Islamabad : Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar has called for an emergency meeting at the Prime Minister’s House today (Sunday) at 3:30pm to discuss the matter.
The protests triggered by the inflated electricity bills continued in many parts of the country for the third day (Sunday),
Incensed citizens already battered by skyrocketing inflation continue to take to the streets protesting against massive hike in electricity tariffs and increased taxes in several cities across the country for the third consecutive day.
According to a post by the PM office account on X, the meeting would include briefings from the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) and distribution companies, while consultations would also be held to provide maximum relief to consumers regarding electricity bills, as directed by PM Kakar.
Political parties including the Jamaat-e-Islami and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) have condemned the hike and additional taxes on power bills.
‘Electricity protests could turn violent’
MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, in a presser earlier today, expressed fears that the protests could turn into riots.
“It is the responsibility of the government to take immediate relief measures,” he said, speaking about the problems of power consumers in Karachi and Hyderabad.
“The pressure of circular debt is not on the owners of K-Electric, but on the consumers. Around 12 to 14 hours of loadshedding is being done in Hyderabad and the city’s traders are being forced to protest,” he added.
The politician said bills are the same, despite incessant and long hours of loadshedding.
In July this year, the federal cabinet — headed by then prime minister Shehbaz Sharif — had greenlit a massive increase in the base tariff of electricity by up to Rs7.50 per unit against the national average tariff determination of Rs4.96 by the power regulator National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra).
