Govt spends Rs660bn on free petrol, electricity for officials: JI Karachi chief

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi chief Monem Zafar Khan on Thursday claimed that the government was providing free petrol worth Rs380 billion and free electricity worth Rs280 billion to bureaucracy and government officials, while burdening citizens with additional taxes and high utility costs.

Addressing a sit-in outside Governor House Sindh, Zafar said the JI’s protest was against inflation, excessive petroleum levies and what he described as “cruel” load-shedding by K-Electric.

He added that citizens were being subjected to what he called an unjust system of petroleum taxation.

He said the government continued to spend heavily on official protocols and privileges while ordinary salaried people struggled to meet their expenses.

Zafar claimed that if the levy collected from around 20 million motorcycles was calculated, it would amount to Rs1.2 trillion. He said Karachi alone had more than 4.2 million motorcycles on its roads.

Questioning government expenditure, the JI leader said the budget of government offices stood at Rs1.33 billion and asked whether the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had directed the government to purchase an aircraft worth Rs11 billion for Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

He similarly questioned the reported purchase of a Rs90 million vehicle for the Senate chairman,  Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, asking whether the IMF had instructed the government to make such expenditures.

“They are not reducing their own expenses but keep saying the IMF has asked them to do so,” Zafar said.

K-IV project

The JI Karachi chief also criticised the Sindh government over delays in the K-IV water supply project, saying the scheme had remained incomplete since 2003.

“Twenty-three years have passed and people are still suffering. This is a joke that shows no sign of ending,” he said.

Zafar vowed that the JI would continue its campaign for the rights of citizens across Pakistan, urging citizens to join the protest movement.

Diesel price reduction announced

“No problem will be solved by sitting at home. You have to come out if you want your problems resolved,” he added.

IPP agreements

Zafar also claimed that the government had previously said it could not negotiate with independent power producers (IPPs), but later held talks with 22 IPPs that resulted in savings of Rs3.4 trillion.

“There is a way out of every agreement,” he added.