Rawalpindi:People belonging to different walks of life took to the streets against overbilling and inflation in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Tuesday.
Common citizens, lawyers, traders, doctors, teachers, shopkeepers, wholesale dealers, and even government employees in the form of protest rallies appeared from their houses and turned to the streets areas against overbilling and ever-increasing inflation. Main Murree Road, Kutcherry Road, Rawal Road, Dhoke Syedan Road, Commercial Market, Pindora Road, Asghar Mall Road, Scheme-III, Adiala Road, Bakramandi Road, and Pirwadhai Road remained jam-packed with protesters against overbilling and inflation. A heavy contingent of police and lady police officials were present to control the law and order situation.
The protest rallies against inflated power bills spread to several cities as the interim government is exploring options to provide some kind of relief to the electricity consumers without violating the conditions agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said that the complete focus of the government was on providing relief to the masses in electricity bills. We are focusing on how to provide relief to the masses instead of looking into the discussion that who is responsible for expensive electricity, he said. Hundreds of people surrounded the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) office in Rawalpindi as protests triggered by inflated electricity bills continued in many parts of the country for the fourth consecutive day. The Iesco officials called in the police for extra security as protesters shouted slogans against the electric utility company, demanding that the exorbitant charges be reduced or they would not pay their bills. Those attending these demonstrations include members of the civil society both men and women traders, and members of the legal and business fraternities.
High-ranked officials from Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) on condition of anonymity told ‘The News’ that why the public was beating them while free-of-cost electricity was going to powerful people in the country. They said that free-of-cost electricity units were being distributed among powerful people including ministers, MNAs, Parliament Lodges, and other high-ranking officials. Only 40-Crore units were distributed among Wapda employees while other 4.60 billion electricity units were being distributed among powerful people in the country.
Meanwhile, like other parts of the country, the traders' community staged a protest demonstration in I-10 Markaz of the federal capital against over-inflated electricity bills coupled with taxes on Tuesday. President of the Markazi Tanzeem-e-Tajran Pakistan Muhammad Kashif Chaudhry who led the protest demonstration, had given the call for protest on Tuesday across the country to press the caretaker regime to provide relief to the common man and traders. The traders who shut their businesses for some time participated in the protest while carrying banners and placards and raising slogans demanding the withdrawal of an increase in electricity tariffs and taxes.
Kashif Chaudhry while addressing protestors asked traders community of Islamabad to joint shutter-down strike on September 02 if the Government does not take any concrete decision by that time. He demanded of the Government to do away with agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and sign new deals without receiving any kickbacks and make payments to companies on the basis of electricity generation.
