A delegation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan on Thursday visited the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s protest camp set up outside the K-Electric office.
A large number of the PTI lawmakers elected from Karachi attended the protest on its fourth day on Thursday. Accusing the KE of not fulfilling its prime responsibility, they demanded of the power utility to provide uninterrupted electric supply to the citizens.
They shouted slogans against “the exploitation of the power consumers of Karachi by the KE” and showed their displeasure against “the cruel monopoly of the company over the power sector of in Karachi”.
The protesters expressed their anger against the power utility for “turning the city of lights into a city of darkness” and criticised the power company’s management for becoming a source of misery for Karachiites.
According to the PTI lawmakers, they have vowed to continue the protest sit-in against “the K-E’s cruelty”. They demanded of the federal government of their own party to allow other electric companies for the provision of electricity to Karachi.
The MQM-P’s delegation, headed by its deputy convenor Kunwar Naveed Jamil and MPA Muhammad Hussain, joined the protest camp to show solidarity with the protesters.Sindh Assembly opposition leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi said the commercial areas of the city were closed and therefore the electricity demand of the city had decreased by 33 per cent. He asked the KE authorities that why was there no power plant installed in all these years.
“Today, the KE’s mismanagement is tormenting Karachi residents by unannounced load-shedding and overbilling. It is basically a gift of Pakistan Peoples Party supremo Asif Ali Zardari for the city,” Naqvi accused.Requesting Prime Minister Imran Khan to resolve the grievances of Karachi residents, he demanded of the PM to send a federal minister to the city to resolve the issue at the earliest.
MQM-P leader Jamil, who is also a parliamentary leader of the party in the Sindh Assembly, said they were with the PTI in their protest against the KE.“The KE has ruined the life of Karachiites. The residents of Karachi buy expensive electricity as compared to the people in other parts of the country,” he said.He demanded of the government to publicise the agreement with the KE and said that the utility body had been deceiving consumers on the pretext of a shortfall of electricity. The MQM-P leader said the party would organise a sit-in outside the parliament in Islamabad against the “atrocities of the power supply company” if it did not stop “tormenting the residents of Karachi”.
JI protest plan
The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi will organise protests at 100 locations, including and at major roundabouts and outside mosques, today and stage sit-in on tomorrow near Nursery to express its dismay over deaths of citizens from electrocution and prolonged load-shedding by the K-Electric (KE).
It was announced by Karachi JI chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman at a press conference held at the Idara Noor-e-Haq, the party’s secretariat, on Thursday. He said people from all walks of life would protest against the KE’s performance and overbilling.
Naeem said the Centre, the Sindh government and their ally parties in government were patronising the KE and that they were also partners in raising power tariff. In principle, he added, the power utility’s licence should have been cancelled and stern action should have been taken against it but, on the contrary, all of them were staying tight-lipped.
“The proposed raise in power tariff to Rs2.89 is like a bombshell on consumers.” He said action against the KE by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority on over 20 deaths from electrocution in the last monsoon season had been put on the backburner.
The JI leader expressed his grief on over six reported deaths from electrocution in the current spell of rains. He said no one was there to take action against the KE.
“The JI is always with the people of the city and will continue to raise voice against the wrongdoings to them.” He appealed to citizens to fully participate in the party’s demonstrations and register their protest against the KE’s anti-consumer steps. JI Secretary Abdul Wahab, leaders Dr Osama Rizvi, Zahid Askari and MPA Syed Abdul Rashid were present at the presser.