In a recent National Assembly Standing Committee on Energy meeting, Iqbal Afridi, a representative from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, proposed a unique solution to address local issues.
Afridi suggested imposing a Rs10,000 fee for anyone wishing to meet with former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The meeting, led by Chairman Muhammad Idris, featured officials from the Energy Ministry’s Power Division and Federal Energy Minister Sardar Awais Leghari.
During the session, Afridi highlighted the dire electricity situation in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). He pointed out that many communities experience severe power shortages, with some areas receiving electricity only once a week.
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Power Division officials stated that FATA had been allocated a budget of Rs. 65 billion for the current year, with Rs. 39 billion designated for free electricity distribution. They added that 410,000 domestic consumers in FATA currently get up to four hours of electricity daily.
Afridi, a member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), criticized the ineffective use of funds to improve the electricity situation in FATA. He stated that less than one billion of the allocated budget had been utilized properly.
As a solution, Afridi suggested that charging a Rs10,000 fee for meetings with Imran Khan could generate significant revenue to address these issues. Following his statement, Afridi exited the meeting.
