed to Naqvi, Leghari expressed concerns over the recent incidents at grid stations in the province, where influential figures have been allegedly interfering with power distribution.

The letter highlights the alarming trend of individuals, including provincial assembly members, entering grid stations and issuing directives to restore power supply. This has resulted in widespread power outages, damage to infrastructure, and rampant electricity theft, according to Leghari.

The situation escalated when the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, visited the Dera Ismail Khan grid station in protest against unscheduled power cuts.

He issued a stern warning to the federal government, threatening to cut off power supply from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the national grid if the power cuts continued.

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The letter further details incidents in various districts, including Mardan, Charsadda, Tank, Bannu, and Peshawar, where individuals have forcefully entered grid stations and interfered with operations.

Leghari emphasizes that the police have failed to register FIRs against these individuals, despite reports from the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO).

Laghari’s letter calls for immediate action, urging the federal government to deploy security forces to all grid stations in the province, prevent unauthorized entry into grid stations, file criminal charges against those who have forcefully entered grid stations and interfered with power distribution, investigate and hold accountable those responsible for the illegal power restoration.