JI stages protests against power outages & inflated bills

PESHAWAR: The activists of the Jamaat-e-Islami Sunday staged protest demonstrations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the call of their chief Hafiz Naemur Rahman against the excessive power outages and inflated bills.

In the provincial metropolis, a protest rally was brought out from Nishtarabad Chowk. Led by the provincial president of the party Prof Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, the JI activists marched on the main GT Road and reached Hashtnagri Chowk, where the rally turned into a public gathering.

The participants of the rally were chanting slogans against the government. They were also holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the load-shedding. The gathering was addressed by Prof Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, acting district chief of the party Hamdullah Jan Budhni, former district chief Ateequr Rahman and others.

The speakers blasted the federal and provincial governments for their inability to provide relief to the masses. They said that the excessive load-shedding had made life miserable for the people.

The speakers said the agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and the International Monetary Fund have virtually enslaved the country.

They said the poor masses were paying bills for the power they never used. The excessive taxes on utility bills have also made life a living hell for the general public, said one of the speakers. The JI leaders said it was high time for the government to get rid of the IPPs.