I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the significant and sudden increase in electricity bills across Pakistan. This issue has become a burden for the general populace, especially for those already struggling to make ends meet in these challenging economic times.

Over the past few months, many citizens have reported a drastic rise in their electricity bills, with some seeing their costs double or even triple without any substantial increase in consumption. This steep hike in tariffs is not only causing financial stress but is also raising questions about the transparency and fairness of the billing process.

While it is understandable that the government and power companies need to adjust prices due to rising fuel costs and other economic factors, the manner in which these increases have been implemented appears to lack adequate consideration for the public’s ability to bear these costs. The middle and lower-income segments of society are particularly hard-hit, with many struggling to pay their bills on time, leading to further penalties and the threat of disconnection.

Moreover, there seems to be little effort to communicate effectively with the public about why these increases are necessary, and what measures are being taken to ensure that electricity remains affordable. This lack of communication has only fueled public frustration and distrust.

I urge the relevant authorities to review the recent hikes in electricity tariffs and consider introducing a more phased approach to any necessary increases. Additionally, there should be greater transparency in how these rates are determined, and more initiatives aimed at helping those most affected by these changes. The government should also explore alternative energy solutions and invest in infrastructure that can reduce dependence on costly imports and fossil fuels.

The rising cost of living, combined with the hike in electricity bills, is pushing many families into financial distress. It is imperative that steps are taken to address this issue before it escalates further.

Thank you for your attention to this pressing matter. I hope that through your esteemed newspaper, the voices of concerned citizens like myself can reach those in power, prompting swift and fair action.

Yours sincerely,
Abdul Latif

House No A5 Billy’s Homes University Road Karachi.
Karachi , 75280
abdullatifabro1947@gmail.com

It is pertinent to mention that the historical-fiction film was to be released on January 7 in theatres. The announcement of its delay came six days ahead of its release. 

 

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It is expected to hit the silver screens either on March 18th or April 28th of this year.

“If the pandemic situation in the country gets better and all the theatres open up to operate at full capacity, we are ready to release the film on 18th March 2022. Otherwise, RRR movie will release on 28th April, 2022!” the tweet read. 

#RRRMovie on March 18th 2022 or April 28th 2022. pic.twitter.com/Vbydxi6yqo

— RRR Movie (@RRRMovie) January 21, 2022

With a budget of INR400 crores, RRR is said to be one of the costliest Bollywood films ever made. It has a star-studded cast as well. 

Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan will play the leading roles of Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju respectively. 

Ajay Devgn along with Alia Bhatt and Shriya Saran will be seen in the film as well. 

Koduri Srisaila Sri Rajamouli, who earned tremendous fame for his work in the Baahubali film series, has directed and written the screenplay both. It is a production of D. V. V. Danayya.

Antonio Sena crashed his plane in the middle of the jungle on January 28 when he lost his engine after taking off from Alenquer in a northern region of Brazil, on the banks of the Amazon River.

The 36-year-old merely survived on the bread he’d taken with him on the plane, with before and after photos show his dramatic weight loss and hair growth during his time missing in the forest.

That was till he miraculously found a group of nut harvesters, who lit a bonfire for the search team so they could locate him.

When Toninho came across the group, he was dehydrated, weak and had some abrasions on his body.

The search and rescue team managed to find him in the municipality of Almeirim on March 6.

He was reunited with his beloved family for a quick hug broadcast on Brazilian TV before being taken to hospital.

Toninho, who crashed just two days before his 36th birthday, said: “The only thing that kept me strong and enabled me to come out of that situation alive was the love I have for my family, the desire I had to see my parents and my brother and sister again.

“It’s a story of love and faith.’

He later told local media he had nearly drowned after he heard a chainsaw noise and crossed a stream to reach the harvesters.

The country’s anti-corruption watchdog last week said it had uncovered evidence that millions of dollars disappeared during preparations for Mandela’s memorial and funeral.

Officials are alleged to have inflated costs, awarded tenders fraudulently and generally mismanaged the huge state occasion which drew leaders from around the world.

Mandela’s eldest grandson Mandla said on Wednesday that the whole family had reacted with “utter indignation and dismay” to the allegations.

