JI leader hails move to cancel contracts with IPPs

PESHAWAR: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Khyber Pakhtun-khwa (Central) chief Abdul Wasi has described agreements with independent power producers (IPPs) as shameful and hailed the government announcement to cancel the contracts.

Speaking at a student expo organised by Islami Jamiat-i-Talaba at the University of Agriculture here on Wednesday, the JI leader said that the nationwide protest movement launched on the call of JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman in July last year has now entered into a decisive phase.

He lauded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s announcement regarding federal cabinet approval to cancel contracts with 14 IPPs and reduce electricity rates by Rs10 to 12 per unit. However, he insisted that JI would not become silent until ordinary households are provided with genuine relief.

He urged the public to stand by the JI and support the nationwide protest call on January 17 to achieve their rights. He stressed the need for collective action at this critical time.

The JI leader lamented the deteriorating state of law and order in the country. He said that the people across the country especially in the volatile district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have suffered badly due to the lawlessness.

Furthermore, he criticized the government for lacking a vision to address corruption and other problems associated with it. Instead of dealing with the menace of corruption, the government is bent upon getting more and more loans under harsh conditions from global financial institutions including World Bank and IMP and taking anti people steps on their directives such as frequent hikes in fuel price and increased electricity and gas bills.

He said that these policies would have adverse effects on students. Instead of providing necessary facilities, he said, the government is selling university lands to pay salaries of employees, he lamented. “Such actions are depriving the nation’s future builders of the support they need,” he maintained.

Our correspondent adds from Timergara: Jamaat-i-Islami Khyber Pakhtun-khwa, North, chief and former senior ministers Inayatullah Khan has demanded the government to revisit all the contracts made with the private Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and stop the capacity payments.

Speaking at a news conference at Timergara here on Wednesday, the JI leader said that unfortunately power consumers across the country paid for electricity they were not utilizing.

Inayatullah said the JI chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman had called a countrywide protest against the unjustified power tariffs on Jan, 17. He said the JI workers would make the drive a success.

The JI leader said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa generated electricity and sold it at Rs 5 per unit to the centre; but in return people of the province got it back at Rs 45 to Rs 70 per unit.

JI leader said that power consumers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were forced to bear 10 to 12 hours of power outages even in winter despite the fact that it generated cheaper electricity. He said that prolonged and unscheduled power outages caused a huge loss to the business community.