PESHAWAR - A group of women activists of Pakistan People's Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz from Chitral announced to join Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

The announcement was made by PPP and PML-N Chitral presidents along former councillors belonging from Kalash valley, Ismaili and Muslim community headed by PTI woman activist Falak Naz during a function held here at the PTI provincial secretariat on Sunday. The function was presided by PTI Provincial General Secretary Khalid Mashood. Those who announced to join PTI included PPP former president from Chitral, Amina Bibi, PML-N activists Shahida Bibi, Khadeema from Kalash valley, former councillor Sifahat Gul Bibil and others women from local community of Chitral.

After joining the PTI, they informed the PTI provincial leadership about issues of Chitral particularly issue of Lawari tunnel, rehabilitation of road infrastructure, establishment of vocational training centres and taking action against organised mafia and other issues of the district. They said that a large number of women would soon join PTI from the district Chitral.

The women activists invited the PTI provincial leadership to participate in women convention in April in Chitral upon which the PTI General Secretary Khalid Mashood assured them that he would inform his provincial government about issues of Chitral.

PTI'S PROTEST AGAINST POWER, GAS OUTAGES TODAY: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday announced to lodge strongly protest against the excessive loadshedding of electricity and gas in the province today (Monday). The announcement was made by PTI Provincial Secretary Information Ishtiaq Urmar along with Chief Minister Adviser Ziaullah Afridi, MNA Sajid Nawaz and the party's other provincial legislators at a press conference. He said there was no justification for the unprecedented unannounced loadshedding of electricity and gas in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. "KPK has been generating 4,800 mega watts electricity against its consumption of only 2300 mega watts while the province was supplying only 1,500MW electricity," he said. The PTI provincial secretary said that the Khyber Paktunkhwa is replete with natural resources but it was not supplying gas as per demands of the province.

Commenting on statement of Minister for State on Water and Power Abid Sher Ali, he said if the minister is emphasising installation of power meters, then it should also provide funds for supplying line of electric wire as well.

He informed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet meeting would be held today (Monday) after which the ruling PTI along with allied parties would besiege the Wapda House and office of Sui Northern Gas Pipeline (SNGPL) in Hayatabad Peshawar. He further explained that the PTI provincial legislators, ministers, and MNAs would also participate in the protest.

The PTI provincial legislators Mohmood Jan, Fazle Elahi, Arbab Jandad, and other party activists were present during the press conference. They said that the PTI government had been elected with high mandate of masses, now the federal government was trying to diminish it by carrying out loadshedding of power and gas in Khyber Pahtunkhwa.

PTI MPA also made a demand from the centre to pay Rs106 billion as arrears of net hydro profit to Khyber Paktunkhwa, otherwise, the KPK government will take every possible step to attain the legitimate right.

BAJAUR RESIDENTS O PROTEST POWER OUTAGES: Staff Reporter from Bajaur Agency adds: Traders and residents of Bajaur Agency on Sunday staged a protest against prolonged power outages and blocked main Khar Timargara Road for some time.

The protesters gathered at the main road and chanted slogans against the Tesco officials. The protesters said that Pakistan Muslim League -N government had failed to address the core issue of energy crisis in the country. Leaders of various political parties, tribal elders and traders spoke on the occasion.

They said that 20 to 22 hours a day power loadshedding is sheer injustice with the tribesmen which has multiplied the miseries of over 10,00,000 tribal people. They complained that the people of agency were facing water shortage and other problems due to the power shutdown.

They also criticised the Khybe pakhtunkhwa Governor and MNA Shahabuddin Khan for ignoring the basic problems, including the energy crisis in the agency. They said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor had promised to start construction of a 132,000 KV grid station in the agency in December 2013 but so for no practical steps has been taken. They demanded the Tesco to immediately end the power loadshedding in the agency.

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