Inflated power bills: JI announces protest across Karachi

KARACHI: Jamaat Islami (JI) announced protest in markets across Karachi against the inflated power bills on Monday, ARY News reported.

As per details, the JI consultation meeting decided to hold protests in markets at the same time across Karachi.

The meeting also announced that in the next step, the JI will hold a sit-in out governor house and shutter down protests in Karachi markets.

However, the date of shutter down and protest will be announced later after the party meeting.

On Friday, people from all walks of life took to the streets in Karachi, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Peshawar, Toba Tek Singh and other areas against exorbitant power bills.

In Karachi, the Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan and city’s trader community strongly criticized the government for paying no heed to the plight of the ordinary people.

In Rawalpindi, a large number of people protested at Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh against the high electricity bills.

In Attock, people closed the main highway, disrupting traffic between Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

Protesters in KP’s Peshawar also set fire to utility bills and chanted slogans against the government.

The severe reaction led caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar to call an emergency meeting at the Prime Minister’s House tomorrow (Sunday).

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister office, the Prime Minister also instructed the Ministry of Power and the distribution companies to give a detailed briefing in this regard.

“Consultations will be held in the meeting to provide maximum relief to consumers in their electricity bill,” it added.