Pakistan: Caretaker PM calls emergency meeting over protests on high electricity bills

Concerned over the nationwide protests erupted against the massive electricity bills and relevant hashtags started trending on social media, Pakistan caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul-haq Kakar called an emergency meeting on August 27 to discuss the issue. The Express Tribune reported that the caretaker premier called the meeting in Islamabad and directed the energy ministry and the electricity distribution companies to give a detailed briefing in this regard. As per the statement from Pakistan’s PMO office, consultations will be held regarding giving maximum relief to consumers regarding electricity bills. According to The Express Tribune, after the surge in electricity bills, the general public and traders associations staged protests in multiple cities which led the government to finally take notice to the issue. Earlier a protest in Karachi, which was also supported by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) seeks reduction in the ever-increasing electricity prices and additional taxes imposed through power bills. Addressing the protesters, JI’s Karachi Amir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, warned that if the government continues to burden the public, the situation could further deteriorate. “Our struggle is against the white-collar mafia in KE,” he affirmed, underscoring the commitment to represent the people’s interests, reported The Express Tribune. The protest was also staged in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi where the protesters raised slogans against Islamabad Electric Supply company. The publication reported that protests were also staged in Lahore, Attock, Peshawar, Quetta, Taunsa, Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Rahim Yar Khan and Multan against the inflated electricity bills. A large number of people participated in the demonstrations. Earlier, a report pointed out that Pakistan is burdened with costly plants and commitments that people have been struggling to pay for, The News International reported. Pakistanis paid ₹41 billion for partial load adjustment charges in 2022, resulting from the underutilisation of thermal power plants (with only 46 percent utilization) and ₹721 billion in capacity payments, the report said. With inputs from ANI.