“We find it incredulous that while we, as a family, a nation — and indeed the world — were mourning the loss of our elder, icon, leader and statesman, some people were allegedly conniving to profit financially by shamelessly siphoning off funds,” he said in a statement.

“The guilty parties should face the full wrath of the law.”

Mandela died on December 5, 2013, aged 95, and was buried at his home village in Qunu in the country’s southeast on December 15 at a funeral attended by presidents, royalty and several celebrities.

The Public Protector watchdog said around 300 million rand ($22 million) of state funds intended for the memorial and funeral were misspent.

“It is unfathomable that a legacy built on principled action, integrity and a high degree of ethical standards should be so sullied and allegedly be associated with such criminal intent,” said the family.

Opposition parties were among the first to raise the alarm, demanding a probe into how taxpayers’ money earmarked for the memorial and funeral services was used just a month after the events had concluded.

Mandela’s long-serving personal assistant Zelda la Grange described the funeral planning process as “chaos” in a revealing memoir published six months after his death.

“I had never experienced such chaos,” she wrote of the events to commemorate Mandela’s life, saying that plans were changed every few minutes.

“One could not help but wonder whether it was just eight years of bad planning, wasting money on foreign travel to consult with other countries about events of this magnitude,” she said, “or whether it was a deliberate attempt to exclude from Mandela’s funeral people who were not allied with the right people.”

PPP’s government in Sindh has performed miserably which speaks volumes about the party’s apathy towards the poor. Bilawal then promised the nation to bring a change while people like Qaim Ali Shah, Asif Zardari, Gilani, and Pervez Ashraf stood beside him clapping. How can you imagine bringing in a changed system while your team is composed of the same old faces who have plundered Pakistan’s national wealth for decades. If he’s serious about his political career he must first eradicate the corrupt mafia which exists inside PPP and then think about reversing the fortune of our nation. Overall, it was a bizarre congregation of uninterested people. Those who stood on the stage were as disconnected to the occasion as the people who stood on the ground anxiously waiting for the tirade to finish.

Bilawal’s speech was a torment for me and I feel for the poor people who went there to listen to him. Imran Khan’s response to Bilawal’s speech is epic. PPP, at the moment, is yearning for some importance in Pakistan’s political structure and Khan denied them exactly that by not responding to them. The best way to deal with PPP at this stage is to ignore them. No matter what the TV analysts have to say about the success of the PPP jalsa it was a huge disaster. I believe they failed to fill up the ground even after utilizing their entire government machinery, offering Rs 1500 per person, dancing, music, trains running frenetically to every corner of the country transporting people, unnumbered bus services, more than half of the Karachi cordoned off, shops closed, businesses suffered. The truth is that people have rejected PPP just like they have rejected PMLN.

– Salman Sadiq (Lahore)

So if these MNA’s and MPA’s are so useless for us, why should we vote for such democracy? I remember that in the last week of the PPP Govt. The Sindh Assembly passed an act for massive increase in salary and life time perquisites for their MPA’s. What has been done for the people of Sind, except for certain roads?

There is no criteria laid down in the constitution that the minister for a particular department should at least possess a doctorate in the relevant field or should have a working experience of at least 20 years in that field just like the Director Finance of a reputed Company. What does Mr. Saad Rafiq knows about railways? Result is that none of the trains arrive in time as he does not know technical reforms in the railways system. What does Kh. Asif knows about defence and he backs Geo as against army i-e against his core ministry. People like this can never reform Pakistan into a prosperous country. We need technocrats for the respective fields to bring a change to the current situation of the country. The country has already suffered a lot due to these stupid people. Why not we should favour a technocratic government rather that this so called democratic government which has always added to the sufferings of the people of the country.

How this may happen in an Islamic State that an FIR cannot be launched against a sitting CM whereas even head of a state may be sued upon according to Islamic principles, even he is alleged for a crime like murder. He may not be found guilty onwards, but at least an FIR should be launched. But this is the result that we get from democracy that the one who is ruling is Pharaoh. Everybody is inferior to him including the police and Court.

I don’t like to live in a democracy like this. For me a military rule is better if law is superior and the rights of the people are respected.

Ajlal Hyder

Lahore

The views expressed in this article are solely of the author and do not represent ARY policies or opinion.