JI terms MQM, PTI’s protest against KE a drama

The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) held protests against the K-Electric (KE) outside mosques and at public places after Friday prayers, demanding that the recent tariff increase by the KE should be immediately cancelled.

Talking to the protesters, JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naim Ur Rehman said the residents of Karachi were facing hours-long load-shedding, inflated bills and higher rates during the peak hours. “The injustice being done with Karachiites should end. It is unfortunate that Nepra (the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority) set up only one office in Karachi.”

He said the KE’s license should be cancelled and a forensic audit of the power utility should be conducted for the last 15 years. Naeem said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf should stop “the drama of protests against KE”.

He said the government and Nepra had miserably failed to provide any relief to Karachi by holding KE accountable. “Instead they are encouraging KE and letting it loot billions of rupees.”

The JI leader said the government had given a subsidy of Rs90 billion to KE and it owed Rs116 billion to the Sui Southern Gas Company. He said there was no justification to increase the power tariff. Naeem demanded that the elected members should tender resignation if they could not save the residents of Karachi from load-shedding and overbilling.

He said the JI would continue its protest till KE was nationalised and relief was provided to Karachites. Naeem said it was ironic that the ruling party’s members were protesting against KE instead of fixing the system and resolving the issues.

He said various cases against KE were pending before courts. He said the JI would resolve the city’s issues once it rose to the power. Earlier, JI leaders showed journalists the party's complaint centre established at the Idarae Noor-e-Haq, the party’s headquarters, to register complaints against KE.