KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan Chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Monday called for a reduction in the basic electricity tariff across the entire country, rather than limiting relief to Punjab.
Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Rehman emphasized that the proposed Rs14 per unit reduction for two months in Punjab should be extended nationwide.
He warned that if the government failed to honor the agreement made with JI to provide relief to the people, the party would initiate long marches towards Islamabad from across the country. He also announced a nationwide shutter-down strike on August 28.
He criticized the heavy burden placed on the public by Independent Power Producers (IPPs), blaming successive governments, including those led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Rehman stated that the public could no longer bear the excessive capacity charges imposed by these agreements.
Addressing broader economic issues, Rehman said that the government’s flawed policies have led to the closure of industries across the country, causing significant distress among industrialists and traders. He pointed out that the high cost of electricity has triggered a severe economic crisis, with shocking revelations emerging daily about how the economy was devastated by the IPP agreements.
He further noted that the public is still paying for electricity that was neither produced nor consumed. Rehman accused K-Electric, NEPRA, and the government of forming a “diabolical alliance” against the people of Karachi, alleging that every ruling party has supported K-Electric despite its outdated plants and high line losses.
Rehman also lamented the deteriorating state of water supply and sanitation in Karachi, attributing the city’s plight to the incompetence of the mayor and the provincial minister for local government. Commenting on the aftermath of the recent rains, Rehman said the situation in Karachi and the rest of Sindh highlighted the poor performance of the Sindh government led by the PPP.
