Don’t pay electricity bills’: Announcements from mosques
MEPCO admin seeks police help for security of offices, installation,
Traders threaten nationwide strike over exorbitant electricity bills,
Lahore/MULTAN,(Sohaib Iqbal/Webdesk/Staff Reporter)_The recent hike in electricity bills and overcharging have lit a fire under many people to take to the streets in protest as the cost of living skyrockets. Videos of announcements from mosques urging citizens not to pay the bills have gone viral on the internet. The cost of electricity has surged up to Rs65 per unit that is being considered the fallout of standby agreement of International Monetary Fund (IMF). Apart from this, the cost of a liter of petrol is over Rs290 and likely to see an increment from next month.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer MEPCO Engineer Mahar Allah Yar Bharwana on the directions of the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) has set up a control room at the headquarters for monitoring of possible untoward incidents across the region due to increase in electricity prices. Director General HR & Admin MEPCO Chaudhary Khalid Mahmood, Chief Engineer Operation Muhammad Shehzad Raye along with security staff monitored the situation in MEPCO offices managed by South Punjab in the control room set up in the Power Control Center on Saturday.
CEO has directed the staff of the Security Directorate to remain alert while the situation is being monitored across the region in the control room under the supervision of Director Security and Vigilance MEPCO Col (R) Waqar Ahmed. The control room has also been instructed to keep in touch with the district administration officers.
The business community has issued a stern warning to the government, indicating that if the current electricity bills are not substantially reduced, they will initiate a nationwide strike.
Prominent business leaders hailing from Karachi have outlined their plan of action, detailing an upcoming demonstration outside the Governor House and all K-Electric offices. This display of dissent is aimed at voicing their discontent regarding the exorbitant electricity bills.
Sharjeel Goplani, President of the Timber Market, asserted that he is prepared to escalate the matter to an international level. He plans to draft letters to various global organizations, including the United Nations, to spotlight the perceived injustice.
Adding to the chorus of protest, Qais Mansoor Shaikh, Chairman of the Caterers Decorators Association, emphasized that the sizeable electricity bills will not be tolerated under any circumstances. He underscored their intention to stage a presence outside both the Governor House and K-Electric offices.
It’s important to note that the swell of public outcry against steep electricity bills has reverberated across the nation. Demands are mounting for the government to retract the additional tax imposed. Demonstrators argue that the burden of inflation already weighs heavily upon them, and the escalated electricity bills have further exacerbated their struggle, compelling them to part with household items to meet the payment demands.
